Whilst giga and data centres are considered the darlings of the industrial sector, let’s not forget the importance of the unsung B8 hero, the humble, but much needed, self-storage facility. Indeed, figures from the Self-Storage Association (SSA) UK estimates that there are now over 2,900 self-storage sites in the UK and, in 2024, it is estimated that the total turnover of the industry was £1.2bn, indicating that this is a growing sector. This is reflected within paragraph 87 of the NPPF which requires decisions to recognise and address the specific locational requirements of different sectors and making provisions for, amongst other things, storage and distribution operations at a variety of scale and in suitably accessible locations.

Indeed, over the last 18 months, we have had more and more clients ask us about the prospects and challenges associated with achieving planning permission for a self-storage facility on their site and what issues we might need to overcome. With this in mind and against the backdrop of Boyer’s recent success in Scunthorpe where we secured (via appeal) the change of use of a bingo hall to self-storage, here are our key takeaways.

Given the shift in both working and living arrangements, the need for self-storage facilities is increasing and isn’t likely to go away anytime soon, particularly given the housing cris and the ever-increasing need for space to meet our modern way of living.

Let’s start with some myth busting. Self-storage facilities are an industrial B8 use class and so the principal of self-storage in industrial locations should already be considered as acceptable. There is a common misconception that self-storage facilities do not create many employment opportunities and, whilst that may be true in terms of on-site jobs, it is important to look at the wider economic landscape.