Preston car repair & service garage seeks permission to stay open after 12 years in business

A Preston garage is seeking permission to stay open after 12 years in business.

Last week, Preston City Council received an application seeking a “Certificate of lawfulness for existing use of detached garage to the rear of residential property at no.7 Park Drive, Preston, PR2 1RN as a commercial business, namely a mixed use for the repair, servicing and pre-MOT inspection of motor vehicles (sui generis).”

The application has been submitted by agent Kingsley Smith Solicitors LLP on behalf of an applicant named Gurmit Singh, who lives at the address.

Plan drawings show that to the rear of 7 Park Drive is a single storey garage, featuring a central pit and a toilet.

The application form states that it has been a mixed use garage for the repair, servicing and pre MOT inspection of motor vehicles since November 30 2014.

In the diagnostic assessment file, Mr Singh explained that when he bought the property in 1996, the garage already had an inspection pit, having “previously been used for car repair purposes by the last owner”.

Mr Singh, who has worked as a mechanic in the vehical repair industry since 1994, as well as being a delivery driver and recovery driver, says he worked only on his own vehicles from 1996 until 2014, when he first started charging customers.

Two previous applications for the property were refused by Preston City Council in 2024 and 2025 respectively.

The first, seeking to change the garage’s use to an MOT station, was refused due to concerns over increased noise and disturbance.

The second, seeking a certificate of lawfulness for its existing use as a commercial business, namely a Vehicle Servicing and Repair Garage, was refused as Mr Singh reportedly “submitted insufficient and ambiguous information and evidence to conclude that on the balance of probabilities, the building namely the detached garage to the rear of 7 Park Drive has been used as a vehicle servicing and repair garage for a continuous period of 10 years”.

Explaining the two recent setbacks, Mr Singh, who has dyslexia, said: “I previously employed the services of an architect and a planner. I relied upon their expertise when submitting two applications to the council. I provided documentary evidence I was advised was sufficient, which does not appear on the council's website in the LDC application and the application for MOT station was misunderstood as I had never operated one nor sought to do so, only pre MOT inspections.

“I confirm whilst I spoke to my previous agents and answered their queries, I relied upon their expertise. I had no reason to doubt either their experience or expertise. Unfortunately, despite changing agent I am now advised they each misunderstood my circumstances so make this declaration do explain the true facts, in support of my application for a certificate of lawfulness.”

The application also contains various witness statements all confirming that “Gurmit Singh of 'Father & Son MOT' has been operating a vehicle servicing and repair business from the building to the rear of his home at 7 Park Drive, Lea, Preston PR2 1RN for in excess of 10 years.”

The shared witness statements go on to say: “I know this because I have seen him servicing my vehicles at least annually, often more regularly, as well as carrying out MOT pre inspections in that garage building for over 10 years. I confirm I have also seen his breakdown recovery truck either outside or in the garage for at least the last 10 years, a service I believe he advertises on the internet. I saw other vehicles each time I visited the garage, which it was obvious he was working on. He has an inspection pit and equipment of the kind I have seen at other commercial repair garages. He provides a good service at competitive rates. “

It is unclear how many witnesses have put their name to this shared statement as their names have been redacted.

The agent, Kingsley Smith Solicitors LLP, therefore writes in the application form that “The evidence demonstrates on the balance of probability that the use is immune to enforcement by passage of time as more particularly explained in the accompanying supporting argument.”

No external changes are proposed for the garage but the applicant is also seeking to extend the internal pit by 1.75m.

You can view the full application for yourself, and make any comments if you wish to, online here. The application reference is 06/2026/0932.

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