A new car rental service could be coming to the city after plans were approved despite objections.
Eaton Hand Car Wash lodged plans on February 16 to include a car rental service next to its existing car wash business, due to the current setup not being "cost-effective" due to only occupying half of the Ipswich Road site.
The plans include a new office building, car storage area, 19 parking bays and two disabled bays for pick up and drop off. It is also set to create six new jobs within the business.
However, light pollution, increased traffic and biodiversity objections to the plans saw the scheme brought before Norwich City Council's planning committee on Thursday.
City Hall planning officers had recommended approval beforehand and, during the meeting at City Hall, case officer Nyasha Dzwowa said: "One of the key issues we had to address with this site was highways during the assessment.
"There will be two separate points of access with clear signage to a different entrance for those wishing to use the car wash and the rental facility, while the exit will be properly managed.
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"With these measures, it's considered this does not cause any issues for Ipswich Road and won't significantly increase traffic there."
Other objections were around biodiversity, with the removal of the grassland around the current site "reducing connectivity for local wildlife in the area".
There was also concern that additional lighting would "contribute to light pollution through the night".
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The proposal was approved with a vote of five to one, with four abstaining.
The business saw its bid for an 18-space car park rejected in 2020 after an initial attempt to fill the vacant space onsite.
It was rejected for being against the council’s policies, but also because it would be "harmful to the visual amenity and public enjoyment" of nearby Danby Park.
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