A BUSINESSMAN must wait until the end of the month to discover if he can keep a taxi booking office open in Whitefield.

Mr Ali Khan opened the Swiftline office in Bury New Road, near to Knowsley Road, in June.

It operated round the clock and five staff were based there, though Mr Khan claims no taxis 'come and go'.

No submission was made to Bury Council seeking permission for the office to open, and a retrospective application asking to keep it open has now been filed.

Bury planning committee was due to make a decision at a town hall meeting on September 29, but voted to defer the decision until its next meeting on October 27 so members can visit the site to see what parking conditions are like.

It follows formal objections from two Bury New Road residents.

Geoffrey Adshead claims people were parking their vehicles outside the office, causing traffic problems.

He added: "They park eight-seat minibuses and 14-seat minibuses. It is an accident waiting to happen.

“Myself and members of my family cannot find a parking space."

Andrew Riley added: "Since the office opened unexpectedly across the road from my home, parking along Egerton Street, which has always been difficult, has, at times, become almost impossible due to taxis parking on both sides of the road.

"Perhaps a residents-only parking scheme might help? I cannot believe that we were not asked about this before it was allowed to happen."