An application for retrospective planning consent for the hand car wash which has been operating at Swanpool Beach car park in Falmouth for several months, is being supported by the town council.

The application from Mr L Warren, of Swanpool Beach Ltd, went before Falmouth Town Council's planning committee last week when all but one of the councillors present voted in favour of the recommendation to recommend approval, subject to a condition limiting its opening hours to 10am to 4pm on Sundays.

In the planning statement accompanying the application is says the plan is to erect three, 2.7m high steel poles at the corners of the concrete hardstanding which will support a temporary sail-type canvass to serve as a temporary sun-shade during the hottest parts of the year, which will be removed each night. The fourth

corner of the canvass will be secured to the existing building.

It adds: "Other than these modest above ground structures the hand car wash comprises a new concrete hardstanding, approx 6x4m, for the actual washing station. This hardstanding has a built-in proprietary silt trap to dirt and other solids from entering the public sewer.

"In addition to the silt trap a below-ground oil separator tank has been installed to clean the waste water before final discharge into the nearby public sewer. All below-ground drainage works, including the final connection into the foul water sewer, have been submitted to, and approved by, both SWW and the Cornwall Council’s building control department.

"The hand car wash has created employment locally in that it helps support two full-time jobs and eight part-time jobs. This employment enables the service to be open seven days a week, between the hours of 10:00 and 17:00."

At last week's planning committee meeting, Councillors Steve Gray and Maureen Davies said they had had some complaints about "washing" hanging from a line in the car park, but members felt this did not constitute a reason to refuse the application.

Councillor Rowenna Brock, said: "Living virtually behind this car wash, I think they have really run it well. They have been incredibly environmentally conscious and I would urge councillors to tread carefully regarding the washing line.

"This is a commercial venture and they will need to dry their rags. If we are not careful, we are going to grant them permission and then stymie them in another way."

Councillor Alan Jewell was the one member to vote against the proposition. "He has been trading for 12 months without planning," he said. "They (Cornwall Council) urged him to get planning and he ignored that. People on the beach are being sprayed by jets from the car wash in high winds. I appreciate it's a good business and it does employ people but there are car washes at Boslowick and Tregoniggie. I think car washes should by in industrials areas - it's a shame it's there on a car park in a lovely area."

Falmouth Town Council's recommendation to approve the application has been forwarded to Cornwall Council, where the final decision will be made.