CHARD Town Council has “reluctantly”recommended approval for Tesco’s plans to introduce a hand car wash in its car park.

As reported by The News earlier this month, the supermarket giant is looking to take on the town’s two independent hand car washes with a new facility of its own.

Tesco was accused by councillors of “gobbling up” local business but members of the planning and highways committee could find no grounds for recommending refusal.

The proposal involves building a canopy and siting an office in the car park to give “increased consumer choice”.

At the committee meeting on Monday evening Cathie Morrison, who is also a town councillor, spoke during the public forum.

She said: “I don’t know on what grounds we might be able to refuse it but I would like to say as a town council that we should be encouraging people to come into the town centre and support the independent traders not on the edge of town.”

Cllr Graham Forsyth said: “It’s unfortunate in that it is an example of Tesco gobbling up all the business it can but I don’t see any grounds to object it.”

Cllr Martin Wale added: “I’m trying to think of some reasons and I don’t think there are any, frankly.

“I agree with the sentiment of other councillors but I don’t think we can recommend refusal.

“I attended a meeting of the Chard Regeneration Group recently where it was mentioned that about 75% of retail finance in Chard goes through the tills in Tesco and any we can drag back would be great – but that’s not a planning issue.”

The committee recommended the plans for approval with a condition that car wash operates between 8.30am-6pm, and 10am- 4pm on a Sunday. A final decision is expected from South Somerset District Council by April 14.