Three Lakes Hand Car Wash in Selby faces closure

A Selby business employing six people faces closure because it has no planning permission.

Three Lakes Hand Car Wash, in Bawtry Road, has been operating at the shopping centre since September of last year and now washes up to 100 cars a day.

Owner John Buckland set up with an old Luton van which acts as an office and two employees with buckets.

Since then he has expanded the business and now employs six people and has a contract to collect litter at the shopping centre, water the plants and other services. But he does not have planning permission and Selby District Council could now serve an enforcement notice that would close his business. The married father-of-three said: “I employ six local lads and if I get shut down they are back on the dole – it’s silly. It’s not skilled work but it’s hard enough to get jobs as anything at the moment. I’ve had no support from the council at all.”

Mr Buckfield, of Flaxby Road, Selby, applied for planning permission earlier this year, but was turned down.

He claimed the council has said that if he set up a permanent office in a particular corner of the car park, the planning committee would then look favourably on a subsequent planning application. But he added that this would also make him eligible for business rates.

A spokesman for the council said the original planning application related to the car wash being located in the middle of the Three Lakes shopping centre car park. It was refused because the location caused problems for both drivers and pedestrians due to spray, mud and some problems with traffic flow. The spokesman said: “We suggested that the car wash be moved to one side of the car park to minimise disruption and protect people from the spray and dirt. If this were to be done then we would be able to reconsider the application. The applicant has not, however, taken this advice on board and so we are left with a business that has no planning permission.” He said planning permission was required because it is a change of use from parking spaces to what is in effect a business unit.

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