PROPOSALS to introduce a car wash facility at Tesco Greenfield have been refused for a second time in four years.
The application by London-based Waves Consultancy Ltd was rejected by Oldham Council planners because of safety concerns.
Additionally, they stated: “The proposed development would not improve the economic, social and environmental conditions of the area and therefore does not comprise sustainable development.”
If successful, the scheme would have seen the removal of nine car parking spaces on the River Tame side of the Tesco site and the introduction of a hand car wash plus the erection of an office, canopy and associated advertising signage.
Waves’ statement in support of their application said the wash and valeting areas would create an estimated four full-time and four part-time jobs.
The proposed opening times were Monday to Saturday from 8am to 7pm and Sunday from 10am to 4pm.
However, the site for the car wash and canopy was just four parking spaces down from the 2014 plan.
In confirming rejection of the scheme – which was also turned down by Saddleworth Parish Council – OMBC said: “The location of the hand car wash will lead to the manoeuvring of vehicles generated by the development within the car park to the detriment of safety of all users of the development.”
The refusal comes at a time when a leading Oldham councillor is urging drivers and their passengers, to be vigilant for the presence of modern slavery when they use local car washes.
Cllr Howard Sykes MBE, Leader of the Opposition on Oldham Council, made his call recently to coincide with Anti-Slavery Day.
He said: “We have recently debated at the Council the existence of modern slavery in British society, and politicians of all parties are determined to see an end to it.
“Slavery in all of its forms is totally abhorrent, but it still exists even in Britain and it is often occurring right under our noses.”
The National Crime Agency has indicated there are thousands of people being exploited in this way in the UK, often working long hours for little or no pay, in the most atrocious conditions and with scant regard for health and safety legislation.
Cllr Sykes added: “Although we may think that such exploitation may be limited to unscrupulous gang-masters herding their workers to carry out endless, menial tasks in agriculture, modern slavery is on our streets and one of the places it can be seen is among the many thousands of on-street hand car washes that have been established in our communities.”
The Church of England has launched a Safe Car Wash app that can be downloaded by the general public to their smart phones and devices to help the police tackle the problem.
Users are asked to open the app and complete a short survey about the working conditions for staff that they observe while using the car wash.
The data is anonymised and then shared with the National Crime Agency and the Labour Abuse Authority.
The app can be downloaded online: www.theclewerinitiative.org/safecarwash/
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