7:27 am, July 11, 2021
A car dealer has been forced to relocate his business after the landlord decided to build 22 homes on the land.
Niko’s Car Sales had been operating from the site on the A52 Ashbourne Road near Mackworth for more than 10 years but has now applied to Derby City Council to temporarily move for three years.
Owner Besnik Dura explained he now has two months to relocate from the premises and hopes to be allowed to use a site in Sunny Hill.
The business shared the site with a restaurant. There is also a workshop called Bowbridge Garage and a new MOT centre will be built for it as part of the development.
Dura told the paper that ‘it is not easy to move when you have been here so long’ but said he has his fingers crossed he will find somewhere suitable.
He added that they ‘have got to do something’ before the current site gets shut down and he hopes they will get permission to use the new location.
Paul Gaughan Building Consultants wrote a report on behalf of the applicant, and explaining that 42 cars would be for sale on the 2,330 square metre site, with four customer and staff parking spots.
However, it describe the nature of the business and said that ‘whilst the cars are available for viewing and on-site purchase most of the business takes place via the internet with site visits only for inspection and purchase.’
The report wrote: ‘The applicants currently operate their business for a site located off Ashbourne Road, Derby, however the landlord has issued them with a notice to quit the site as he wishes to develop the land.
‘Therefore, the applicants are seeking an alternative site within Derby to continue their business without interruption.
‘The application seeks a temporary three-year consent so as not to be seen as a permanent business as it may well be in the future the site becomes economically viable for a residential development.’
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