The owners of a car wash firm in Dover are delighted to have the go-ahead from the council after its future was threatened by disgruntled neighbours.

CMW Car Wash in Ferry Approach, Maison Dieu Road, was granted retrospective planning consent by the district’s planning committee on Thursday night.

With just a few conditions attached to the agreement, CMW manager Gary Amner, said: “We’re ecstatic!

“It’s great because there’s not going to be a loss of jobs.”

The car wash opened in March 2013.

In May this year, he submitted the planning application but felt “kicked in the teeth” in July when Dover Town Investment Zone developer Bond City lodged an obligation over traffic flow.

In response to neighbours’ complaints of noise and spray from the machinery, the owners have agreed with planners to move the car wash to the other side of the site.

They will dull the sound of vacuum cleaners by encasing them in boxes and switching to electric power instead of chugging diesel generators.

A movable wooden canopy, deemed unsympathetic to the surroundings, must also be moved to the other side of the site too.

But when residents complained about the effects of water spray on neighbouring Grade II listed buildings, planning committee member Cllr Roger Walkden said: “There are chemicals in rain, so I don’t believe the spray would be harmful.”

“There are chemicals in rain, so I don’t believe the spray would be harmful.” - Cllr Roger Walkden

Louis Melville, resident of Castle Hill House (built in 1760), spoke against the application at the meeting, he cited a caveat that the former petrol filling station should never become a car wash or cause annoyance to neighbours.

After the meeting Mr Amner added: “We have got what we wanted. The neighbours wanted it completely shut down. Yes we’ve got conditions, but they are acceptable.

“To improve the car wash to make it faster and more efficient we will be installing more equipment but there is no timescale on how quickly that will be done.”

He thanked the Mercury and the people of Dover for the support the company has received since the story broke.