Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to not think a hairdresser working from home is a problem

138 replies

woopdedoodle · 09/02/2021 08:37

I'm not name changing, because they already know who I am, and after yesterday so do my neighbours.

A few doors down from me a woman has opened a two seat salon in her garage. Obviously it's been closed most of the time since,she also hadn't asked planning permission. Now she has and there are two women running a campaign to shut her down.

They think she will get 5000 customers a year by car 10000 extra car journeys on our road. Before Christmas their argument was while they were home working they could see her home working .

I said I didn't see a problem, yesterday they came back and when they wouldnt leave or take no for an answer I shut the door.

I could hear them shouting outside my front door, so now all the neighbours have heard how rude I apparently am.

So AIBU to think it's not the end of the world to have a small local hairdresser, house prices are not going to plummet, and I should support the planning application.

I am not a customer BTW

OP posts:
HelloThereMeHearties · 09/02/2021 11:35

Actually I can understand their problem/issue with increased traffic and parking.

A two seat salon could easily have 14 people visiting it per day. That's 14 more cars on your street, and 28 more journeys. Plus deliveries, etc.

Funkyslippers · 09/02/2021 11:37

A two seat salon could easily have 14 people visiting it per day but not at the same time....

Petitmum · 09/02/2021 11:38

You are entitled to your opinion / they are entitled to theirs...........

I can understand concerns about increased traffic and parking issues in a residential street. My mum ran a hairdressing business from a salon attached to our home from 1967 - 2005 parking became an issue by the end. With 4 clients on the premises that could be 4 additional cars in the street. (assuming a stylist working each chair plus one client waiting for each)

VinylDetective · 09/02/2021 11:40

@HelloThereMeHearties

Actually I can understand their problem/issue with increased traffic and parking.

A two seat salon could easily have 14 people visiting it per day. That's 14 more cars on your street, and 28 more journeys. Plus deliveries, etc.

That’s completely unrealistic but even if it wasn’t, all those cars wouldn’t be there at the same time.
notalwaysalondoner · 09/02/2021 11:42

God people are awful, of course running a small 2 seat hairdresser from home makes negligible difference, any more than being a home tutor/childminder/ironing lady would make much difference. I go to that kind of hairdresser myself and unless they only have on street parking that is always full I don’t understand why anyone would care.

nancywhitehead · 09/02/2021 12:10

They think she will get 5000 customers a year by car 10000 extra car journeys on our road. Before Christmas their argument was while they were home working they could see her home working

Are these two things their only objections? The first as others have pointed out is just not going to be the case, there's no way she'll get that many customers. And the second is bonkers!

Sounds like they have too much time on their hands!

Bibidy · 09/02/2021 12:12

I don't think it's a problem at all, plenty of beauticians run their businesses out of their homes.

It's usually just one client at a time, neighbours would barely even notice. They are being ridiculous. It's not like she wants to run a building firm out of her house.

PlanDeRaccordement · 09/02/2021 12:13

YANBU to support the business and stand firm. Those women are frankly bullying you. It doesn’t matter whether I’d would make same decision as you or not, no one should be bullied into one choice or another.

Freetodowhatiwant · 09/02/2021 12:15

I recently went to one of these and will be going back as soon as it’s open again and we are allowed, for what it’s worth I walked even though it was half an hour away as I am sure will others. The person I went to has three seats in a converted garden room. It’s only her that works out of there but more than one seat makes sense as you can have someone sitting there whilst, for eg, their colour sets whilst she does someone else. The complainers clearly have too much time on their hands. It wouldn’t bother me at all.

netstaller · 09/02/2021 12:19

If she's got three spaces they will park on her drive. Those women sound like bullies - many people need an income to live why should she be pushed out from supporting her family? Please continue to ignore them

PrincessBuggerPants · 09/02/2021 12:32

If she is one person it is going to be one person parked up at a time I assume.

Much like if a counsellor or therapist saw somebody at home. Or a masseuse. All quite normal businesses to run from home.

