A car wash facility could be built at a supermarket in Portishead.

Permission is being sought by Waves Car Wash Ltd to add a cleaning service to Sainsbury’s car park.

It wants to use some of the store’s parking spaces to install a cabin and a canopy to aid the new car washing facility.

Waves, in its application to North Somerset Council, said: “Our proposal involves the building of a canopy and the stationing of a cabin.

“The proposal is functional in its design and we do not believe it will be visually obtrusive due to it’s very limited size and height.

“We believe the introduction of the car wash will create new and sustainable economic growth in the area.

“It will have a positive impact on local employment creating an estimated four full-time and four part-time jobs.

“The car wash will also provide increased consumer choice with the addition of the service.

“The service will operate from 10 car parking spaces but we believe that the proposed use is ancillary to the retail use of the site.

“It is likely that the facility will be used in association with any trip to the supermarket, rather than resulting in a purpose-built trip.

“Although the car wash operates from 10 parking spaces, we can wash and valet five or six vehicles at any one time, therefore the net loss of spaces would only be three to four.”

The Sainsbury’s store, in Serbert Road, is close to a number of homes, but Waves believes no-one living nearby will be affected by its plan.

Waves said: “We do not believe there will be a material increase in noise and disturbance from the site because of the proposed use of the site as a supermarket.

“The proposed hours of operation reflect the standard operating hours of a retail outlet.

“All equipment used on our car wash will emit very low levels of noise and the jet washes are housed within the cabin to minimise any noise.”

Portishead Town Council will meet in the coming weeks – most likely on March 7 – to discuss the idea before making a recommendation to North Somerset Council.

To comment on the planning proposal, search for reference number 18/P/2216/FUL on North Somerset’s planning portal.