Sunday 12 February 2012

A Langley Mill Eyesore

Oops, I've just twittered about this - and been retweeted, thanks Sarah - and then realised that I'd not yet published my blog post on the subject, and ahem, this was written on January 9th. It didn't get published then because I wanted a photo of the eyesore. grumpy went and took one or two but the camera focused on a lamppost that was in the way. I then got sidetracked  by other stuff - as you do - so now I've whizzed across Asda's car park and taken a few snaps myself.


We've just passed one of Langley Mill's most grotty eyesores, namely a car-wash. It sits on The Railway Tavern car park at 188 Station Road. It's ugly, shabby, and as far as I can tell ... illegal.

They did apply for - AVA/2009/0538 - and receive, a TEMPORARY 2 year consent for this pile of green, yellow and blue garbage - aka a portacabin and portaloo - to sit on the car-park, but the permission for it ran out in June 2011.

I quote: 'This permission is valid for a limited period only, expiring on 30 June 2011. On or before that date the use hereby approved will cease, the building(s) approved shall be removed from the site and the site shall be restored to its former condition, unless a further application has been submitted to and approved by the Local Planning Authority'.


I can't find any more applications regards this site, so why are they still making Langley Mill look even shabbier than it needs to be. I'm not saying they do a bad job, on the contrary, they probably do a very good job and they must work hard as they always seem to be busy. But the very nature of their temporary permission has created an unnecessary long term eyesore.

Rant over for the day ...

17 comments:

  1. These temporary car washes are springing up all over the country or so it seems. Have you check with the council or your councillor about their extended stay?

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    Replies
    1. Hi Susan, yes they do seem to be sprouting up wherever there's a bit of land not doing much. I've no objection to initiative and hard work - good luck to them - but it's the absolute tat strewn about and general scruffyness.

      Plus, genuine businesses with proper consent (and expense) must be struggling as their prices inevitably have to be higher.

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  2. I think I'll give the Planning Department a ring at AVBC on Monday morning quoting AVA/2009/0538 and see what they say, hope others do the same, will be interesting to know if that 2 year consent was extended and by how much ?

    ALI (Gladstone Street)

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  3. Check-out the desirable photos on the parish web site, a very different view to what lies around the corners. Hypocrisy? ???

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    Replies
    1. Has our illustrious Parish Council's website finished being constructed? I'll have a nosy later :-)

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    2. Ooooh, I say. I've just looked at our luverly village on the Parish Council website. Makes you want to live here looking at those photos. Not exactly taken in Langley Mill though are they ... more sort of on the edges, and not a street of houses, derelict pub, superstore or car wash in sight.

      I think I'll do my own photo version of Langley Mill's beauty spots Heheheheh

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  4. PS.
    Easier for the council to take the rent from car washers rather than tidy the site up post departure? ????

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  5. Gave AVBC Planning Dept. a call at lunchtime and spoke to a lady who said that the Council were investigating the site at present, she said they could not go into the details why.

    She told me that the owner had been asked to re-submit a new planning application for the car-wash site, this I believe they were still waiting to receive.
    ALI (Gladstone St.)

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    Replies
    1. Ooooh, you have been busy. I've only just arrived at my computer (work, work, work). Have you noticed the shifting of containers at The Mill? A new arrival, old one gone, so grumpy says.

      Catch up with you later :-)

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    2. Something I saw on Saturday morning 4th Feb. on my way to Lidl (before the snow arrived) was a white van using one of those devices like they use on F1 cars to remove the wheels, I noticed the container was minus 1 wheel as I walked past and on my return from the supermarket the white van had beggered off and so had a 2nd wheel, leaving it totally immobile.

      It appears someone must have returned and fitted the 2 wheels back on to be able to move that one and present us with a brand new eyesore. Their seems to be some surreptitious shifting going on in the village and we must get to the bottom of it before we have 2 Scrap Yards in Langley Mill.

      ALI (Gladstone St.)

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  6. Whats betting permission will be granted? Easy life & revenue for council. Cynical thought

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  7. I have tried talking to the Parish Council about the illegal car wash but I might as well have been speaking to the ducks on the canal for all the sense you get from them. Also spoke to AVBC Planning Dept in Nov 2012, Emailed them and rang again in Jan 13 but wasting my time. They're not really interested even though this is a clear breach of the law. The chap I spoke to said he had written as letter to the owner a while ago but hadn't had a reply. Big wow, so thats it then he can sit back, job well done & wait for his pension. Unfortunately the rest of us have to drive past this eyesore every day. It's a shame because Langley Mill was begining to look better than it has done for years but this ramshackle excuse for a business adds nothing to the area and its about time that those who's job it is to regulate these things actually did what we pay them for.

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    Replies
    1. Have you been to a Parish Council meeting and brought it up at the 'Public participaton period', that way they have to record it in the minutes of the meeting, so you can keep coming back to the point you first made and when you made it, if the problem is still there !

      That's if you still find nothing seems to be happening,as is the case, how about asking if someone at Derbyshire CC could help you move it foreward.

      Maybe putting your complaint in writing to AVBC about the 'car wash' might stir them, all letters have to be logged by each department and you can keep refering back to your first dated letter and stating how little action seems to be being done !

      ALI

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  8. Anybody noticed that the Smiths Flower Mill is currently being demolished but on Amber Valley Planning Site it states that permission for demolition is not due until 04/04/2013 (AVA/2013/0103)
    Work actually started before the application to demolish was even registered. The applicants form was signed 6th Feb and registered 7th Feb but work started before this. How is it possible for them to start demolition before being granted formal approval. Is it the funny handshake brigade at work again.

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    Replies
    1. I think as I've already posted, what is on AVBC Planning website is the 'Notification of demolition', I think you only need planning permission to rebuild NOT demolish ?

      ALI

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    2. So nice to see and read from a new addition to this blog.

      We need all the eyes and ears we can get to keep up with what is happening in the Parish, so the more the merrier !

      ALI

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  9. Hello anonymous, and thanks for your comments. Because hardly anyone reads comments this far back I'll publish your comments as a blog post. I don't know your name to give you credit though, so Anonymous will have to do :)

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Be nice, I'm very sensitive.