A CAR dismantling business in Poole is planning to build a large new building on its site so it can bring its operations under one roof.

The scheme is the largest in Charles Trent’s 90-year history and would facilitate the vehicle recycling firm’s expansion plans.

Under the proposals, which are at an early stage, several warehouses on part of the Ringwood Road site would be demolished and replaced with a single, modern building. The indoor facility would house the majority of Charles Trent’s car dismantling operation and enable work to be carried out 24 hours a day.

However, owners have assured residents that moving operations from outdoors into the new building would reduce noise on the site, and there would be no vehicles coming to the site at night.

The new building would also free up land for storing vehicles, enabling them to be stacked in a “more modern and cleaner way”, according to Charles Trent.

In June 2016, the compound suffered a massive blaze in which 190 vehicles were destroyed. Fire investigators found the cause to be an electrical issue in one of the stored vehicles, with the blaze spreading to other cars.

Following a request for an environmental impact assessment screening opinion, Poole council planners concluded the proposed new building would be “unlikely to have a significant effect on the environment”.

Charles Trent’s planning application is due to be made public soon.

On behalf of the firm, Ken Parke Planning Consultants stated to the council that existing warehouse buildings were in “disrepair”.

“The purpose of the proposals is to bring the majority of the dismantling operation under one roof, arranged in a manner which allows efficient operation of the business. Such efficiencies will enable the business to expand,” Mr Clarke said.

“Currently the operation is disjointed across the site and involves many movements of vehicles between the various stages of dismantling.”

The proposed building would be approximately 8,284sqm – slightly bigger than the footprint of the existing buildings.

Poole council planning officer Sarah Scannell said there was an “element of uncertainty regarding the impact on residents through intensification of the operation/ 24 hours use of the building”.

However, the impact of this will need to be assessed at the planning application stage, she added.