Plans to set up a hand car wash on an industrial estate have been refused, with parts of the proposal branded ‘unacceptable’.
Congestion concerns were raised after applicant Spalding Storage Containers wanted to get the project up and running on a parcel of land on Pinchbeck’s Wardentree Lane.
Plans showed a one-way system would be installed, with vehicles driving into the site via the eastern entrance and then parking in front of the 10x5m canopy for washing.
The parcel of land was proposed to become a hand car wash. Image: Google
Vehicles would then be moved round to the west before leaving the site, resulting in a maximum of six vehicles to be washed, two to be jet washed and two to be dried at any one time.
The proposals also included a shipping container to be used as half office, half equipment storage plus drainage infrastructure.
“The site is considered to be of insufficient scale to enable the development to function well, with the arrangement and layout resulting in a contrived development poorly suited for the needs of the use,” the South Holland District Council planning officer report stated.
The proposed site plan, including suggesting vehicle routing in red
“A lack of space may result in congestion due to waiting vehicles.
“The lack of waiting space and waiting room etc reduces the viability and functionality of the proposal.”
The report added that plans were also ‘unacceptable’ due to there being no parking spots for staff, adding ‘insufficient access’ was available.
The site plan, with the proposed hand car wash area in red
“No parking provisions have been provided on the site for workers,” it added.
“As a result, there is the potential for increased on-road parking within a sensitive portion of Wardentree Lane.”
Lincolnshire County Council’s highways department questioned whether traffic queues would form with drivers waiting to get on site.
“The Local Highway Authority are concerned with the queuing capacity and whether the access/egress is of a suitable width, it wrote in consultation.
“This cannot be mitigated on the public highway, and it is for the applicant to design into the layout the space required.”
The SHDC planning officer’s report added: “The site itself comprises a small parcel of land to the north east of a storage container business.
“The site appears has previously functioned as the entrance to the wider plot of land. The site is adjacent to and displays a strong relationship to The Old Gatehouse, a residential property.”
The hours of operation proposed were 7.30am to 6.30pm, Monday to Sunday, including bank holidays.
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