PROPOSALS to hold weekly evening car auctions and monthly general auctions in Lindford should be granted temporary planning permission, it has been recommended.

The planning application by The People's Auction Centre Ltd for the Broxhead Industrial Estate has so far received a mixed response from parish councils.

As a compromise, planning officer Keith Oliver is recommending to next Thursday's meeting of the district council's north planning sub committee that temporary permission be granted until the end of March 2003.

This would allow the district and local parishes to evaluate the effect of the auctions.

In his report to the committee, Mr Oliver outlines the planning history of the site.

"Broxhead Trading Estate has a long history relating to car repairs and associated uses," he says.

"In 1998 permission was granted for use for car auctions, but was restricted to a temporary period only, expiring in July 2000, to only one car auction a week and the provision of adequate visitor parking.

"The use appears to have operated without complaint, but has ceased and the permission was not renewed.

"Apart from the movement of vehicles there is unlikely to be any other disturbance arising from this use, and it is not considered that any loss of amenity will arise.

"Again an initial temporary permission may be appropriate to satisfy the planning authority the auction can be run without detriment."

In his report Mr Oliver highlights the concern of local councils including Whitehill Town Council, but suggests that this can be overcome.

He says: "There is concern from the local councils that such a use, if successful, could lead to indiscriminate parking off the site and on local roads.

"It will be noted that Whitehill Town Council formally objects, although Headley, within whose parish the site lies, and Lindford, do not object in principle subject to this issue being addressed.

"The applicant proposed 82 visitor parking spaces for the evening auction and 112 spaces for the general auction when a designated auction vehicle compound can also be made available."