Shrewsbury garden centre car wash bid wins support before meeting
Planners are backing a controversial application for a Shrewsbury garden centre to expand its services to include a hand car wash.
The decision comes despite strong objections from Bayston Hill Parish Council to the plans by Dobbies Garden Centre.
If approved at Shropshire Council's Central Planning Committee meeting today, the company will have permission to construct a 30ft canopy and a portable office cabin, on its overflow car park off Hereford Road.The car wash, which is likely to create the equivalent of four full-time jobs, will be run independently from the Dobbies business.
But Bayston Hill Parish Council said the reason for applicants Simon Harvey Management Services Ltd wanting the car wash were 'weak'.
A statement on behalf of the authority added: "The council are also concerned that original planning permission for the garden centre limited the commercial activities to those related to gardening and garden related activities. Car washing is not such an activity.
"The parish council are also concerned that Dobbies has a history of extending their activities without permission and seeking to gain these retrospectively. This is not an open and transparent way of developing and should be strongly discouraged."
But Stuart Thomas, central area development manager for Shropshire Council, said in a report that the plans were considered appropriate and would bring jobs.
He said: "Both structures are considered to be fairly modest in terms of their size and can be comfortably accommodated by the site.
"Whilst their design, particularly in the case of the proposed office, is clearly not the most sensitive, it is noted that the buildings will both be of a temporary nature."
