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Planners approve growth of Ropley business (From Hampshire Chronicle)
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Planners approve growth of Ropley business
1:48pm Wednesday 10th February 2010
A FIRM specialising in green energy and marine research can expand and stay in Ropley, councillors decided.
TSL Technology employs 22 staff, and aims to recruit more people in the future.
However, it has outgrown its current building, which is slightly larger than two tennis courts.
As a result, it wants to build an extension of similar size behind it on the site next to the A31.
Yet council planning officers snubbed the idea, arguing that it was a greenfield site in the country and should be preserved. Parish councillors in Ropley and nearby Bishops Sutton also protested.
The final decision rested with Winchester City Council’s planning committee, which met recently.
Mike Yuratich, TSL’s managing director, came to lobby councillors to back the expansion.
He said they had been in business for 18 years and it would be “disruptive” if they had to move.
If that happened, some employees would have to drive further to work, he added.
“We are a clean and quiet local business, and most of our work happens indoors,” he said.
Cllr Harry Verney, who represents the area on the city council, supported Mr Yuratich.
He said: “Do you really want to force him out of the village and out to Alton or wherever? He’s a good local employer.”
Several committee members agreed with Cllr Verney, and queued up to slate the objections raised by officers.
Cllr Barry Lipscomb said: “I can’t believe what I’m hearing this morning. We’re dealing with the effects of a recession and we are council that is trying to help business.
“We should be applauding this scheme and I’m going to vote for it with all the strength that I can.”
His Tory colleague, Cllr Neil Baxter, said: “If we turn this down then I think we’ll be a laughing stock.”
Cllr Ray Pearce, Lib Dem, said: “I don’t see that in these times of credit crunch that we can possibly say no to these people.”
The committee voted unanimously to approve the plan.
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