A Hitchin resident has been told they need to apply for planning permission if they want to keep selling cars from their driveway.

North Herts Council has refused to grant a certificate of lawfulness to allow the vehicles to be sold from a property on Girons Close.

An application to the local authority said up to two cars are stored on the drive, with roughly 12 old from the site on an annual basis.

The sales have been running for around five years, a council report said.

"We wish for the house and associated gardens and driveway to be retained as C3 residential use, however the driveway is to be used for casual storing and selling of a few vehicles," the application said. 

"We cannot change the use of the land or any building within its curtilage. 

"The application is seeking lawfulness for using the driveway for parking for the homeowner, as well as vehicle sales."

However, comments from neighbours were not fully supportive and said the applicants have not always kept the cars on the driveway, parking them elsewhere on Girons Close.

With the council questioning the information supplied in the application, it refused to grant the certificate of lawfulness and said a full planning application would need to be submitted.

"It is clear to the council that the facts relating to the frequency of car sales at this site are in dispute, but what is not in dispute is the impact that the proposed use of the site for car sales is having on the immediate neighbours," the council's report said. 

"The type of associated activities with a commercial car sales business includes the delivery of cars, including on larger vans, visits from prospective purchasers, and the need to store the vehicles in the intervening period. 

"It is considered that these associated activities are unusual, and not suitable, in a dense residential area such as this site."

See the full application here.