A HAND car wash scheme at a Pembrokeshire builders’ yard on the edge of the county town has been given the go-ahead by county planners.
In an application before Pembrokeshire county council, Serkan Ustugul sought permission to use part of the builders’ yard/lorry park at Lower Dredgemans Hill, Merlins Bridge, Haverfordwest as a car wash facility, along with an associated waiting area/store and drainage mitigation system.
A supporting statement through agent Hayston Developments & Planning Ltd said: “The yard has historic use as a builder’s yard for some 80 years with the site being used by various vehicles on multiple occasions during the week. A number of small businesses lease portions of the land from the owner as builder’s yard, lorry park, and mechanic and storage areas, and they in turn generate traffic movements to access and egress the yard onto the main road.
“Being close to Merlins Bridge and Haverfordwest the proposed site for the car wash facility is in a sustainable location. The site is adjacent to the main railway line and to the north is a large complex of business units.”
Works were undertaken at the site back in 2019 when the entrance gates into the site and the flanking walls were removed to for access by Network Rail in order to carry out nearby bridge improvements on the adjoining railway network, with a later full planning application for the revised access for larger vehicles for those works granted.
The latest application said existing consents at the site allowed multiple uses, with the use of of a car-wash already allowed, adding: “however, the operational development requires planning permission. This application proposes the use of part of the land at the existing builder’s yard to form a hand car wash facility, which is proposed to operate from 8.30am to 6pm seven days a week (including bank holidays).
“The detailed scheme comprises a one-way system with vehicular entry and exit off the existing access at Merlins Bridge which was widened and improved under [the previous consent].”
It finished: “The proposed hand car-wash facility will provide local employment opportunities and provide an important local service for its customers. The scheme will not be visually intrusive due to the proposed location of the development as a whole, and the detailed layout of the site. The canopies and portacabin proposed are not over-sized and minimised visual clutter on the site.”
The application was conditionally approved by planning officers.
