PLANS for a new car washing and valeting business at a Helensburgh warehouse once earmarked as an arts and entertainment venue for the town have been refused.

Council planning chiefs turned down the application for the site on the grounds of road safety.

Applicant Miran Sharif had asked Argyll and Bute Council for permission to use the front yard of the premises at 19 George Street for hand-washing of cars – and the partial use of the vacant warehouse at the site for valeting.

According to documents submitted along with the formal application, Mr Sharif asked for permission to operate the business between 9am and 6pm, Monday to Saturday, and from 11am to 4pm on Saturdays and Sundays.

The same document states that two full-time and two part-time jobs would have been created at the new operation.

The building was identified more than 10 years ago by the Helensburgh Heroes organisation as a potential home for an arts and entertainment centre for the town.

Back in 2011 the warehouse building was identified as a potential home for local charity Helensburgh Heroes, which wanted it to become home to a cinema and arts venue and a place to celebrate those with links to Helensburgh who have gone on to make it big on the local stage.

Those plans for the building bit the dust several years ago despite securing planning approval in May 2011.

Two people lodged objections to the car wash plan, citing concern at prospect of traffic congestion caused by vehicles parking outside the premises, while one also objected on the grounds of noise pollution and on the site’s proximity to the car wash at the Tesco Express store and filling station at the other end of George Street.

The council’s own roads department also objected, stating that “the intensification of use would represent a worsening of already poor visibility of manoeuvring vehicles and thus a worsening of road safety".

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One member of the public expressed support, stating that the proposal would “create much needed local jobs and rejuvenate a derelict building” – but that wasn’t enough to overcome planners’ own concerns.

The council officer who dealt with the application said in a handling report: “Parked vehicles located on George Street typically park a 90 degrees to the kerb to facilitate a greater number of vehicles but, reducing the availability visibility splay of any motorist leaving/ reversing into the carriageway at this location. When, it is assumed residents to George Street, park along both the east and west kerb line, the effective carriageway is reduced to approx. 6.2m.

“Whilst this operational carriageway width is acceptable, the intensification of traffic from this proposal, with limited availability for the manoeuvring of parked vehicles, represents a significant road safety concern.

“The impact of waiting cars could cause other cars having to manoeuver in the road corridor and there would be traffic safety concerns due to the restricted visibility. It is also noted that whilst the drawings package details areas for ‘waiting cars’ it does not identify a provision for staff parking.

“Therefore, the proposed development would have an unacceptable and harmful effect on the character and appearance of the surrounding area as it does not effectively integrate with the urban setting due to it causing intensification of the road network at this location with the potential to affect the operation and safety of the road network.”