PLANS for a hand car wash in Walsoken have been re-submitted to Fenland District Council but this time the owners of the site are seeking temporary permission.

Original plans for the car wash in Kirkgate Street at the junction of Lerowe Road and Norwich Road sparked off protests from residents living opposite who claimed it would cause flooding, traffic chaos and put the lives of school children at risk.

While council officers recommended giving the green light to the application from Hoshang Jamal of Peterborough, councillors went against them and threw out the plan at their meeting in May.

Mr Jamal is now arguing that the site cannot be developed to its true potential because of the economic climate and giving temporary permission for a car wash would maintain the viability of it in the short term.

An existing flat roofed building on the site would remain and the re-submitted plan intends that the hand car wash would occupy 54 per cent of the site.

The application includes the erection of a temporary canopy for vehicles to be washed under and low level screening. It maintains the neighbours to the site are commercial properties, including a hairdressers, and the nearest residential properties are 30-35 metres from the wash bay area.

Environmental heath officers have requested a full report of the site from a sound consultant and Anglian Water has advised that the applicant, who has a similar operation in Walton, Peterborough, would need to apply for a Trade Effluent License for the site before discharging water into the foul drainage.

Mr Jamal says he expects the average vehicle turn over would be four vehicles per 80 minutes or three per hour. The location means he would expect most of the trade would be through prior knowledge of the site as the passing trade would be minimal.