AlwaysCheddar · 09/02/2021 12:57

If she hasn’t got planning permission to operate a business from home then she will not be insured and therefore she is operating a business illegally.

VinylDetective · 09/02/2021 12:58

@AlwaysCheddar

If she hasn’t got planning permission to operate a business from home then she will not be insured and therefore she is operating a business illegally.
She doesn’t need planning permission. She needs a permit to trade.
RickiTarr · 09/02/2021 13:19

You need change of use planning permission to turn part of a residential building into a salon.

VinylDetective · 09/02/2021 13:21

@RickiTarr

You need change of use planning permission to turn part of a residential building into a salon.
It seems to depend on local planning guidelines. You wouldn’t need it here.
ittakes2 · 09/02/2021 13:24

Does a two seat salon mean she is getting another hairdresser to work there too? My hairdresser works from home - I don't think one hairdress is an issue but two might be.

LaurieFairyCake · 09/02/2021 13:28

I see clients at home (therapist) - no planning permission or local council permit needed here (London)

Viviennemary · 09/02/2021 13:38

If she has changed the use of her garage into a hairdressing salon then she needs planning permission I'd say. And should be paying business rates.

CharlotteRose90 · 09/02/2021 13:42

Where does she live I’ll book in. My hair desperately needs to be done

orangenasturtium · 09/02/2021 13:43

Your neighbours sound like nasty bullies but I don't think their maths is out.

You would expect the salon to be open 6 days a week, 9am - 5.30pm, at the very least, maybe some evenings too. With 30 mins for lunch, that's 8 hours a day, 6 days a week. A cut and blow dry takes about 45 mins to an hour. Colour takes longer, but if they have a junior washing hair, prepping colour, greeting clients, cleaning up etc the stylists can cut another clients hair while the colour is developing. 7-8 clients a day is possible. With 2 stylists, that is 84-96 clients per week or 4368-4992 per year. So 5000 clients per year is about right, 10,000 extra car journeys on the road (counting both ways).

If there are 2 stylists and a junior, that is 3 members of staff. The 3 parking spaces on the drive will be used up by staff. If they are open on Saturdays/evenings, your neighbour's family will have to park on the road. Potentially, they could have up to 6 clients on site (2 with the stylists, 2 with colour developing, 2 waiting for an appointment), so up to 6 extra cars parked on the street excluding family members who can't park on the drive. Your neighbour might rent out both seats on some days and not work herself, adding another car. If she did that on the weekend and her drive was in use by her and her family/visitors, you could have 9 extra cars parked on the street (3 staff, 6 clients) on a day when people are at home.

ChaToilLeam · 09/02/2021 13:45

I would not mind a neighbour running a hairdressing business at all.

I would mind being harassed by neighbours who don’t like my opinion. What a pair of nutters! Even if they have their reasons, no need for bullying behaviour.

Neron · 09/02/2021 13:55

I'm a therapist, I work from home. My council were strict with what I had to conform to, and they do take everything in to account.
It doesn't mean that's the only place I work, because I also work in clinics and mobile at times. It just makes financial sense not to hire space, when I have plenty of suitable space at my home for free.

notanothertakeaway · 09/02/2021 14:02

I wouldn't be happy about it, and probably would object, but I wouldn't take it personally if other people didn't agree with me, and if planning permission was granted, I'd accept it with good grace and wish them well

VinylDetective · 09/02/2021 14:07

@Viviennemary

If she has changed the use of her garage into a hairdressing salon then she needs planning permission I'd say. And should be paying business rates.
And where I live, you’d be wrong 🤷‍♀️
partyatthepalace · 09/02/2021 14:10

Your neighbours sound appallingly rude, and of course you aren’t being unreasonable. Just be firm.

I wouldn’t have a problem with it. I agree other people are untitled to worry c parking or whatever - but ultimately people have to earn a living and the economy has to function, and unless it got really out of control (unlikely) that’s more important than the inconvenience of a few extra cars.

I’ve really noticed recently how few people seem to think about the economic impact of things, far too many people (on MN and elsewhere) think money grows on trees.

Swipe left for the next trending thread