Councillors oppose plan for new car wash in Darwen (From Lancashire Telegraph)

Councillors oppose plan for new car wash in Darwen

7:00pm Tuesday 25th September 2012 in News By Dan Clough, Reporter

PLANS for a new car wash in Darwen have been met by opposition from local councillors.

Lookman Patel, based in Bolton Road, Blackburn, has lodged plans to set up the new business on a vacant plot of land at the junction of Whitehall Street and Cemetery Road.

But Whitehall councillors David and Karimeh Foster have submitted an objection, detailing concerns over traffic, drainage, and loss of amenity.

The plot was previously used as a car sales pitch, but that ceased trading in January, 2009.

The car wash would provide one full-time, and one part-time, job, and the business would be open from 8am to 7pm, seven days a week.

Coun David Foster said: “There is only limited parking available.

“Parking in Whitehall Street would restrict acc-ess to the industrial units, and also reduce parking for the houses in Whitehall Street.

“It would increase park-ing on the A666 at a junction that is very busy and is near to a bus stop.

“Increased traffic movements into, and out of, Whitehall Street would also increase the hazards at a junction where there have been accidents in the past.”

Coun Foster said there would also be problems with drainage, and issues for people living nearby.

He said: “We have suffered from flooding in the area, and experience in the past from other car washes is that it is difficult to contain water on the site.

“As this is only a small site, which is adjacent to the main A666, this will make the problem worse.

“The site is opposite a residential area, and the operation of the site will lead to loss of amenity for local residents.

“If the council approved this, then I would want working times limited so that there was no working in the evenings and at weekends.”

Khalid Khan, of Khalid Khan and Associates, which is acting on behalf of Mr Patel, said it would be better to have the site in use.

Mr Khan continued: “It is a vacant plot of land that could be better used to create employment.

“The drainage will be sorted and there shoul-dn’t be traffic issues as, once the cars go in, they will be directed by the operators.”

Comments are closed on this article.