PLANNING officers are “declining to make a decision” on plans to turn part of a church into a car sales business.

Bradford Council says it has already issued an enforcement notice demanding the changes to St Mary's Church on Pawson Street be reversed.

In 2019, the Council approved plans for the church to be used for retail and warehousing, and a furniture business has since opened in the building.

A car sales business has also been set up on the site without planning permission.

A retrospective application to keep the business at the site was submitted by Sohail Kiani earlier this year – but was refused by planning officers in April.

They said: “The proposal would lead to intensification in use of the site and the loss of parking and servicing areas for the existing uses within the site.”

An identical application was re-submitted last month, but the Council says it will not make a decision on this plan.

Officers said: “The enforcement notice took effect on 29 July 2021.

“It requires the applicant to cease the storage, sale and supply of motor vehicles, remove from the land the portable office building shown in an attached photograph and to remove all car sales advertising banners.

“As the development is subject to a pre-existing enforcement notice, it is recommended that the local planning authority declines to determine this application.”