Planning permission has been refused for a hand car wash business to be run from the car park of a Cwmbran social club even though planners said it was “not considered to be unacceptable in this location”.
An application was made for part of the car park at Pontnewydd Workingmens Club on Chapel Street to be used as a hand car wash.
But Torfaen Council has rejected it as the applicant didn’t show how cars would safely get in and out of the site and what would happen if a queue formed.
The full reason was given as: “The application does not demonstrate there is space for cars to safely access and exit the site on George Street in conjunction with the existing car park access point. The proposed vehicular access route to the car wash would be constrained, particularly if a queue forms, and restrict access to and from the parking spaces underneath the Club. It is therefore considered that the proposal would harm highway safety, which would be contrary to policy BW1 of the Torfaen County Borough Council Local Development Plan (to 2021).”
During the public consultation, there were seven responses with six objections. The issues raised included the noise of jet washing, the impact on other car wash businesses in the area, and traffic flow in and out of the site.
The applicant wanted to use a “triangular area” on the eastern side of the car park. A canopy would have been built where one car could have been washed at a time.
Customers would have driven “off Chapel Street, bend to the north of the triangular area on George Street and turn in a circular motion to the rear of the Club to access the site”.