Plans to build a ‘pod’ where people can pick up cars bought via a popular national website could ‘revitalise’ Kirkstall Morrisons car park, developers have said.
Web-based car seller webuyanycar.com wants to build a prefabricated single storey unit which will take up two car parking spaces in the car park, off Savins Mill Way. The applicants say up to 10 cars could be on the site at any one time.
But the proposals, submitted last week, have already received objections from Kirkstall residents.
Melanie Robins, of Gilbert Chase, said:
“Traffic and congestion is already at a ridiculous level around this locality. There is currently only one access road in and out of this site which is overburdened with traffic already.
“This would not provide a service for customers already visiting the site – it would be bringing extra vehicles with the sole intention of visiting this unit. Also this unit is being located over usable car parking spaces for the existing shoppers using the businesses already here.
“The traffic flow through the Kirkstall Village junctions is at a saturated level already and cannot, nor should have to, be expected to accept even more for a pointless venture which can be easily located somewhere more practical.”
Evan Holm, of Morris Lane, added:
“The council has a legal duty to ensure air pollution in the area is being reduced and this goes directly against this obligation.”
A design and access statement accompanying the application said the impact on the site would be minimal. It said:
“Customers are offered an online quotation for the sale of their vehicle which, if accepted, can be taken at one of 140 local purchasing points across the UK.
“No cars are sold from these sites, all Webuyanycar.com branches only purchase cars and all cars are taken off site and sold at auction. We Buy Any Car’s online service allows for the agreement of a mutually convenient collection time at the site where inspection of the vehicle and agreement of the sale will occur.
“There is a maximum of 10 cars on a site at one time, however this is more likely to four to six on a normal day. The sold vehicles will remain in a parking space until collection.”
It says the cars stay on site for a maximum of 72 hours before they are removed from site by a vehicle transporter, which will collect the vehicles using Morrison’s existing service road and will not enter the public car park. The statement adds:
“Sold vehicles are moved to the transporter by Webuyanycar.com’s plate driver. Webuyanycar.com have very little impact on a site as they make use of spaces out of the way from where Morrison’s customers normally park.”
The application, which says the pod would take up spaces at the side of car park concludes:
“The scheme seeks to revitalise the existing WM Morrisons car park by offering more choice to customers and generating new employment opportunities through the provision of a WeBuyAnyCar.com pod. WM Morrisons hope that the advantages of this proposal as well as the overall benefits to the local community will be supported.”
The application can be viewed in full here.
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More Noes than the Opera bit of Bohemian Rhapsody – that’s what the planners should give this daft scheme. Car transporter coming in – as if?!
And the award for wittiest comment for some time goes to …
Why build a new pod? There are vacant shop units in the area, e.g. Carphone Warehouse closed recently. And if they are using shopping spaces for parking their used cars that space should be charged business rates as part of their premises.
I’ve been trying to comment on the application, but the server has encountered a problem when you login to be able to comment and it’s been like that for the last two days