DomeWorks: Wenta Business Centre revamp granted approval

At a meeting on Tuesday (September 30), the committee unanimously agreed to grant planning permission for proposals to knock down and rebuild most of the site, in Colne Way near the A41 in North Watford.

The committee’s chair, Cllr Mark Watkin, said the improved site – to be known as The DomeWorks – will “look superb” and “significantly enhance its ability to foster new businesses and encourage new people to grow”.

One building, constructed in the early 2000s, will remain while the rest of the site will be demolished and replaced with new buildings.

A planning officer told councillors that the plans would see a 57% increase in the amount of employment floorspace at the site.

He said: “It’s currently comprised of large buildings which contain workshops. The workshops are let out to various businesses that use them for various industrial and commercial purposes.

“There will be two new buildings … and they’d provide new flexible, industrial and commercial workspace in the form of workshops again.

“This would be sequenced, so the proposed development would be in phases, which allows the business park to remain operational … and businesses can remain and relocate within the site.”

He added that although the access road to the site is too narrow to allow a separate pavement to be constructed, there will be a painted pedestrian path on the road.

‘Keep clear’ markings will be painted at the end of the road to ensure that it is not blocked by vehicles queueing to join the A41 northbound.

Cllr Iain Sharpe said: “While the access is a tricky issue … taken in the round, this is a very positive development.

“We are a town that is looking to achieve smart growth to encourage business and enterprise.

“Anybody who has been to the site recently … can see that it is not fulfilling its potential and it could be an awful lot better.

“This is actually quite an impressive scheme; this really will be transformational for the site, but I hope for the wider interests of the economy and local entrepreneurs.”

The plans were also backed by Cllr Nigel Bell, who said: “I certainly welcome this upgrading and modernising of this industrial site.

“Looking at the design and the features, it’s certainly a big difference.”

Council planning officers had recommended that councillors approve the plans, and noted that “a large number of support comments” were received about the application, with “many” coming from businesses currently at the business centre.