Black Country garage owner in £11k planning appeal bid to save thriving business after complaints

West Midlands Car Ltd proprietor Gul Nawaz lodged an application to Sandwell Council use the Franchise Street site for car storage and sales, but this was rejected in June 2023 on grounds that it was “inappropriate” and had attracted complaints of there being too many vehicles from residents.

Now he has lodged an appeal at a cost of £11,000 against the decision claiming the thriving operation on the Darlaston-Wednesbury boundary had given the formerly vacant site a facelift and created 10 jobs for local people.  He claimed the future of the business was at risk due to claims that cars linked to the garage were being parked in the already narrow street on the Darlaston-Wednesbury border.

Mr Nawaz said: "We have invested a lot of money into the place. We are not doing anything wrong. All our business is done within the boundary. We don't have any cars parked and untaxed on the road. We feel some people in the community just don't want us here.  

"There is a house at the front of our site which was rundown so we restored it for the staff to take breaks and sometimes my children, who are grown up, stay there. We have no tenants or lodgers living there yet someone wrongly reported us to the council.