Church lodges fresh plans for car wash off busy road despite previous objections

Plumstead Road. Photo: Lauren Hewitt/Mustard (Image: Lauran Hewitt/Mustard)

The Redeemed Christian Church of God has submitted the car wash plans on Plumstead Road to Norwich City Council.

The site - off the main Plumstead Road, behind the Age UK charity shop and Tesco Express store - is currently a car park, and next to a disused bowling alley and the Wild Stallion Dance Ranch. Both of those buildings are owned by the church.

If approved, the car wash, which would create five full-time jobs, would be open from 8am to 8pm on Mondays to Saturdays and 8am to 6pm on Sundays and bank holidays.

A similar bid by the church, which also included the introduction of a pay and display car park, was refused in December last year, after concerns were raised over pollution, noise disturbance, loss of privacy for neighbours and increased traffic.

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At the time, a council officer advised the church to move the car wash - which was then proposed to be next to houses - to a different area, after some homeowners in neighbouring properties wrote objections.

In the latest application, it is now located outside the former bowling alley, which was damaged by fire in 2005. In 2015, planning permission was granted to demolish the building.

The council said in December that the earlier plans would 'unacceptably prejudice the future use and development of this site', and would encourage people to travel to the area by car, rather than 'more sustainable means of transport'.

Sandra Butler, who has been the leaseholder of the dance ranch and car park for more than 20 years, said at the time a pay and display car park would significantly damage her business.

She said the new location of the car wash and removal of the paid-for parking was welcome, though some concerns still remained.

The new application was lodged with the council at the start of March, and is yet to be decided.