A LANDLORD has appealed against enforcement action being taken by Blaenau Gwent council to close down an unauthorised car wash.

Alun Yhnell is appealing on behalf of his tenant Mr Hussain who runs a car cleaning/valeting service at Penybont Service Station, Victor Road, in Abertillery.

In August last year Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council received complaints from residents about the car wash business.

One said complainant said: “The enjoyment of our home has been severely impacted by the car wash.

“The use of the jet washers, apart from the noise, causes a dirty spray into the air which then lays upon our windowsills, car on our driveway and even washing on the clothesline.

“They also use various detergents and chemicals which are also being sprayed into the air.

“The business is best suited away from a residential area and there are empty units on an industrial estate just up the road.”

Following the complains council planning officers visited the site in August last year.

The council said: “On August 16 a letter was sent to the new owner of the site raising the issue with them and highlighting the fact that the site does not have planning permission to operate such a business from the forecourt of the premises.”

The council asked the owner to stop the car wash “immediately” and to contact them to discuss the matter but: “No response was received.”

In October, a planning contravention notice was served on the new owner, which was not complied with.

Last February an enforcement notice was served on the landowner and the tenant of the site currently operating the car wash business which they needed to comply with by March 23.

The landowner and tenant submitted appeals, however, PEDW (Planning and Environment Decision Wales) confirmed that only the appeal submitted by the landowner would be looked at.

The site has a long planning history that shows that in 1982 plans were apporved to “extend” existing workshops there to provide a car showroom.

Over the next decade approval was given to subsequent applications which allowed a service station with car wash to develop at the site.

Since 2001 plans have been submitted to turn the building into a fish and chip shop takeaway, a retail shop, and to keep the car repair workshop and MOT bay.

The last application was lodged with the council in 2016.

This was in order to change the site of the car wash and move it “to the south” of the garage building and was an amendment to a proposal which had been approved in 1998.

But the amendment was refused by planners.

In his submission against the enforcement action, Mr Yhnell said: “The site has been granted planning permission for the use of a jet wash which has been omitted by the local planning authority.

“The site is commercial, not residential setting.”

He also contends that no evidence has been provided that noise from the site breaches any threshold or that pedestrians walking on the public footpath get wet or sprayed by car wash.

Mr Yhnell also believes that due to the historic use of the site, if he needed planning approval to change the use of the site – he would qualify for a certificate of lawfulness.

According to PEDW final comments from all parties need to be submitted by August 6.