A BEAUTY salon in Barrow is set to be given the green light to continue operating from a domestic garage.

Planning permission for Refine MediSpa, which operates from a double garage at Norland Avenue, has been recommended for retrospective approval permission by Barrow Borough Council ahead of a planning committee meeting on Tuesday.

The salon, which offers various beauty treatments, is jointly run by the owners of the property, and the continuation of this will be a condition of the application's approval.

The planning agenda states: "The instances of home business' have increased since the various lockdowns have taken place and more people are working from home as a general rule. 

READ MORE: Pub's outside seating plan foiled by its own website's wording

"In this case, the applicants have made this application in order to regularise the operation of the salon and to ensure that there is no harmful impact taking place upon the local residents."

Six objections were raised during the public consultation, regarding setting a precedent for further commercial units to be set up in the residential area, and that such businesses would be more suitable in a designated retail area with empty units.

Concerns were raised about off-street parking, clinical waste storage, unknown opening hours, advertisement boards outside the house, and whether further uses would be allowed, for example a Post Office.

The planning agenda states: "The applicant has confirmed that normally they have one other person working on site, and that for 80 per cent of the time, only one person would be working at any one time. 

"Given the low scale of around six appointments per day, it is not considered that the salon would lead to any harmful impact, via staff numbers, upon the amenity of the local residents."

Regarding the issue of parking and access, the agenda states: "Off-street parking within the site is a key consideration. 

"Officers from Cumbria Highways confirm that in order to comply with the Cumbrian Parking Guide, the business would require two additional customer parking spaces in addition to the two domestic spaces. 

"The applicants have confirmed that they are able to achieve this within the site and from several site visits, it is clear that the driveway area within the site is large enough to accommodate four cars at any one time."

READ MORE: Application for replacement windows at Edwardian villa given green light