Plans for new car wash and valet in Barrhead approved

Planners issued their decision on the application for full planning permission for the vacant compound site on Cross Arthurlie Street in Barrhead across from Gospel Hall towards the end of last month. 

It proposed a change of use to a car wash and valet with four covered wash bays and four valet bays with associated hardstanding, an office/waiting area, two portaloos and new fencing along the front boundary.

Staff parking would be accommodated on-site.

The applicant advised the council that the hours of operation would be 9am until 7pm.

Three objections were received in relation to the proposal.

The objections focused on traffic/congestion, parking, road safety, commercial impact, landownership and drainage.

Addressing these issues in the report of handling, planners said: "The proposal would change the use of an existing brownfield site from an informal ground level car park to a car wash.

"Car washes are a common form of development in urban environments and would bring the land back into productive use.

"The site is located on a busy road with a number of noise generating uses (such as the railway line to the north and industrial units to the northeast) located within the surrounding area.

"It is considered that a level of amenity that might be expected in a wholly residential setting cannot reasonably be expected during business hours in this mixed use area."

Furthermore planners said that the proposal would not increase the risk of surface water flooding to others.

"The applicant has stated that they own the land, boundary disputes are a separate legal matter," they added.

East Renfrewshire Council’s roads service department was consulted on the application and raised no objections subject to conditions being met.

Seven conditions were attached to the approval.

The development must begin no later than three years from the date permission was granted. 

Noise from the proposed development and any associated equipment including jet sprays, industrial vacuum cleaners etc must not exceed the noise limits set by planners.

The site compound must only operate between 9am and 7pm unless otherwise agreed in advance in writing by the planning authority.

Development shall not commence until details of the fences and gate proposed for along the site boundary with Cross Arthurlie Street have been submitted to and approved in writing by the planning authority.

Prior to the commencement of operations, a management plan detailing the measures that will be put in place by the applicant to avoid nuisance from spray, waste water, aerosol vapours and chemical release shall be submitted to, and approved in writing by the planning authority.

The measures as approved must be implemented and adhered to on-site.

To promote road safety, the developer is required to demonstrate that a 2 metre x 5 metre pedestrian/vehicle intervisibility splay can be achieved.

A drawing demonstrating the visibility splay must be submitted to and approved in writing by the planning authority prior to the approved use commencing.

The approved visibility splays, 2m x 5m and 2m x 20m, must thereafter be maintained free from any obstructions exceeding a height of 1.05m above the adjacent road.

To retain surface water on site and reduce flooding risk, surface water run-off from the proposed access must be contained and not permitted to issue onto the public road.