Agenda item

In respect of application numbered S/18/1546/RM (Erection of a canopy and siting of storage container to existing car park for use as car wash/valeting bays, The Boundary House, 1 The Street, Moredon, Swindon) the Committee considered: -

          Name                                 Address/Organisation

          Michelle Rupnarin                Local Resident

          Councillor David Renard       Ward Councillor

Councillors Alan Bishop, Malcolm Davis, Stan Pajak, Jim Robbins, Vera Tomlinson and Peter Watts spoke in respect of this application.

Submissions in support of the application can be broadly summarised as:

·       Following work with the applicant the Council’s Environmental Health team found the application acceptable, subject to conditions to ensure the amenity of local residents was protected.

·       Drainage issues had been addressed and subject to conditions the drainage engineer was content with the application.

·       Highways officers were satisfied that there was sufficient car parking on the site for both the Public House and Car Wash.

·       There were no policy objections to the scheme and objections could be overcome through the imposition of conditions.

·       Noise from the operation of a car wash should be kept to an acceptable level with an acoustic report required and noise mitigation measures to be put in place prior to the commencement of activities.

Submissions opposing the application can be broadly summarised as:

·       The site was surrounded on three sides by residential properties which made the location inappropriate for the use proposed.

·       Other car washes in north Swindon were located close to commercial properties and some distance from residential properties.

·       There were concerns regarding drainage and noise.

·       The suitability of the application should be seen I the light of the fact that none conditions were proposed in order to make in acceptable.

·       There would be a clear loss of amenity for local residents should the application be granted.

·       Objections to the application had been received from Ward Councillors, the Parish Council and local residents and these were referred to within the officer’s report.

·       A number of changes to the site’s drainage would be required to conform to National Planning Policy, Local Planning Policy and best practice design guidance.

·       There has been no noise assessment undertaken and the significance of this increases given the close proximity of residential properties and the long hours of operations proposed.

·       There were concerns as to whether water spry from the operation of the car wash would affect neighbouring properties and whether such water would include chemicals.

·       That assurance set out within the report were not considered credible by local residents.

·       A previous application for a vending vehicle had been turned down because of the concern of the loss of amenity to residential properties in close proximity.

·       Over the past twenty years the local area had seen considerable development including an elderly Persons Group Dwelling, a large doctor’s surgery and a new housing estate which has created local congestion and associated pollution and this will be further exasperated in the application were granted.

·       There were already 15 car wash sites in the town and another on an unsuitable site was not needed.

·       The proposed operational hours of the car wash were also core hours for the public house which was a quiet pub that held functions during the day which would affect car parking availability on site having a knock-on effect for local residents as car-parking was pushed into nearby residential streets.

·       Local properties and a children’s play area directly looked over the site and people ate and drunk in the pub’s gardens and would be subject to spray containing chemicals.

·       Staff would be using protective clothing, local residents and pub patrons would not have access to these.

·       Due to the cost the company running the car wash would be using industrial chemicals, albeit watered down affect the water spray from the site.

·       People from the public house would be smoking in close proximity to chemicals.

·       Chemicals from the car wash would adversely affect local wildlife including bees, butterflies, birds and bats some of which were on the endangered list.

·       Local residential properties already suffered from low water pressure with old infrastructure and the car wash would almost certainly worsen this situation.

·       Noise emanating from the operation of a car wash would adversely affect the amenity of local residents, especially adjoin properties.

·       The quality of waste water was of concern as was the current surface water drainage of the site with the car park being the subject of standing water after rain.

·       Work needed to be undertaken to establish were the drainage would be diverted and the potential effect on the local environment.

Resolved – That application S/18/1546/RM be refused for the following reason:

Reasons

1.       The proposed development by reason of its location and activities associated with that use, will be likely to give rise to an adverse impact upon the amenity enjoyed by the occupants of nearby dwellings to the detriment of their living conditions contrary to Policy DE1 of the Swindon Local Plan.

(Councillor Steph Exell made a personal and prejudicial declaration of interest in respect of this application and left the room during the voting on the application.)