The car wash at 2 Upper Tollington Park (behind Nandos) has put in a new planning application for a canopy, after its previous attempt to get retrospective approval for the current ugly canopy was rejected (see previous post). Cllr Richard Wilson has looked at the application online and spoken to the Council’s planning office, and says that this proposal is definitely better. The car wash have agreed to build a new canopy with a metal frame, set several metres back from the front of the building.  The canopy would not be enclosed on the side.

However, Cllr. Wilson remains worried that, whatever the owners promise, unless the canopy is built properly with quality materials in neutral colours, it will still look an eyesore.  Therefore he has put in a formal submission asking for:

• the Council to put strict conditions on the quality, finish and colour of the materials used
• a condition that the new structure must be inspected by the Council’s building control officers to ensure it is safe and built properly
• a condition that the existing ugly timber and plastic canopy is demolished as soon as possible

Cllr. Wilson has said that without these conditions he would oppose this new application.  The Council says it will be making its decision very soon.  There are many local residents are annoyed that this ugly unauthorised canopy has been allowed to remain so long,  so the hope is that the Council gets its act together and insists on this canopy being demolished quickly and puts tough conditions on any new structure.