A new car wash creating 10 jobs could be built at Houghton Hall Garden Centre in north Carlisle, if plans are passed.

The franchise Handy Andy Car Washes wants to operate from the site and has applied to Carlisle City Council for planning permission.

Four full time and six part time jobs would be created after a year.

The firm started 10 years ago and now operates 25 car wash sites within garden centres throughout the UK.

The application states: "Customers leave their cars to be washed and valeted while they visit and utilise the other facilities in the garden centre.

"Their cars would otherwise still be parked within the car park. The operation does not significantly increase vehicle generation by the site.

"The car wash/valet operation based on similar sites, is likely to have an average weekly throughput of approximately 376 vehicles, of which more than 50 per cent are likely to include valets, taking an overall average of one hour to complete.

"Customer loyalty is high, with the service generating high levels of reported customer satisfaction, culminating in increased likelihood of return visits and therefore business for not only the car wash operation, but the garden centre as a whole."

The application says that concerns have previously been put in place regarding the water supply at this location and that a car wash could exacerbate this.

The following measures have been put in place and so far there have no problems:

  • Installed “traffic light” style alarm system that monitors water levels within the holding tanks to give advance warning of any issues;
  • all pumps with the exception of the borehole pump have been doubled up with a duty and standby pump;
  • Servicing of pumps increased from 2 to 3 times per year.

The application will be discussed by councillors at a later date.