PLANNERS have refused to deal with a retrospective planning application for a garage – as enforcement action against the business has already begun.

A retrospective planning application to turn a former petrol filling station on Grosvenor Road in Manningham into a car repair business was refused by Bradford Council earlier this year.

The Council has since begun enforcement action with the aim to stop the unauthorised garage use.

Since that enforcement action began a second retrospective application has been submitted.

But planners have now refused to even consider this second application.

The site was a filling station until the late 1970s, and has since been used as a car wash.

But in January a planning application to change this use to a garage was submitted to Bradford Council by Daryah Hamad.

Planners refused the application, and pointed out it was clear that despite signs saying the business was a car wash, a garage was clearly operating on the site.

The refusal said: “The application states the scheme is for a proposed change of use from hand car wash to car workshop (Garage) but from the case officer site visit and current enforcement investigation shows that the hand car wash use is no longer operational as vehicle repairs are currently taking place on the application site.”

It said on the visit it was clear one exit to the site had been blocked off, and officers “observed vehicles struggling to manoeuvre in and out of the site generally and in a forward gear.”

The report said: “The application has failed to provide sufficient information in relation to parking for both staff and customers the absence of which would result in increased demand for on street parking in a location where on street parking is currently a problem.

“It is considered that the nature of the use would create a noise nuisance and disturbance to the surrounding nearby residential area through the banging and hammering of tools, noise from pneumatic drills and machinery and other high-pitched noises associated with vehicular repairs along with the long hours of use of the site until the evening.

An enforcement notice issued by the Council took effect in late July, and said that within two months the owners should “cease the unauthorised use for the storage and repair of motor vehicles and remove from the land all vehicles, vehicle parts, hydraulic ramps, plant, machinery and equipment brought onto the site in connection with the unauthorised use.”

The new retrospective application was submitted in late July. Planning officers have said as an enforcement notice has already been issued, and there has so far been no appeal against that notice, they were declining to determine the planning application.