Motor traders Manheim Auctions put up two buildings at its A38 Gloucester Commercials site at a cost of more than £1m to double its sales capacity – without any planning agreement.

The auto auctioneers who have a chain of centres throughout the UK and are owned by Atlanta-based global operator Cox Automotive, have been hauled before Stroud District Council over the work, which began at the nine-acre A38 Bristol Road site last September.

The unapproved buildings, complete with a new section of palisade 2.2-metre fencing, were completed in November and, documents reveal, have enabled the firm to adapt to changing buying trends for light and heavy commerical vehicles (LCVs and HCVs) at the 0.84 hectare facility.

The firm said last August that its Gloucester site processes £15m worth of sales per month.

Manheim told planners that the changes at the site reflected a shift in its business: the new buildings, which have created 604sqm of new floorspace, sit on car parking which is now no longer used as more bidders trade online and fewer pay physical visits to the location. In total, 104 of the site's 216 parking spaces were eaten up by the building work.

Manheim's agent for the retrospective permission, Megan Simpson, of Leicester-based agents Marronss, also told SDC that while the site employed 15 staff and did not add to that number, the changes sought would bolster employment prospects.

Rachel Brown, SDC case officer, said complaints had been received about the changes at the brownfield site, which holds auction events twice a month. These were summarised as claims that the buildings' white colour was in stark contrast to the Cotswold escarpment, the buildings were too big, too brighly lit and bore a jarring visual impact from Stinchcombe and Taits Hill.

But she said: "The buildings have two uses; on auction days they provide shelter for customers with the vehicles driving through the centre of each building as they are being auctioned off. Having two buildings has meant that two auction streams can happen simultaneously, which improves efficiency."

She added that the fortnightly auctions now found that 70% of the sales take place online, adding: "On non-auction days, the buildings are used as imaging booths. The vehicles are driven in, photographed, and then driven out to be re-parked. The photographs are uploaded to the auction website."

The retrospective application also sought permission for a new section of the palisade security fencing. Cam Parish Council told planners it had no objection to fencing changes and supported the new buildings "based on an increase in employment for the area" but added that it wanted to see "a design and/or building colour that is less intrusive on the surrounding environment".

It also requested more "sensitive" planting to create a screen and objected to brighter lighting which had become evident since the changes were made at the site.

However, planners ruled that, as infilling, the new buildings appeared in line with with policy, provided that they facilitate "the retention or growth of local employment opportunity".

Ms Brown added: "Whilst the site may not currently be operating at full capacity, current activity matches pre-covid levels, and this has reinforced the requirement for the units. To cope with this level of activity and to introduce higher levels of efficiency, the two new buildings have allowed for two auction streams to happen concurrently (with LCV and HCV streams kept separate).

"This leads to a more efficient operation on the site and supports additional employment on the auction side of the business (remotely and on site)."

The new buildings would also support the growing levels of online purchasing, which drives the need for an imaging and auction building capable of accommodating HCV's internally, she added, while the shelter also improved welfare for both staff and customers."

Planners were told that the finished details of the buildings include insulated steel sandwich cladding in goose grey, translucent white plastic-coated membrane roofing and galvanised steel roller and pedestrian doors, also finished in goose grey.

With a caveat that they must be demolished if not used as intended for the business, planners ruled that the buildings and fencing can now stay, while any complaints about the nature of lighting, given that the applicant had merely changed bulb intensities, were a non-planning issue.