Plans for new car wash and valeting station on busy Harrogate road withdrawn by council

A planning application was submitted to North Yorkshire Council in December for the facility, which would have been created on the car park of a former builder’s merchants near to Harrogate Fire Station.

Tofan Osman Abdullah, who is based in Leeds, was behind the scheme and planning documents stated that he had experience running a similar business a few years ago.

According to the application, the business would have opened from 8.30am till 6pm, Monday to Saturday, and from 9am till 5pm on Sundays and bank holidays.

A design and access statement attached to the application urged the council to approve the plans.

It said: “There are strong planning grounds to support this application, and to support local businesses.

"We believe the additional noise would not make a difference in comparison with the very close busy A59 road.”

However, before the application could be considered, the council’s environmental health team submitted a representation that raised concerns about the potential for noise impacting nearby residential properties.

It asked the applicant to produce a report to outline how much noise the car wash might create and how this will be mitigated.

A council officer said: “The proposed location of the development is right next to a noise sensitive property (79 Skipton Road), and others on Bartle Avenue are in close proximity.

"There are no details as to the type of equipment to be used on site and the associated noise levels.

"This department has investigated complaints associated with noise from such an activity at properties at a further distance therefore there is the potential for this development to impact the noise sensitive properties in proximity to it.”

A request to withdraw the application was accepted by the council.