Car hire company gets green light to use vacant Telford car park as storage

Car Hire (Day of Swansea) Ltd has been granted planning permission to use a vacant car park in Stafford Park as storage for its hire vehicles.

“It is currently being used as an overflow car park, benefitting from 140 spaces. The proposal comprises the use of the site for the purposes of vehicle storage associated with their commercial hire,” said Montagu Evans, acting as an agent for the applicant.

“The prevailing use will be as a distribution hub for vehicle hire servicing the wider Telford area. The occupation of the site is therefore highly sustainable given no demolition or construction works are required.

“On the basis of Day’s extensive experience of managing such facilities throughout the UK, the applicant would anticipate circa 20 movements of commercial vehicles in and out of the site on a daily basis which comprises a clear reduction verses the potential vehicle movements as a commercial car park.”

The firm will operate from 8am to 5.30 Monday to Friday and from 8am to 12.30pm on Saturdays.

However, one person raised concerns about the existing residential parking (with Sapphire House having previously received prior approval for residential use), the hours of operation for any car maintenance and the noise impacts this could have.

“The Operation Management Plan (OMP) provided confirms that there will be no mechanical repairs undertaken on-site and the only maintenance of vehicles relates to tyre fitting, windscreen replacement, car valeting etc – all of which would result in low levels of noise and limited impacts on residents,” said a spokesperson for Telford & Wrekin Council.

“In respect of parking, officers have sought confirmation that the parking associated with the Sapphire House development will not be lost to this development; with a revised site plan provided excluding these areas from the red line boundary. They will however share an access.

“Officers consider that the use is appropriate for this location and one which, if operated in the manner set out within the OMP, will have limited impacts on neighbouring uses/residents.”

Report by Local Democracy Reporter Paul Rogers