THE OWNER of a ‘nuisance’ car repair business in Halesowen has promised local residents he will have the site cleared up by the end of the week.

Neighbours of Guru Midland Motors in Vicarage Road who have long complained about noise and disturbance were ‘appalled’ today (Monday) when the site had not been cleared

Owner Harjit Singh had been given until February 15 to stop operating from the site and remove anything related to car repairs.

Mr Singh had lost a planning appeal against a Dudley Council enforcement notice telling him he could not use that land for his car business. He had been operating without planning permission.

But today local councillor Hilary Bills and local residents were shocked to find the site had not been cleared, and a van spotted inside.

They demanded that the council’s planning department take immediate legal action.

“It should have closed down on Friday’ said Cllr Bills.

But Mr Singh assured the Halesowen News that he had closed the business down and was not trading.

Dudley Council have been approached for a comment.

He said he had been in touch with the council to inform them that he had not been able to clear the site yet because Covid had made it difficult for him to find someone to take everything away.

In fact he had been looking for new premises for months but Covid had made it very difficult and at the moment the business was not trading at all.

“We have shut down, no-one is working there. I am looking for a new place.

“I am getting people back to clear the site by the end of the week."

Mr Singh, who had been taken ill with Covid, said the pandemic had made organising things difficult.