Demolition awaits ‘unauthorised’ Slough car spray paint booth after appeal lost

Demolition awaits an ‘unauthorised’ car spray painting booth in a Slough residential area after the Planning Inspector threw out an appeal hoping to save it.

Owners of the second hand car shop at 42 and 44 Lake Avenue – where the booth was located – appealed to the inspector after being served a council enforcement notice.

The notice said the booth was out of character for the area and highlighted its chimneys which were ‘particularly incongruous’ with the area.

It added the booth had not demonstrated it ‘respects the amenities of adjoining neighbours’  and would cause ‘unacceptable levels’ of noise and air pollution.

The council ordered the booth be demolished; an end to ‘the commercial use of the property for the spraying of motor vehicles’ at the site; and a new fence to be built at the site.

A slough resident living near the site also objected over fears fumes from the spray-painting booth could be causing breathing problems.

In a letter to the council, they said: “I find this to not be suitable at all for myself and my children breathing in harmful chemicals especially when we sit in the garden and breathe the air…”

Retrospective planning permission for the booth was submitted by the shop owners.

A statement from Longman Planning Consultancy, on behalf of the application said the new booth had replaced two old outbuildings ‘with a modern, cleaner alternative’.

It said the spray booth’s chimneys had ‘little mass’ and their impact was ‘significantly lessened’.

The statement argued: “The replacement spray booth/workshop is acceptable in principle.

“In addition to this, there will be no impact on the character and appearance of the street scene and no harmful impact on the amenities of the neighbouring occupiers.

“There is no impact on car parking or the highway network.”

Slough council refused the retrospective application.

Mr Janjua then appealed to the Planning Inspector over this refusal and the council’s enforcement notice.  

But the inspector ruled in favour of the council’s decision.

In a decision notice the inspector said: “The purpose of the [council enforcement] notice is to remedy the breach of planning control.

“Consequently, no lesser steps than complete demolition of the building would remedy the breach.”  

The inspector found the booth would have ‘a harmful effect’ on neighbours’ living conditions - with ‘particular regard to noise and air quality’.

A proposal by the appellant to remove the booth’s chimneys, the inspector said, would ‘not overcome the harm to the living conditions of neighbouring residents’.

The inspector upheld the enforcement notice on the condition that it be amended to remove reference to ending all car spraying at the site and building the new fence.

The notice, published on Friday (November 1), said the booth should be demolished in three months.