AN UNAUTHORISED car wash business that sparked complaints from local residents has finally won planning permission on appeal.

An appeal inspector concluded Bournemouth council should have granted permission to the Moordown car wash on Wimborne Road, and ordered the council to pay some of the owner's costs.

The decision has delighted owner Mr Ramazan, whose business had previously been the subject of planning enforcement action.

His agent James Cain, of JN Planning Consultants Ltd, said: "This matter should not have gone to an appeal hearing and should have been approved by Bournemouth Borough Council at their Planning Board in April.

"The proposal was always considered acceptable in principle by the planning officers but weight of local objection meant that the Board members were persuaded to refuse on spurious grounds.

"This proposal had the support of a petition containing more than 200 signatures but the decision by the Planning Board was misguided".

Planning inspector Andrew Hammond said in his decision notice that as long as appropriate conditions were put in place, the car wash would not have any undue effect on the living conditions of neighbouring residents.

In considering whether the council should have to pay some of Mr Ramazan's costs, he added: "The Planning Board reached a conclusion with regard to noise and disturbance contrary to the recommendations of their own technical officers.

"Whilst the Board is entitled so to do, a reasoned argument should be provided for them doing so. In the light of the failure to provide any reasoned argument, the Council did act unreasonably and the appellant was obliged to pursue this aspect of the appeal without any indication as to the Council’s justification for the decision.

"The appellant therefore incurred unnecessary or wasted expense in pursuing the appeal in relation to noise and disturbance."