Amateur mechanics working on their cars in a Forfar lock up have been given official notice to find somewhere new to pursue their “noisy” hobby.
Council officials have served an enforcement notice on the owner and occupants of the lock up and yard at Craig O’Loch Road.
The illegal occupant of a caravan on the site has also been told he must move out by November 6 or face further action.
The Courier reported in August that six families on Queen Margaret’s Gait, which backs onto lockups at Craig O’Loch Road, had objected to retrospective plans to reclassify the units to allow car fans to pursue their hobby.
Councillors had earlier voted to throw out an application to change the planning status of the lock up and yard – from class four to class five – to allow the car fans and one business to continue carrying out repairs.
But neighbours at Queen Margaret’s Gait complained about the noise and light, which they said went on until very late at night and at weekends.
One dad said the situation had become so bad he was considering selling his family’s dream home.
Planning head Kate Cowey told councillors the enforcement notice had been added to the council’s “of note” list of actions. She said: “Enforcement notices have been served on the owner and the occupiers of the units requiring them to cease the class 5 use on the site.
“In addition, it has been indicated that unless the matter of the residential occupation of a caravan is resolved by November 6 2019, then additional and separate action will be taken in respect of that matter.”
The former site of the Angus County Press is a mixed use area containing homes and businesses, including a car wash.
Councils officials had previously sought to tackle the problem by reclassifying the lock up to allow for car maintenance while introducing conditions to control working hours at the site.
Councillors, however, said such conditions would be unenforceable and voted seven to two to refuse permission to reclassify the buildings.
A spokeswoman for Taylor Shepherd Homes, owner of the lock ups, declined to comment.