A proposed car wash in a residential garden has been refused by Middlesbrough Council planning officers.
In November, Teesside Live reported that an Acklam Road resident wanted to build a car wash in his garden, which would include four parking spaces and create six jobs, four of which would be full time. The plans detailed a new access point that would be created from Acklam Road into the car wash.
Hewa Saleh explained his plans to the Local Democracy Reporting Service and defended the proposals against some of the common criticisms, such as noise and traffic congestion. Mr Saleh said the car cleaning operation, that would be operated in his front and back yard, would be a family business and would “impact the area very positively”.
Nevertheless, when speaking to residents and members of the local community, there was little support for the proposed car wash. Now, council officers have rejected the proposals, following an extended consultation period that saw 97 objections and zero letters of support from public responses.
In addition to this, council documents set out how “a cover letter and petition has also been received containing 305 signatures, in objection to the scheme”.
The inside of the garden on Acklam Road
Ayresome ward independent councillor Jackie Young expressed numerous concerns in her objection, as did Middlesbrough Independent Councillors Association (MICA) councillor Dennis McCabe. Labour Councillor and Deputy Mayor Philippa Storey also registered her objection to the plans. There were additional objections from the council’s highways and planning policy teams.
The delegated report detailed five reasons for refusal. One of these was that “in principle”, the plans were considered to be “an unacceptable form of development”. Additionally, the report said: “The information that has been submitted is insufficient due to a lack of detail and there are inaccuracies in the plans that have been submitted”.
The impact on the character and appearance of the area was listed as another reason for refusal. “The proposed change of use including the erection of the proposed structures (canopy and waiting room) would appear incongruous and out of keeping with the residential character of the site and street scene”, the delegated report explained.
The impact on amenity and highways were the other two reasons listed for refusal. On neighbourly amenity, the report said: “The introduction of the proposed commercial use within a residential curtilage is considered to have a significant impact on the amenity of neighbours in terms of noise and disturbance”. The internal layout of the proposed car wash was described as “poor” and there was deemed to be insufficient parking, which would “damage the fabric of the public highway, interfere with the free flow of traffic”, according to council officers.
The applicant, Mr Saleh, now has 12 weeks from the date of refusal notice (December 30) to appeal against the decision to the Secretary of State. The council’s Authorising Officer, Andrew Glossop believes that the case of refusal is clearly justified with a good chance of the decision being supported at appeal.
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