We were approached to see how we could assist a new client where a temporary hand car wash permission had expired and the operator wanted both to renew the permission and secure Sunday operating.

The renewal of an expired temporary planning was relatively straightforward. Extending the operating hours to a Sunday was something the Council has previously refused to sanction citing amenity considerations to neighbours gardens. An appeal had previously been dismissed. There’s nothing quite like a challenge.

The facts of the case were, on examination, quite simple. The hard car wash was sited in the grounds of a petrol filling station and in part replaced jet wash facilities at the PFS. Both the PFS and jet wash could operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Car sales were also allowed to operate 7 days a week. In summary a case that additional Sunday use would not be substantially harmful given the scope of existing permissible operations on the land, setting out mitigation measures including boundary fencing and for jet- washing to take place within a booth to reduce spray and noise was set out. It was also argued that restricting Sunday opening reduced competition contrary to national policy and that it could in fact increase movements in and around the site by forcing additional trips at other times. Finally. it was set out that nothing in the Council’s planning policies restricted Sunday operating.

A delighted client when I returned from a short break recently to a new permanent permission with 7 day opening.