Plans to open barber's shop in garage of house in 'haircut village' given the chop by Dudley Council
Plans to convert a suburban house garage into a barber's shop in the Black Country's 'haircut village' have been given short shrift by council planners.
Carl Mellor, head of planning at Dudley Council, rejected the proposal to open a barber's shop in the garage of a house in Sedgley, saying the operator would need to go through the full planning process.
Residents have voiced concerns about the growing number of barbers' shops in the village, near Dudley, with former MP Marco Longhi being a particularly vocal campaigner.
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At one point there were 21 barber's shops or hairdressers in the village, which has 12,087 inhabitants - meaning there was a shop for every 575 people. Some of the barbers themselves have called for a restriction on the number allowed to operate in the area.
The latest applicant had been seeking a 'lawful development' certificate which would allow the change of use without the need for planning permission.
But Mr Mellor turned down the request, and said that if the barber wanted to operate from the garage, then planning permission would be required.
The applicant had proposed operating from 9am to 6pm Monday to Saturday, seeing up to a maximum of eight customers ad day.
All customers would be by appointment, with no walk-ins permitted, and there would be no signs outside to advertise the presence of the business.
However, a planners report said: "Although the operation is stated to be as appointment-only with no signage, specialist equipment, or commercial deliveries, the proposed six‐day-a-week schedule and daily customer visits would generate a regular pattern of comings and goings.
"As such, this level of activity is considered to materially exceed what could reasonably be regarded as incidental to the residential use of the dwelling.
"This level of customers would constitute a noticeable level of visitors to the property, who would potentially introduce a regular and increased activity over and above what could reasonably expected at a residential property.
"The proposed use is therefore considered to constitute a material change of use, resulting in a mixed residential and commercial use."
