Vehicle Description
Phantom Motor Cars was founded in 1961 by Crondall resident Tony Worthington. In 1984 Tony’s two sons, Simon and Stuart, took over the day-to-day running of the company.
Over the years we have gained an enviable reputation for enhancing and tuning Rolls Royce and Bentleys. We now have customers who ship their cars to us from far-flung places like America, Australia, Hong Kong, Europe, and Africa. 30% of our business comes from outside the UK and only 20% comes from close by.
Over the years we’ ve developed a very loyal customer base, many of whom travel long distances and occasionally stay in the local Pubs and B&B’s. We’ve also created jobs for local residents including work experience and have even had a team member leave us to join Bentley Motors in Crewe.
Having been in the same location since 1961 we have long outgrown our current site in the centre of the village, and we would like, with your support, to change this. Our hopes are to build a new showroom and expertise centre that matches expectations and take a successful Crondall business onto the next manageable growth stage.
We want to continue our association with the village as it is right for the business; we are a landmark for many nationwide, and we live here. It does mean, sadly, that we would need to move from the current forecourt site in the village heart, potentially to the outskirts.
We have set ourselves the following objectives:
- Provide a business the local community can have pride in.
- Enable the business to expand and provide greater employment opportunities.
- Ease of traffic in the village.
- Free up housing space to help achieve the Neighbourhood plan target of 45 houses.
- Develop and make attractive a key gateway site to the entrance to Crondall.
- Have a known future use for the land at the site that is manageable and minimal in its disruption.
- Provide a respectable commercial landmark for the village for years to come.
We own a small parcel of land by the A287, almost opposite the M&S Petrol station and beside the Bowenhurst Kennels. Access to the site would be via Bowling Alley. There is a public footpath along one boundary of this land and we want to enhance part for Nature conservation. We have been given many ideas and would like to hear more. We aim to build a natural pond becoming a positive site for local fauna and flora. We will also be looking at landscaping to reduce any environmental impact and the little noise we make. One idea that we have been given includes a managed bathing pond (somewhere for villagers to spend summer days picnicking), exercise circuits or bird hides.
There will be many questions and we attempted to answer some here:
- What guarantees have you got to make the village centre site pretty ? – We have carefully selected architects to design a property that would be very much in keeping with this locale. We propose two houses onto Pankridge St, with front drives for parking (no impact on current street parking) and two mews style houses.
- Why not buy land the other side of the A287 beside the petrol station? – Unfortunately, We already own land Crondall side of the A287 and would like not to wait to sell the land, buy new land, incur extra/ disadvantageous costs without firm planning permissions.
- If you do not do not relocate to Bowling Alley, what will happen to the current parcel of land? – We may sell it. The people who have asked for the first refusal are those who currently have horses on the land have asked.
- What happens when you come to retire or sell the business? – Circumstances can always change but we have been a family business for 2 generations and would hope to continue for more. The reputation of the garage is known and widely respected and is a viable business as a Bentley workshop for the next 15 -20 years
- We want to keep the land this side of the A287 free from building. – We feel that the area from Bowling alley and Mill lane already has big business sites on it; Light industrial units and Poly-Tunnels. Secondly, we believe that our business would create an impressive new facility that holds a great prestigious British marque. Thirdly, we would like to develop the unused portion of land into something of interest and pride to the village and potentially bring in additional custom to other village businesses the pubs and the village shop.
- You will not release the village site unless you get the Bowling alley site? – We cannot release the business from the current site until we can find a new one. There are no other sites available that are as suitable, that meet our financial limitations expectations and have a positive impact on the village.
If you would like to know more we have some display boards in the showroom window or email pmccrondall@gmail.com
We would very much appreciate your questions, letters of support and suggestions to Hart and Parish councils to allow this to happen.
Please see .PDF links below for plans of village centre site.
PDF. plans below for Bowling Alley new proposed site.