Access Self Storage

  • RBA Client:Access Self Storage
  • Planning Consultant:The London PLanning Practice
  • Transport Consultant:Motion UK
  • Start Date:August 2009
  • Completion Date:October 2010

Access Self Storage offers several million square feet of personal storage to customers throughout the UK. Due to the commercial success of their St Albans facility, Access Self Storage required an extension to the allowable hours of operation.

Planning Consent for the construction and operation of the facility in St Albans was initially granted in 2007, however a number of conditions were set to ensure that there was no disturbance to neighbouring residential properties.  One of these conditions placed a restriction on the allowable hours of use of the premises by their customers. 

Following on from the successful challenge to the planning consent at a previous Access Self Storage facility, RBA Acoustics were retained to assist in the application for the St Albans store. Whilst in theory, the principles of the new application were similar, the location of the two stores were markedly different; one being in a Central London location, adjacent a busy road and with good separation to residential properties; whilst the St Albans store was in a much quieter location with residential neighbours on two site boundaries. 

RBA undertook extensive noise monitoring at the St Albans store to establish the current environmental conditions over the periods which operation was currently prohibited; this included the evening, night-time and weekends.  We also undertook sample noise measurements of customers using the St Albans store and also at a similar branch in Guildford.  Using the transport consultant’s assessment of customer usage alongside the results of our surveys, noise predictions were made to assess the impact of the proposal to extended opening hours.

The results of our assessment indicated that there were times that disturbance to neighbouring properties could be encountered, such as the dead of night period where prevailing noise levels were low; however there was also evidence that the store could operate under extended hours without any predicted disturbance.  The thorough evidence provided to the Local Authority was therefore sufficient to allow an extension to be granted, whilst maintaining good relations with residential neighbours.

Photos courtesy of Access Self Storage