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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Car wash in our pup car park!

32 replies

salsmum · 31/08/2013 11:44

I live in a quiet road a little way up from a pub which is normally quite quiet except for a lil bit of live music at the weekend which is fine.
This morning I've been woken up by the sound of a noisy generator and the constant hiss of a high powered jet wash Confused I looked out of the window to see a circus type spectacle of show proportions with 6 of those long type flags (think car showroom) around the pub car park and cars lined up, blokes shouting etc..etc..It seems overnight we now have a large car wash in the car park of the pub! Shock they will be trading 7 days a week and offering competitive prices...The small marquee they are working from is about a foot from the bungalow next to the pub..it has just been sold but new owners have not moved in yet Sad. With the cars queuing to get in its going to cause major traffic problems too. I know that pub car parks sell shellfish and flowers which they already do outside of the pub but a fekin mammoth 7 day a week all day car wash....is this legal even? AIBU to be wanting it gone???

OP posts:
Original poster
salsmum · 31/08/2013 11:45

Sorry that should read 'PUB' car park Blush xx

OP posts:
Finola1step · 31/08/2013 11:47

No idea if its legal etc. The only tiny bit of advice I can think of is to talk to your council planning office regarding change of business premises usage. I'm sure many wise mumsnetters will be along with good advice.

MaureenMLove · 31/08/2013 11:48

Salsmum - I think you live round the corner to me! Does this pub have a row of shops opposite, including a car parts store??

Thankfully, I am far enough away for it not to bother me, but I'm going down that way in a minute and I can only imagine the noise!

Original poster
salsmum · 31/08/2013 11:55

YES MaureenMLove what do you think????? xx

OP posts:
Original poster
salsmum · 31/08/2013 11:58

Give it 10 Maureen its all gone quiet now...must be tea break.

OP posts:
MaureenMLove · 31/08/2013 12:01

I'm not sure if it's going to affect me directly, but I am going to investigate anyway! The Council website is down at the moment, so I can't look on there for any advice and the local paper doesn't have any public notices for it.

Knowing the sort of people that frequent that pub, I would imagine it'll be noisy from morning til night! Maybe the new owners are trying to pull in some more money? Whatever the reason, I don't like it, even though I'm in the last road along and can't actually hear it.

MaureenMLove · 31/08/2013 12:06

I'm going to ASDA, via a drive by! Totally wrong direction, but hey ho! Will report back later! Grin

pigsDOfly · 31/08/2013 12:08

I agree, I would talk to the council planning office. I'm pretty sure you can't just set this sort of thing up without some sort of planning permission, which as a resident you will have a right to contest.

I vaguely recall something similar happening not far from where I lived a number of years ago and I'm certain the man needed planning permission which the locals were contesting. Can't really remember the details, but it all got very heated.

Good luck, it sounds awful.

Yddraigoldragon · 31/08/2013 12:20

Another issue if this is a popup business is that allowing waste water into storm drains is regulated by the environment agency, if they are washing vehicles with soapy water then they could be causing polution. if they are operating without the proper consent to discharge they can be shut down.

Original poster
salsmum · 31/08/2013 12:51

It just looks like an unwelcome 'sideshow' there's traffic cones and traffic tape over the corner of the car park near me..chairs with people sat waiting...I spos that even if they are not acting within the law over a weekend they seem to be making a very good profit. I just think its outrageous that these people can set up like this, cause maximum disruption, make some dough and then bugger off pack up and move on...bring back the days of neighborhood petitions. I don't know if I can contest the 'Health & Safety' aspect of things but our mostly elderly residents do cross this car park as a short cut to the bus stop/shops.

OP posts:
MaureenMLove · 31/08/2013 13:28

I'm back. You can see the flags right from the end of the main road! It wasn't that busy with traffic tbh, but it looks a terrible eyesore nevertheless.

My friend, who is also a Mumsnetter, lives on the main road just up from the shops and when she gets back from her holiday on Sunday, I'm sure she'll have something to say about it too!

I did see some flyers for it in the paper shop yesterday, so maybe it did all go through the right channels, but I still don't think it's really the right place for it! It's right in the middle of a quiet residential area!

The pub has not really fitted in for a long time and this is just going to make it worse. I thought the arrival of the new landlords might make a real difference, seems not so far.

mummymeister · 31/08/2013 13:59

they need planning permission to run this business. unless it is a one off charity event type thing then assume the worst. do you know the details of your local councillor/ town or parish council. if so get on to them by e mail now and get them to come out when its going on. on Monday call planning enforcement. call highways and drainage - where is all that dirty soiled water going. call environmental health. my experience of these things is that if they make a whopping profit they will be back and they do it at weekends when they think no one from the council is watching. is there any road safety issue with cars queueing. if there is speak to your beat officer now. I am all for people getting on and being entrepreneurial but these guys aren't paying business rates and probably not even tax.

ubik · 31/08/2013 14:05

Phone 101 and get advice. Phone the environmental health at the council. Surely they need a licence or planning permission.

