Neighbours urge for 'red monstrosity' storage unit to be torn down
Residents of Milton Keynes have pushed for a towering six-storey self-storage unit painted in vivid red to be torn down.
The Shurgard warehouse has been left sitting empty after the local authority rejected a retrospective planning application.
The 17.9-metre tall facility, constructed on the former Evans Halshaw site on Watling Street at Crownhill, cannot lawfully operate following Milton Keynes City Council's decision last week.
Homes in nearby Great Holm sit just 60 metres from the structure, which spans 2,044 square metres of floor space.
The building was put up in January this year, before the required landscaping plans had received approval, prompting council officers to launch an enforcement investigation.
Shurgard, Europe's biggest owner and operator of self-storage facilities, must now either lodge an appeal or present a revised scheme within six months.
Residents living in the shadow of the structure have expressed fury at its appearance.
Richard Turner, 69, who resides beside the building with his wife Yvonne, told the Sun: "It is right on top of us so it feels like it follows you around. Every time we go out our front door, there's this 50ft red stripe right there."
He added: "It reflects on the windows, and cars have turned orange at certain points of the day. It's a monstrosity."
The initial planning application for the facility was submitted in May 2023, attracting more than 40 objections from local residents and the parish council.
A revised proposal incorporating greenery screening followed in December 2023.
However, numerous residents claim they were unaware they needed to lodge fresh objections to this second application, which was subsequently approved by a single council officer using delegated powers in December 2024.
Construction proceeded in January 2026 despite landscaping conditions remaining unfulfilled.
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When Shurgard submitted a retrospective application for the planting requirements, the proposal sparked outrage.
The original 10.5-metre noise buffer had been cut by more than half, whilst planned tree and shrub planting dropped from 1,631 to just 390 - a reduction of 76 per cent.
Councillors rejected the application, citing insufficient landscaping that would not enhance the site's character.
The council has launched enforcement proceedings against the developer following the refusal.
A Milton Keynes City Council spokesman said: "As the necessary landscaping condition has not been met and the relevant application was rejected for falling short of our expectations, we're actively pursuing an enforcement case to make the applicant put things right."
The self-storage facility cannot legally open for business until an acceptable landscaping scheme receives approval.
Officers noted inconsistencies between the submitted plans and the original application in their report.
Objections to the rejected proposal came from dozens of residents, Loughton and Great Holm Parish Council, and the council's own landscape architect, ecology team and highways team.
A separate formal complaint questioning why the original application was approved by a single officer has progressed to Stage Two.
GB News has contacted Shurgard for a comment.
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