A Middlesbrough resident has enraged his fellow residents after attempting to rip up a lawn along a residential street and build a car wash instead.
Businessman Hewa Saleh, 44, sparked local outrage when he applied to transform the garden of his £165,000 semi-detached home on Acklam Road into a seven-day-a-week car washing operation.
At first, the proposal was initially turned down by Middlesbrough Council in December following 97 objections from local residents but Saleh has now lodged an appeal with the Deputy Prime Minister.
The proposed development would see Saleh rip up his lawn to install a washing bay, four parking spaces, a waiting area and a mini roundabout and would employ six staff, who would work at the site every day between 9am and 5pm.
The proposed development would see Saleh rip up his lawn to install a washing bay, four parking spaces, a waiting area and a mini roundabout and would employ six staff (House not pictured)
Google Street View
Neighbours fear the development will create a "traffic-clogged nightmare" with queues of vehicles, noisy jet washers, and soapy water flooding the pavement.
Eric Nichols, 77, who lives opposite Saleh's home, simply described the proposal as "ludicrous".
"I don't think he's considered the implications to others, he's only thought about himself," Nichols told the Daily Mail, adding that the plan was "completely hare-brained" and would "leave the whole road at a standstill".
Russell Sharpe, 61, who shares a fence with Saleh, expressed disbelief said that Saleh was a good neighbour, but his plans were "ridiculous" and "farcical".
Sharpe shared his concerns about privacy, noise and traffic congestion, as well as his own property value, asking: "Who would want to live next to a car wash?"
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Town councillors also opposed the plan, with Cllr Dennis McCabe writing: "Overall this is a very poor application to convert a private residential property into a commercial business."
Reiterating Sharpe's point, the councillor added: "This will lower the value of any private homes in the area (just think of next door) - who would want to buy a house next to a car wash?"
"This proposed business does not fit in with essence and culture of the area," he concluded, citing the area's "classical late Victorian style" houses.
Saleh's appeal to the Secretary of State was lodged this month, as he attempts to resuscitate the possibility of the garden car wash becoming a reality.
Middlesbrough Council rejected Saleh's application after receiving dozens of objections from local residents
Google Street View
Jean Nichols, 77, expressed concern that Saleh was "clearly not letting the idea go, despite the volume of opposition to the planning application in the first place".
Hoping that that the housing secretary would reject the appeal, she said: "Hopefully Rayner has got a brain because it seems apparent to me that anybody with a modicum of sense would say "what's he thinking about?"
Her husband suggested a different approach: "If he wants a car wash, then find a suitable piece of land and run your business and be successful and all the best to you."
Another neighbour, who lives on Acklam Road, said she knew of no one supporting the proposal and mentioned that the traffic was bad enough already - especially with a school at the end of the road.
Previously, Saleh told his local newspaper that the car wash would "impact the area very positively".
Dismissing any concerns raised about potential traffic, he said: "People say the first problem is that it will make the area busy, we never make the area busy, I have a plan for everything."