Original poster
salsmum · 31/08/2013 14:59

OMG...it gets worse DP has seen a sign saying its going to be open from 9am till 7pm GGGGRRRRRRRRRRRRR!

OP posts:
MaureenMLove · 31/08/2013 15:42

Ah yes, I saw that too. Forgot to mention it! Blush

I don't think there's anything much even 101 can do over the weekend, but I will be investigating on Monday.

WetDog · 31/08/2013 17:03

As others have said, they need planning permission for this.

I successfully stopped the pub we live close to from gaining permission for a car wash. I raised a petition and asked people to also write to the planning dept objecting. It's a very residential area and any increase in traffic on the junction the pubs is on would have been dangerous, let alone the noise.

The council's planning dept threw the application out. We don't mind living near the pub, but a car wash would have been unbearable (particularly for the people living very close to it, who didn't know anything about it until I started knocking on doors).

Get on your local council website, go to the planning section and have a look for an application. Or just google the name of the pub and see if anything comes up.

What you're looking for is a change of use application from A4 to sui generis.

Original poster
salsmum · 31/08/2013 17:21

Thank you WetDog I have just been on the councils web site and getting no response to viewing apps..There has definitely been an increase in traffic up the Road but I spos there would be ....the 'Exit' sign is on the corner of our Road Angry I feel really sorry for the folks buying the house next to it (a foot away from over the fence) because when they sold and the new people viewed the car wash wasn't there Sad xx

OP posts:
WetDog · 31/08/2013 17:54

The application for the car wash here was actually recommended for approval, and the committee still turned it down. So don't be too despondent just yet.

If they don't have permission, you can contact the council on Monday and report that they're operating a car wash without change of use permission, they will then need to send out a planning enforcement officer.

If they wish to continue operating as a car wash, they will need to apply for permission, at which point you and your neighbours need to start putting forward objections. A petition and letters are the way to go, also get your local councillors on board.

In fact, if I were you I'd be getting a phone number for one of your ward councillors and calling them today to ask if they are aware of the car wash and any change of use application (they should be aware of any applications in their ward).

A long shot also, is there any wildlife nearby? One of the grounds the neighbours of our pub used in their objection was newts nesting in their garden. Other reasons for objections are obviously noise (machinery and shouting/car noise), waste water run off and traffic.

I'm happy to help you in any way I can based on how we stopped the application for the pub near us. PM if you want to :)

whippetwoman · 31/08/2013 18:20

Ooh! I live directly behind a pub and pub car park and about a year ago they did exactly the very same thing. I went over to the pub and complained and they shut it down. They had to because if I had gone to the council they wouldn't have had a leg to stand on. I bet they don't have permission for this and they will need it! Honestly, go and speak to them (if they are not scary) and speak to the council on Monday - phone and actually speak to someone and make a formal complaint. I would be very surprised if this was allowed. And yes, if it is allowed, neighbours banding together is a good way to stop something.

You have my sympathy. I hate living near this pub and hope to move later this year.

MaureenMLove · 31/08/2013 18:31

We'll both make phone calls on Monday then Salsmum?

The other thing that concerns me, even if they have got permission, is that the crossing point for children to go to the sweet shop and chippy is directly to one side of the entrance and exit. It's going to be very dangerous.

Original poster
salsmum · 31/08/2013 21:41

THANK YOU MaureenMLove I think if your friend is also annoyed about it when she returns we can all bombard the council Grin xxx

OP posts:
gallicgirl · 31/08/2013 21:50

Report the new business to the business rates office at the council. They'll like the extra income and the bill might cut into their profits.

WetDog · 01/09/2013 11:52

The business rates issues is secondary to the planning issue, I wouldn't bother with that for now OP (not being rude gallicgirl). I'm also not sure if a change of use would necessarily change the rateable value on the pub, so there may be no increase in rates anyway.

The planning department would get the VOA involved if necessary anyway.

WetDog · 01/09/2013 11:53

BTW, have you contacted the local councillors yet?

They shouldn't mind a phonecall on the weekend - all of the ones I work with don't anyway :)

gallicgirl · 01/09/2013 12:41

I know but there's more than one way to skin a rabbit....pressure from more directions can have a getter result.

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