Mini dealer faces legal action over flood-plain car park

Stafford Borough Council is threatening to take Knights BMW to court over the alleged planning rules breach at its Radford Bank garage.

The German car giant is said to have allowed staff park next to the River Penk and allegedly ignored council demands to move the vehicles.

Ewen Morrison, group property manager at business, admitted the firm was 'in the wrong' but argued it had expanded in recent years and were 'victims of their own success'.

He told the Express & Star: "We became very, very busy and allowed our staff to overspill park on there.

"We are not using it for the business. We own the land but by the letter of the law we have no planning permission and we are in the wrong.

"The business has grown massively in recent years. We used to support eight technicians here and we now support 15. We are victims of our own success.

"To be perfectly honest we know we are in the wrong and if there is enforcement action then I don't know where we will put the cars."

But Mr Morrison also warned there would be greater problems if staff had to park on nearby roads.

He added: "It is annoying because we own the land and it is not doing anyone any harm. It is not on a flood plain anymore if you look at the latest flood maps.

"We know a couple of residents have written to the council to complain. But what they are not seeing is if we move everything off, yes there will be a nice clear field but cars will start appearing in front of people's living room windows."

The council's planning committee will meet on Wednesday to discuss the issue but officers have declared legal action may now be taken.

Their report states: "The site of the unauthorised car park is on a flood plain and in the absence of a planning application the council are unable to manage any potential flooding risk associated with the development."

The officers' recommendation adds: "That appropriate enforcement action be authorised to include all steps including the issue and service of any appropriate notice and instigation of court proceedings."