A CAR sales business on the site of a former church has led to traffic issues in an area "where parking problems already exist."

Bradford Council has this week refused a retrospective planning application for a car sales site at the former St Mary's Church on Pawson Street.

In 2019 the Council had approved plans for the church to be used for retail and warehousing, despite concerns from highways officers that there might not be enough parking on the site.

A furniture business has since opened in the former church.

Alongside this authorised use of the church site, a car sales business, for which there is no permission, has been set up on the site. Cars associated with the business now take up much of the parking space allocated for the authorised business.

A retrospective application to retain the unauthorised car sales business was submitted to Bradford Council by Sohail Kiani earlier this year.

Retrospective plan for car sales on Lumb Lane site is refused

However, those plans have now been refused, with officers raising concerns about the business' impact on local traffic and parking.

St Mary's Church, which dates back to 1861 shut in 2004 with its congregation moving to the Vine Community Centre.

The building has since been used as a community centre.

Planning officers deciding on the car sales plan said that a visit to the site found that around half the parking spaces on the site were "occupied with what appear to be damaged/repairable cars."

A turning area also had damaged cars parked on it, and cars awaiting repair, thought to be linked to the business, were parked on Pawson Street.

Officers said: "It was clear from the site visit that most of the available parking within the site was occupied mainly with vehicles associated with the car sales operation leaving little or no spaces for parking and servicing (loading and unloading of goods) previously associated with the approved use within this site. This parking would therefore take place on-street.

"The proposal submitted would lead to intensification in use of the site and the loss of parking and servicing areas for the existing uses within the site, resulting in an increase in on-street parking where parking problems already exist, likely to lead to conditions prejudicial to pedestrian and highway safety."

Officers also said the noise generated by the site, including late night car deliveries, would cause issues for people living nearby.

And they said the signs installed around the site, including the former church "cause a detriment to visual amenity."