RESIDENTS have urged planning officials to reject a retrospective planning application for a car repair garage – saying the noise is having a severe impact on nearby homes.
The application to turn the former bus depot on King Street in Acrefair into a car repair shop was deferred by Wrexham County Borough Council’s Planning Committee this week after appeals from residents and local member Cllr Stella Matthews over the noise.
The application seeks to operate the garage from 7am to 6pm Monday to Saturday, with Sunday and Bank Holiday opening from 8am-1pm.
But Julie Pae, speaking on behalf of residents, said this was too much and challenged the noise assessments conducted as part of the application.
“My main concern is the recommendation to approve relies heavily on a noise impact assessment that doesn’t reflect the building that’s actually there,” she said.
“This is a retrospective application, yet the report assumes a workshop built with composite panels and high performance acoustic doors. In reality, it’s largely a single skin structure.
“The assessment is therefore based on a building that simply doesn’t exist. The report also assumes the doors and roller shutters will stay closed during noisy work.
“For a busy vehicle repair and welding business, that simply isn’t realistic. Vehicles are constantly moving in and out and once those doors are open, the report’s conclusions no longer reflect real operating conditions.
“Even the council’s own Public Protection Officer acknowledges this by recommending restrictive conditions and a future noise management plan – but that relies on enforcement after problems arise rather than preventing them in the first place.”
Speaking on behalf of the applicants behind the property – known as Central Garage – agent Gwyn Humphries said the use of the site matched with its historic purpose.
“This is an established commercial site with a long-standing lawful use as a bus depot, which includes vehicle maintenance and related activities.
“As such, the proposal simply seeks to introduce a slightly different light industrial use to an established commercial site, rather than proposing a wholly new industrial use of the premises.
“In relation to noise, concerns have been raised that vehicle repairs and welding would adversely affect neighbouring residents. To address this issue, we have commissioned an independent noise impact assessment which has been submitted as part of the application.
“The assessment concluded that the predicted noise levels would be below existing background noise, taking into account the site’s lawful use and subject to a range of mitigation measures being implemented.”
Cefn West Cllr Stella Matthews disputed the noise claim however, supporting nearby residents including one whose property shares a boundary with the site.
“I was in the garden of that property a few months ago and the radio was being played in the long building,” she said. “I could hear every word, I could hear the announcer and I couldn’t hear the people that were stood by me talking because of the noise.
“I’m not exaggerating that, it was pretty constant. The noise has no barrier between the property I just mentioned. I feel very strongly that you’ve got to support the residents.”
A full noise assessment will now be sought with the committee expected to review the application in September.
