A HAND car wash has again failed in its bid to get permanent planning permission after a government inspector threw out an appeal.

Malvern Hills District Council rejected a plan by Jasbir Sandhar for the iShine Express hand car wash in Worcester Road in Malvern after temporary permission ran out.

Mr Sandhar appealed to a government planning inspector to reverse the decision, but his plan was again turned down.

The plan was rejected by Malvern Hills District Council planning officers in November last year and an appeal was dismissed by a government planning inspector last week (June 10) for having flags, unsympathetic signs and tired-looking canopies.

The car wash was given two-year temporary permission to stay on the site but expired in 2019.

Rejecting the plan for permission to make the car wash permanent, council planning officers said the canopies were acceptable in principle but signs and flags around the car wash were not – particularly next to town heritage assets such as the neighbouring former Methodist church.

The flags around the car wash were removed after concerns were raised, which the council welcomed, but planners came to the conclusion the rest of the car wash was proving harmful to the local conservation area.

Some objections had been raised against the plan by neighbours during public consultation.

One neighbour said his cars and driveway were constantly wet and filthy from spray drifting over and excess water often froze in the winter making it dangerous.

The neighbour also said it was constantly noisy as the car wash was open from 8am every day until at least 5pm and often until 8pm.

Several plans to create a permanent car wash on the land have been rejected in the last decade.

The first plan was rejected in 2009 and a five-year temporary plan in 2013 was also rejected.

The car wash finally received temporary permission for two years in 2017 which expired in September last year before another planning application was rejected by MHDC and a government appeal dismissed.

Cllr Neville Mills, when the plan was put forward in 2019, questioned whether another was needed – especially as it was disturbing residents.