A FAMILY company's plans to bring new jobs to South Lakeland by relocating its headquarters has been welcomed by councillors.

AUK had a renewal to build three, two-storey office buildings on land behind Prizet filling station granted by members of South Lakeland District Council's Planning Committee.

Permission to build the office buildings, with associated car parking, landscaping and external works, including an attenuation pond, had expired on September 2.

Economy portfolio holder, Cllr Graham Vincent told the meeting: “We are a business friendly council and it’s important that we are perceived as a business friendly organisation.”

AUK currently employs more than 60 people at filling stations in the South Lakeland (Prizet and Ings) and Lancashire area, with the new offices set to create ten new jobs in administration as well as managerial positions.

Cllr David Williams, Culture and Wellbeing Portfolio holder representing Windermere and Bowness, said: “If we were to refuse this application we should hang our heads in shame as a planning committee.”

Cllr Sylvia Emmott, representing Kendal Stonecross, said she had changed her mind about initially refusing the application: “We need good jobs in this area and sometimes we have to go with our gut feeling. Time has changed my view, I will be supporting this application.”

Applicant Simon Hocking, from AUK Pension Plan, said that the construction work was delayed after the planning permission was first granted due to a new business opportunity presented to the company, which included a new service station and restaurant at Ings.

Mr Hocking said that the company will be now going full steam ahead with their long-standing plan to relocate their offices from Fleetwood to South Lakeland.

“We are pleased by the decision by the committee, we think it was the right one," he said. "We are planning to start building these offices as soon as possible.”