A DERELICT pub, closed for 15 years and dubbed "an embarrassing eyesore," could be demolished to make way for a hand car wash.

The Kingswood Arms, on a busy junction at Cutler Heights Lane, Dudley Hill, is subject to a new planning application by Usman Hussain. He wants to demolish the pub and create a new business, including a single storey building.

Mr Hussain's application says that previous attempts to develop the site have been hindered by Bradford Council plans, dating back to the 1990s, to widen the road as part of a highways improvement scheme to ease traffic on the busy road.

In 2005, the junction of Cutler Heights Lane and Sticker Lane, just yards from the pub, was revealed as the most dangerous in Bradford.

The planning application says the business will create four full time and two part time jobs. It adds: "The building is in a poor state of repair and is boarded up and subject of continuous vandalism.

"The use will remove what has become an embarrassing eyesore on a prominent city roadway, which is detrimental to the image of Bradford."

He says that because the land the pub is on has been designated as land that could be used for a future highways improvement scheme, potential developers have been put off making any investment on the site.

The application adds: "No-one has been prepared to invest in the public house renovation and it has remained closed. Equally no one is prepared to invest in any alternative use of the building. The risk of investment is too great."

Previous plans to redevelop the site for business use in 2007 were refused by the council, with planners saying: "granting of outline planning permission could prejudice the implementation of the improvement scheme."

Mr Hussain says the development will see the main part of the business set back from the road, so any future highways widening schemes can still go ahead. His application adds: "The design can facilitate land being taken to implement highway junction improvements and still allow the use to continue. The use involves a low capital outlay to the event of the entire site being required for highway improvements.

"It is understood that this is the least likely scenario and that no highway proposals are anticipated in the near future."

Hassan Uzzaman Khan, a Labour councillor for the Bowling and Barkerend ward, said: "Local residents are always asking me about that building. I do get a lot of complaints about it. It would be great if it finally comes down because the site won't be an eyesore any more.

"When it comes to the plans for a car wash, I think the council will have to listen to the local residents and the experts when they make a decision."

Imran Hussain, Bradford East MP, said: "I'm always approached by people in my surgeries by people who want us to do something about this building.

"It isn't a very good visual and ultimately I'd welcome any kind of development if it means getting rid of this eyesore. It would be good to have a successful business operating from there."

A decision on his application will be made in September.