INTERNATIONAL shoe retailer Pavers has been given the green light to double the size of its headquarters in York.

The scheme, which features a 3,502m2 warehouse and will create 50 new jobs, was unanimously approved by City of York Council's Planning Committee.

Members agreed with the planning officer's recommendation to permit the expansion at Northminster Business Park, Upper Poppleton, which will ensure the company is able to remain in York.

Backing the plan, committee chairman Cllr Ann Reid said: "This is clearly a thriving York business that we need to keep in city.

"I have no problems approving this."

Due to the size of the scheme on greenbelt land, it still needs to be referred to the Secretary of State, but that is not expected to prove an issue.

Pavers' staff numbers will now increase from 160 to 210 The new warehouse will be linked to the existing building with a holding and sorting area to decide the appropriate location for different products.

It will house offices, meeting rooms, television studio, and toilets.

A report by Leeds-based HTC Architects, which made up part of the planning application, stated: "Pavers is a York based company and gave a strong desire to remain in York and employ local people.

"The company has performed extremely well during a time of extremely difficult trading and is now reaping the benefits of all the hard work it has put in.

"It is now in a position of having created the markets, it now has to supply those markets and to do so the expansion, which is the subject of this planning application, is essential.

"The good news surrounding such a development is not only ensuring the employment of existing staff but the creation of an additional 50 or so new permanent positions.

"This combined with the spending power of the new operatives in the area and the revenue to York City Council through the Business Rate is good news for all concerned."

Pavers constructed its current headquarters in 2006, choosing the site because of available neighbouring land to accommodate future growth.

The company was granted outline planning permission for an extension in 2008 to meet predicted growth, however as a result of the economic downturn the expected expansion did not materialise and the plans were put on hold.

When this application was launched, Mark Granger, head of operations at Pavers, said: "Pavers, established York 1971, is proud of its heritage and therefore has a strong desire to align its strategic growth plans to remain in the city.

"We are a forward thinking company and this proposed expansion will allow us to build the foundations for our planned future growth."