An outline planning application has been submitted for more than 500 new homes on land that is currently a distribution hub for a DIY giant.

Bedell Corporate Trustees Limited and Atrium Trustees Limited have applied to the planning department of East Staffordshire Borough Council to build up to 510 new properties on land at the BQ Branston depot, in Burton Road, Branston.

The proposals would also see alterations to existing access, open space creation for homeowners and the demolition of four warehouses, two pump houses and a truck wash.

The site as a whole comprises of three Grade II Listed Buildings, other curtilage listed buildings, warehouse storage buildings and areas used for HGV and car parking.

The application site for the residential development features the area occupied by warehouse storage buildings and includes the Grade II-listed canteen building and two curtilage listed buildings.

The remaining Grade II-listed buildings are outside the application site.

The Grade II and curtilage Listed Buildings within the application site are to be retained and are to be dealt with under a separate change of use application.

This will include: Change of use of the canteen building to retail.

Change of use of the gatehouse and store to 10 residential units.

Change of use of the substation and residential unit.

The plan states: “The limit of the amount of residential dwellings pro- posed (510 total) is based on the masterplan design progressed to include a range of varying house types.

“The masterplan has been developed following a detailed site analysis and the development of a series of key design objectives together with discussions with the Local Authority and also a public consultation.”

The Branston depot was established in 1915 as the National Machine Gun Factory but most recently it has been leased to BQ and was operated as a distribution depot on its behalf by the logistics firm, TNT.

It is not yet known what the future logistic arrangements with BQ are but the site has been put forward for inclusion within the borough council’s Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment and has subsequently been identified by the authority as suitable for residential redevelopment.