Is Wimborne too posh for a hand car wash?

'Soap and suds' are not what the picturesque market town of Wimborne expects in its town centre.

At least, that's the view of one councillor, as plans for a hand car wash are turned down.

Dorset councillors unanimously voted down an application for a hand car wash in a car park off Wimborne High Street.

Councillors from the town all argued that it was the wrong site for the business and could add to traffic problems, pollution, and noise.

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Cllr Shane Bartlett told the area planning committee that ‘soap and suds’ was not what Wimborne would expect to see in a town centre conservation area.

He was also unhappy about the proposed loss of four car parking spaces and safety aspects of using a narrow passageway between number 5 and 7 The High Street for access, followed by a dog-leg to get to the car wash area and car park.

Other Wimborne councillors, David Morgan and Robin Cook, were also against – Cllr Cook claiming that the council’s highways team were wrong in suggesting that it would not add to traffic problems and Cllr Morgan saying that he feared accidents as an increasing number of cars tried to squeeze past pedestrians over the High Street pavement.

The area planning committee heard that the nearest hand car wash to the town was in either Ferndown or Poole.

Other objections to the proposal, which included extending an existing single storey building at the rear of the Post Office, came from Wimborne Town Council which said it would support a hand car wash in principle, but not at the site suggested.

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It added concerns about run-off from the car wash into the River Stour and Allen and said the design would not enhance the town conservation area.

Wimborne Residents’ Action Group also opposed the application arguing that it would have a detrimental effect on the conservation area with the site adjacent to listed buildings, where owners would not be permitted to make changes to their homes to mitigate any noise from the site.

It said the application was not of high quality and would not be in keeping with the town centre. “There is insufficient information to guarantee this will not be an environmental catastrophe,” it said.

Dorset Council’s highways, environmental health and conservation teams had not raised any objections to the application.