Maiden wins on licence
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• Objections to a Shropshire haulier's bid to increase his fleet by five trailers, from his uncle and from Wrekin District Council, were rejected after the West Midlands Deputy Licensing Authority paid a secret visit to the company's operating centre.
Arthur Maiden had sought a new international licence for 15 vehicles and 30 trailers, in partnership with his wife, trading as A J Maiden & Son, following the retirement of his parents from the business.
For Maiden, Michael Carless said that the business had moved to its present operating centre, at Cross Green, Allscott, Telford, in 1984, following the grant of planning permission subject to certain conditions.
Peter Barker, area planning officer of Wrekin District Council, contended that the site was insufficient to accommodate the number of vehicles and trailers applied for, saying that the site had been split into separate parking and turning areas in the planning consent.
There was simply not enough room for the additional trailers to be fitted on to the authorised parking area.
Maiden's uncle, Peter Maddox, said that vehicles and trailers were already habitually parked in the turning area, detrimentally affecting his adjacent bungalow. He would not object if the conditions of the planning consent were adhered to. He agreed with the DLA that the vehicles and trailers were always parked within the operating centre as a whole.
Maiden maintained that all 15 vehicles and 30 trailers could be accommodated, but said that it was very seldom that they were all there. On average there would be seven vehicles and 15 trailers in the yard each day. He intended to abide by the conditions.
Granting the application, the DLA said that he had visited the site the day before unbeknown to anyone, having driven in and out of the operating centre without being stopped. He was quite satisfied that all the vehicles and trailers applied for could be suitably parked within its curtilage.
He pointed out that the District Council was entitled to take planning action if it so wished.