Plans for car wash on former pub car park rejected
Plans for a car wash on a former pub car park have been deferred.
Planning officers had recommended the proposals for a car wash on the former Globe Inn parking area on East Cannock Road, Hednesford, for approval.
But members of Cannock Chase Council’s planning committee disagreed with the officers’ recommendation, and deferred their decision at a July meeting so that reasons for refusal could be considered.
At the latest planning committee meeting the application was refused on three grounds. The reasons were its negative visual impact on the area; the increased water run off onto the nearby road exacerbating existing flooding issues already experienced on the A460 to the south of the site and an increase in vehicles in an already busy location.
Hednesford Parish Council said the proposal was inappropriate for the area and there was already another car wash immediately opposite the site on an industrial estate. It also raised concerns about highway safety because that area of East Cannock Road can become very congested.
But the county highways authority raised no objections to the plans.
And a previous report from planning officers concluded that the proposal “subject to conditions would not result in any significant harm to acknowledged interests”.
Committee member Alan Pearson said: “Highways have no problem but when you live in an area you look at it a bit differently. Cars may start queuing up to get into the site.
“There could be a serious issue on that road – it is a busy road. People know how hard it is to pull out onto that road.”