Plans to transform the former Twickenham Ambulance Station on South Road into a hand car wash and vehicle detailing centre have been refused.

The proposals which sought a change of use alongside part front and rear extensions and a raised roof, drew fierce objections from local residents, the London Fire Commissioner (LFC), and council planners over a raft of concerns, one of them being the severe risks posed to emergency services.

The application aimed to convert the vacant site into a commercial vehicle detailing and cosmetic enhancement centre offering hand washing, valeting, paint correction, ceramic coating, and window tinting.

However, council planners rejected the scheme across five specific grounds, highlighting a lack of crucial technical evidence and a direct conflict with local planning policies.

Planning authorities found that the scheme failed to provide sufficient evidence to justify the loss of social and community infrastructure under Local Plan Policy LP49 and the Fulwell Bus Garage site allocation (SA19).

Furthermore, the lack of operational traffic data, visibility splays, and vehicle flow plans meant the proposal would likely impede the free flow of traffic on South Road, creating severe risks to pedestrian safety and obstructing the crucial access and egress arrangements of the adjacent 24/7 fire station.

The council also rejected the application due to an absence of sufficient details regarding refuse storage and disposal under Policy LP7, alongside a lack of a formal acoustic assessment to demonstrate that intensive commercial operations and noise would not harm neighbouring residents or the neighboring fire station under policies LP46 and LP53.

Finally, the absence of a satisfactory Flood Risk Assessment and Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) statement meant the applicant failed to prove that chemical-laden wash water would not contaminate local drainage systems or increase flood risks, running contrary to Local Plan Policy LP8 and the NPPF.

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The application drew 12 letters of objection from local residents, who pointed out a recent history of unpermitted vehicle activities and paint-spraying late into the night at the site, which had previously required council enforcement action.

Locals also noted that internal works, including the removal of the building's roof, had already begun prior to formal consent.

To read the full application click here.

READ MORE: Twickenham: historic venue unveils £10 million transformation.

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