Road safety experts object to Ashfield plan for hair and dog businesses in garden sheds

For Nottinghamshire County Council’s highways department has lodged an objection to the scheme on the grounds of inadequate parking space, threatening road safety close to a busy junction.

The planning application has been submitted to Ashfield District Council by grandmother Julie Rouse for a house at 15 Alfreton Road in Selston.

She wants to run Julie’s Cabin, a one-in-one-out, appointment-only salon from one of the outbuildings, while the dog-grooming service would be run on a similar basis by someone else from the other shed.

In her application, Julie stresses that the salon would be open from 9 am to 2.30 pm on weekdays, when neighbours are at work, and from 9 am to 2 pm on Saturdays. These opening times would cover school hours because she takes and fetches her grandson to school each day.

The dog-grooming parlour would also operate a one-in-one-out, appointment-only system, with no more than two dogs, each taking about two-and-a-half hours, each day.

However, when Ashfield planning officers asked county council highways experts for their observations, they pointed out that the hours of operation of the two business would overlap. Therefore, they questioned whether there was enough parking provision at the property.

The driveway has space for two vehicles, while a garage could take another. But the highways experts determined that space for five vehicles would be required to cover the house itself and the two businesses.

"The site would have insufficient parking,” says a letter from the county council to Ashfield. “This would give rise to an increase in on-street car parking which, given the proximity of the site to the B600 Nottingham Road and B6016 Langton Hollow junction, as well as a nearby bus stop, would be obstructive and detrimental to highway safety.

"The highways authority, therefore, objects to the proposed changes of use on highway safety grounds. Should the applicant come forward with alternative proposals to address the issues, we may reconsider our position.”

Ashfield’s planning officers are now considering the county council’s response and the scheme as a whole before making a decision or recommendation in the coming weeks.

Other planning applications received by Ashfield District Council include these:

70 Outram Street, Sutton – removal of existing shop front windows and shutters, to replace them with two new windows and an additional single door.

11 Lime Tree Avenue, Kirkby – construction of single-storey side and rear extension after the demolition of existing buildings.

7 Nest Avenue, Kirkby – application for lawful development certificate for proposed change of use from home garage to home office.

11 Sorrel Drive, Kirkby – application for lawful development certificate for proposed single-storey rear extension.

16 Downing Street, Kirkby – prior approval for proposed demolition of building.

Turbine Surface Technologies Ltd, site 13A, Little Oak Drive, Annesley – installation of modular building.

Comments on any of the above planning applications can be posted by members of the public on the council’s website here.