Motor dealer wins go-ahead to change two Chesterfield College training units into car workshops

Vertu Motors has been granted permission to change units 4 and 6 on Lockoford Lane from an educational facility into car workshops including a Class IV MOT bay, training facility and parts storage together with visitor and vehicle parking areas.

The units are adjacent to the company’s existing car showroom.

Susan and Eric Marsh, who live on Lockoford Lane, state in a letter to Chesterfield Borough Council: “Whilst we do not wish to stand in the way of progress, our concern here is parking issues and noise as we have noise at the moment from the college students riding up and down the street on their motor bikes/scooters in their break time. If planning application is granted, this noise will probably be replaced with the noise of the car MOTs so no change there.

"Lockoford Lane is used for parking for the staff of the garage at the top of the street, the college students, canal walkers and bikers, Tesco, Costa and football matches. Whilst we know we have no right to be able to park outside our house as we do not own the road, it is with caution that we use our car as we can never be sure that there will be a space to park anywhere on the street when we return, particularly on match days. If planning application is granted, is it going to make the parking even worse?”

In granting change of use permission, the council has stipulated that the hours of operation shall be between 7am and 8pm on weekdays, 8am and 5pm on Saturdays and 10am to 5pm on Sundays and bank holidays.