Plans to extend the opening hours of the Mercedes-Benz's dealership in Whitefield have been approved despite noise concerns from residents. 

The Manchester Road showroom is currently open from 8am to 6.30pm from Mondays to Fridays, 8am to 5pm on Saturdays and 11am to 5pm on Sundays.

Proposals were put forward to increase the hours from 6am to 10pm during the week, 6am to 5pm on Saturdays, with the same hours on Sundays.

Read more: Whitefield Mercedes-Benz site to extend their opening hours

Debating the plans at the council's latest planning committee meeting, Unsworth Cllr Nathan Boroda commented on the plans, saying the new opening hours were "unreasonable" after speaking with residents in the local area.

He said: “I’ve been speaking to residents on Ajax Drive which backs on directly to the Mercedes Benz car garage.

“I was there speaking to residents and the view is pretty clear which is that the existing site is noisy in terms of cars being moved and the activity from the existing facility.

“I think particularly changing it to 6am in the morning from my perspective and a view I’ve picked up from residents in terms of noise, is unreasonable because on a Saturday morning people will be sleeping.

“At 10pm, residents have a right to privacy, my objective is that this is thrown out.

“But if there are to be conditions like making the hours more sociable i.e., not 6am on a Saturday morning, that would be my preference.”

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Planning officer Helen Leach explained that no movement of vehicles would take place from 11pm to 8am and the only reason for the opening hours being changed to 6am is to allow customers to drop their cars off over a longer period of time.

She also said a noise survey was also carried out and submitted which identified that the noise from the proposal would be less than the background noise to the existing main road.

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Radcliffe North and Ainsworth Cllr Donald Berry objected against the plans.

He said: “I’d like to put in an alternative opening time considering they’ve not given a technical justification for it rather than they would like it.

“It seems to be arbitrary that they are opening a lot earlier than other Mercedes garages.

“I’d like to put forward a 7.30am start and 8.30pm finish for a weekday and for Saturday an 8am start.

“I personally think it’s unreasonable and I’ve not come across other merc garages that are open for longer hours than that for the inconvenience of the residents and possible noise.”

But the suggestion did not pass a vote.

The original application was given the green light by a majority vote and was approved with conditions.

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