Yearsley Group has welcomed a decision by Peterborough City Council’s planning committee to approve the construction of buildings up to 35m high at the Gateway Peterborough distribution park, where it intends to build a new 385,000ft2 cold store.

The decision means Yearsley can now proceed with a planning application  for its new warehouse, which a spokeswoman said it would probably submit in February.

Subject to approval, the new cold store in the Great Haddon Employment Zone will be built in phases and will include a 35m high automated storage facility. It will eventually employ around 300 staff, the firm has said– 220 of them in driving and warehouse roles.

Yearsley's plans recently drew fire from Hampton Parish Council, however, which said local residents were concerned about the possible effects of such a tall building on sunlight levels in the area and which also questioned employment  levels at the site.