A new car wash and valeting service will be coming to Congleton after councillors followed planning officers recommendations and approved the plans.

Applicant Akbar Shah submitted the change of use application for the vacant premises off 71, Manchester Road, Congleton, to Cheshire East Council.

The site is located in a cluster of commercial premises and located between Lawson Motor Company Car Garage and Greyfriars Carpet Store.

The proposed business operation would include three valeting bays with a small portakabin style unit providing customer waiting area, and another providing staff facilities.

The application was recommended for approval by Cheshire East Council planning officers ahead of last Wednesday's Southern Planning Committee.

Speaking at the committee, Cllr Suzie Akers Smith, Congleton ward councillor, said: "I do generally support the redevelopment of commercial sites and encourage new business, but I urge members of this committee to refuse this application for the following reasons: The planning officer states that there a few developments, but there are actually over 1,000 houses being built within that vicinity and every piece of land around it is covered with planning development.

"Due to the number of developments, it no longer constitutes a commercial site specifically, a lot of those houses are within 30m of the entrance to the site and two of the developments, one which was a commercial building are within 10m of the site, so the need for this to be claimed as an employment site is negated and doesn't need protecting.

"The applicant states the proposed business is surrounded by greenfield and makes no mention of the planned 1,000 houses being built or in the planning process. Many of these houses are less than 30m away from the entrance to the site, this conflicts the planning officer, who states there are just a few houses, the presentation is misleading.

"If you stood at the entrance to the site you can almost touch the flags of the development opposite. The statement that the planned car wash has greenfields opposite is completely untrue, the proposal is not in keeping with the residential feel of the location due to these developments.

"They are Jones Homes, Laurus Homes, Redrow Homes, Seddon Homes, Bloor Homes and another development of 500 houses all within 50m of the entrance to the car wash.

"I believe the influx of new residents will be somewhat surprised to see a car wash installed since they purchased their new home."

Cllr Akers Smith stated that the proposal didn't comply with planning policy SE2, which states that all developments will be expected to contribute positively to an area's character and identity creating and reinforcing local distinctiveness.

The cycling and walking champion for Cheshire East, added: "Protecting children is important to me and with the amount of family houses planned and being built, I fail to see how the air born particles blown around over the spray from the jet wash will not be harmful to the many families moving into the area.

"There is also a primary school planned on being built less than 200m away, there is also a high school and the location for that car wash is harmful to the health of these residents. The security fencing proposed does not offer enough protection from noise, disturbance or air born chemicals from the washing of the cars.

"Residents are being asked to comment on a plan, which would have a significant impact on their residential amenities, but many of those residents who will be living in the direct line of sight of the proposal have not yet moved in, they may have even bought their house already and be completely unaware of what is proposed there."

The Congleton ward councillor stated that the proposed "huge" yellow canopy would be the first thing that residents would see after crossing the Congleton town boundary and would create a "detrimental view" for people arriving into Congleton.

Cllr Akers Smith also highlighted that given the number of families that will be moving to the area and with a high school and a planned primary school being in close proximity, the plan didn't support safe walking routes to schools.

Cllr Akers Smith concluded: "This plan creates unsafe walking routes to schools with potentially a large amount of traffic driving in and out of the entrance.

"I strongly urge councillors to refuse this application, it isn't necessary given there are five car washes in Congleton."

Paul Wakefield, Cheshire East case officer, admitted that Cllr Akers Smith was right that some of the information included in the design and access statement referred to greenfields opposite the application site, which are currently under construction.

Mr Wakefield said: "Maybe when we did write the design and access statement it was a greenfield, but at the moment it is a housing site currently under construction, officers are aware of that and have taken that into consideration within their assessment of the application.

"There are housing developments springing up all over Congleton at the moment, particularly in this area."

Cllr Mike Benson stated that it was "unfortunate" that residents who had already purchased a property at the housing development opposite the site would be none the wiser about this application.

Cllr Benson added: "They are not well received these car washes in locations where there are residential properties nearby. I've come across several locations where residents have been really unhappy."

Cllr John Wray, chair of the Southern Planning Committee, said: "This is more remote then some of the car washes you normally see on the street scene."

Mr Wakefield said: "The site has a lawful commercial use, residents would be aware that they would be moving into an area where there are commercial uses taking place."

Cllr Stan Davies said: "It appears to me that the commercial use has been there since the start and houses are quietly pushing the commercial site into a corner.

"What is the point of building houses if you haven't got any jobs, this is providing jobs in an area where houses needn't be, it's not out in the countryside, it fits in where it has always fitted in, it has always been commercial there. In my opinion it should be allowed."

Cllr Davies proposed the application was approved and Cllr Wray seconded the proposal stating: "Where do you put a car wash, if you cannot put it on an industrial site like that, which either side has related sorts of businesses like car sales. It doesn't seem an inappropriate place to have that sort of business."

The application was passed with 10 councillors voting in favour of the application and Cllr Dennis Murphy, a Congleton ward councillor, voting against.

The main entrance into the proposed car wash would be via the existing vehicle access crossing off the A34 Manchester Road.

According to the submitted plans, there would be 10 car parking and five cycle spaces available with two full-time employees and three-part time staff working at the car wash.

The car wash will be open Monday to Saturday from 9am to 6pm.