A NEW car cleaning facility in place of a vacant storage unit has been given the green light – despite local resistance from residents and a town council concerned about increased noise and traffic.
Aqua Valet Ltd received approval on its proposal for a new indoor carwash and valet service in a former storage and distribution unit used by Honda, on Penn Road, in Beaconsfield.
The car cleaning company will convert the unoccupied site, once used for motor parts storage, into a ‘by appointment only’ business, servicing up to four cars hourly, entering via Reynolds Road to the rear of the High Street.
The application received support from council members during a South Buckinghamshire Area Planning Committee, on Tuesday, September 29, despite opposition from neighbours and Beaconsfield Town Council concerned about noise pollution and a ‘traffic blockage’.
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Aqua Valet has plans for a rear extension and canopy, four parking bays for pre-booked vehicles awaiting service and/or collection, and a turntable to manoeuvre customer vehicles.
The enterprise will also enlarge the opening of the existing garage door and equip it with a “full width roller shutter”.
Proposed opening hours are between 8am-6pm, Monday to Friday, and 8am-1pm, on Saturdays.
The site, previously used for storage by Honda, is unoccupied and “no longer required”, and the car wash is considered an “acceptable” change of use.
Despite receipt of around ten objection letters and claims by Beaconsfield Town Council a proposed exit from the facility via Penn Road will cause “blocking of traffic and increase queues within an already busy area”, committee members voted unanimously in favour of the application.
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Cllr Guy Hollis said: “It rather looks like this particular development is going to be indoors, the sound will be less than ten decibels, there’s adequate parking and drainage, no lighting interfering with the neighbourhood – I think this is a good proposal.”
Cllr Wendy Matthews echoed those sentiments, urging committee members to approve the application. Adding: “I think it’s very helpful that this brings a disused area back into use and employment.”
Four full-time staff members are required on site, resulting in a “moderate level of job creation”, according to council documents.
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