A FERRARI workshop in Hare Hatch is set to expand with plans for a new workshop building and hiring 20 more staff.

GTO House, on Floral Mile, wants to knock down some of the offices on its 2.2-hectare site, and replace them with a workshop. 

The garage services and restores Ferrari cars. The replacement workshop will be a single storey, and be built behind GTO House’s main building.

READ MORE: Huge houses on old ‘eyesore’ garden centre in Swallowfield

While the site is on the green belt, the designs for the new building were “low key” and it will not be “overly prominent”, according to Mark Croucher, a planning officer for Wokingham Borough Council.

The new workshop will have the same floorspace, 2,095 square metres, as the current offices which are due to be demolished.

GTO House said the plans, if approved, would allow them to employ more staff on site. Currently about 40 people work there, but the new workshop could mean an extra 20 jobs.

READ MORE: Decision delayed on whether Wokingham kebab van can stay

Because this is a major application, councillors on the planning committee will consider the application at a public meeting on May 13. They will then vote on whether to grant planning permission.

GTO have been based in the borough for 17 years, and employ several people in skilled roles.

Before any building work can begin, archaeologists would first have to survey the site, as there could be unknown archaeological remains there. According to Berkshire Archaeology, historic environment records show prehistoric, Roman and medieval artefacts have been found nearby.

Previous plans for the site include demolishing all the buildings, and building a care home with 70 bedrooms. But in 2013, planners said this would be too large for the green belt location.