By Andrew Topping, Local Democracy Reporter
Gedling Borough Council is taking enforcement action to stop cars from being illegally sold from an Arnold car park.
The authority’s planning committee has approved the action to stop the illegal sales on Eastham Road.
It follows the site being referred to the council’s environmental health team in June after concerns were raised about “noise nuisance”.
Neighbours reported a network of people alleged to be selling cars from the car park, with people viewing and buying vehicles from the site.
The authority also received reports of people “revving them on the car park” and then driving them up and down the road.
This was despite no legal planning permission being sought or approved to use the land as a business.
A report published by the authority last week recommended councillors approve enforcement action to stop the sales from taking place.
Now councillors have approved the move and the authority will begin proceedings to issue a planning enforcement notice.
The decision was approved by the planning committee meeting on Wednesday (November 30).
Kevin Cartwright, the council’s principal planning officer, says court proceedings may be needed if the illegal sales continue.
He said: “It’s considered that this activity in this location is out of character, inappropriate and would result in demonstrable harm to the amenity of neighbouring occupiers.
“The activities have included the inspecting of cars, selling of cars, revving of engines, test-driving the vehicles – a lot of this happening quite late on in the evening.
“There’s also been evidence that the surrounding road network has been used to park and test-drive vehicles, all of which further adds to the harm of this unauthorised use.
“The recommendation is to take any appropriate enforcement action, including the serving of court action if required.”
Councillors unanimously approved the action being taken.
It follows the council receiving numerous reports of the illegal activity and obtaining its own evidence to prove it was taking place.
Photographs and registration logs showed cars being prepared, pictured and sold from the car park.
Witnesses also saw paperwork exchanged on-site and on a nearby road, while online adverts for the cars showed the land was being used as a business.
Council documents say the authority wrote to the people involved advising the business use was unauthorised and should cease immediately.
It then went on to receive more than 20 email complaints about people viewing, testing and selling the vehicles.
Planning contravention notices were issued against the people believed to be responsible in July, before the activity “slowed down” in early August.
However, in late August and September, more than 30 emails were sent to the authority showing the activity was still ongoing.
An unannounced visit on September 28 found evidence of the business operating before one person involved admitted to the activity a day later.
Council officers then conducted numerous visits throughout October to assess whether the business was still operating.
A concerned resident contacted the authority to say they had witnessed the sale of a vehicle on October 17, between 10pm and 11pm.
And they told the authority they had witnessed eight vehicles being test driven, prepared, viewed and sold between October 1 and November 9.
The authority then wrote to people involved on November 7 and November 9 to say evidence showed “unauthorised activity” was still ongoing and that enforcement action would be taken.
Mike Avery, the council’s head of development and place, will now begin the enforcement action following the committee’s decision on Wednesday.
