Planning Application Above Service My Vehicle Refused In Stafford

Plans to create a flat above a Stafford repair garage have been refused.

The application related to the building at Greyfriars in Stafford, previously listed in the planning documents as Eurofit Autocentres, which is now trading as Service My Vehicle. The applicant wanted to convert the first floor from office space into a one-bedroom residential apartment.

The application reference was 25/41114/FUL. It was submitted in September 2025, validated in October 2025, and refused by Stafford Borough Council on Thursday 7 May 2026.

The submitted application form said the flat would have been a one-bedroom market housing unit, with no new external materials proposed. The Design and Access Statement said the first floor was previously used as office space and was vacant, while the ground floor was used as a vehicle servicing and MOT centre.

Stafford Borough Council refused the plans because it said there was not enough information to properly assess noise. The council said the application did not include enough detail about likely noise impacts or any mitigation that might be needed, taking into account the surrounding commercial uses. Because of this, the council said it had not been shown that the flat would provide satisfactory living conditions for future occupiers.

The officer report said no noise impact assessment was submitted, even though the information had been requested in November 2025. It said key details, such as predicted noise levels, modelling assumptions and possible mitigation, had not been provided.

There were no objections on highway grounds, subject to conditions. The Highway Authority had asked for details around refuse storage, cycle storage, access, parking, turning areas and bollards if the plans had been approved, and the council’s report also said the proposal was acceptable in terms of highway safety and parking.

The site is partly within Flood Zone 2, but the flood risk statement said the proposed first-floor apartment would not be affected because of its elevated position. The council’s report also said the application did not raise significant flood risk concerns, as it involved a first-floor use and no new built development.

The application has now been refused, but the applicant could choose to submit more information, make a fresh application or appeal the decision. The refusal does not affect the current vehicle repair garage use.

The site is also close to another planning application local readers may be interested in. A separate application has been submitted for possible Greggs use at the Riverside Gallery building on Greyfriars Place, although Riverside Gallery has said it is not closing at this stage.

You can read more about that nearby application here:

https://www.staffordshirespotter.co.uk/post/planning-application-submitted-for-possible-greggs-at-riverside-gallery-building-in-stafford