Willenhall car dealership denied planning permission seven months after opening
A car dealership has been retrospectively denied planning permission seven months after it opened near two schools in Willenhall.
Walsall Council’s planning committee rejected the retrospective application from Carcart Ltd for its site on Cannock Road due to fears for the safety of parents and pupils of both New Invention Infant and New Invention Junior Schools.
Officers had recommended granting permission and said highways concerns could be controlled with a raft of planning conditions.
But members said they were worried that cars would be delivered on large transporters which would cause traffic problems and present a danger to those using the school.
The used-car business is expected to have to close down as a result.
Carcart started operating on the site last August and the property has previously been used as a toilet storage area and a builder’s yard.
Willenhall North councillor Ian Shires made representations at the hearing on Thursday and said issues such as deliveries taking place during the school run and congestion at the site were concerning parents and residents.
He said: “Once the initial shock of a car sales suddenly sprouting up right opposite the entrance to New Invention Infants and Juniors wore off, we ended up with three or four points of concerns from residents and the schools themselves.”
Committee chairman Mike Bird said he was “very uncomfortable” with the application.
He said: “I’d recommend refusal on highways grounds. We are not in a position to control the type of vehicle making deliveries to the site.
“There is restrained space for manoeuvring on the site and the proximity to the school presents a danger to the parents and children.”
Councillor Adam Hicken, committee member and Willenhall North councillor, added that he had no faith that any traffic management plan put in place would be adhered to.
After the meeting he said: “The Carcart planning application for Cannock Road has failed. It was a disaster waiting to happen.
“I had no confidence that children would be safe trying to access the two primary schools. Carcart’s plans left some serious questions unanswered. Safety must come first.”
