Cheshire East councillors to write to MPs on car wash concerns

At Tuesday’s Cheshire East Council cabinet meeting, Congleton resident Jenny Unsworth told members it is an ‘anomaly’ that hand car washes are not regulated in the same way as mechanical ones.

And she warned the cabinet that such businesses are impacting on the lives of residents that live nearby.

“These kinds of facilities operate at their maximum at times of the day when residents might wish to have their windows open and to use their gardens,” she said.

“The problem is the amount of pollution – noise, air, water and light – and also traffic generation and management.

“Hand car washes use power tools which are by nature extremely noisy. Those living near to such sites and those working near them need to be properly protected.

“For that reason alone, such operations should not be located close to homes.”

She added that hand car washes are increasing in number ‘at an astonishing rate’, and that it can be difficult for planning officers to refuse the applications without stricter rules.

At last December’s full council meeting, Cllr Paul Bates, cabinet member for finance and communication, proposed that CEC has a supplementary planning document outlining best practice for location and operation of hand car washes and valets across the borough.

The proposed document is due to be considered at a future strategic planning board meeting.

Cllr Ainsley Arnold, cabinet member for housing, planning and regeneration, told members that rules need to be set by Government to clamp down on the issue.

He said: “We moved at council a supplementary planning document which is now going through the process, but this is a national [issue].

“National legislation is needed to filter down to local government on this, but evidently we will – with that supplementary planning document on this – lobby to get that legislation in place.”

Cllr Rachel Bailey, Conservative leader of CEC, added that the council will write to MPs about the matter.