9:26 am, June 22, 2023
Plans for a new luxury car dealership in Blackburn have been given the go-ahead despite a last minute objection threatening to scupper the development.
Auto Lab UK appeared to have a clear path to a green light when its proposed £5m project was recommended for approval earlier this month.
However, during a planning meeting last week a local resident threw a spanner in the works by objecting to the location of its valet bay.
The native claimed ‘The valet bay is placed too closely to the back gardens of the houses 139-151 Burnley Road as well as being adjacent to 137 Burnley Road.
‘The sound of valeting to include washing of cars and hoovering is likely to have an impact on quiet enjoyment of the lands. It is recommended that the valeting bays should be located on the far side front of the property, away from residential premises.’
The stance had the potential to prevent the showroom being rubber stamped but councillors instead decided to limit the times in which the valet could be operational.
Once that amendment was made, Blackburn with Darwen Council were happy to unanimously approve the plans.
In response to the local’s concerns principal planning officer Martin Kenny said: ‘In response to those comments, Public Protection have reviewed amenity impacts regarding the valeting garage and no objections have been raised. Condition 7 has been recommended to limit operation of the valeting garage to 8:00 to 18:00 Monday to Saturday.
‘Such measures would be sufficient to ensure that aspect of the proposals is not harmful to the amenities of the immediate neighbours.
‘The agent has also clarified that the valeting garage would only be used for the detailing of high specification vehicles and it would not function as a conventional valeting garage.’
The decision means that building work can finally begin at the site, on Carl Fogarty way.
Car Dealer reported last year that Auto Lab had agreed to buy the prime plot of land as part of a multi-million-pound expansion.
Then, in April, we brought you the news that the outfit, which counts A-List celebs and Premier League footballers among its clients, had applied applied for planning permission to build the state-of-the-art new showroom on the site.
The new showroom will have space inside for up to 31 vehicles with provisions also made for a reception and sales desk, office space and high quality customer areas.
It will join the outfit’s existing premises, which are located less than a mile away from the new site.
