A CASINO has been operating an unauthorised car park for almost seven years.

The pay-and-display car park at Grosvenor Casino was given the go-ahead in 2003, with planning officers stipulating that permission would only be given for three years.

But an investigation has revealed the company did not renew permission for parking on the site in Ormrod Road, and has since added new signs.

It also installed an automatic number plate recognition system, using three CCTV cameras, in March, 2012.

Bolton Council planning officer Graeme Mitchell sent a letter to The Rank Group, which owns Grosvenor Casinos, and ParkingEye, which runs the car park, telling them to seek planning permission immediately or risk further action.

In the letter he said: “Following recent complaints with regard to this address, it is alleged that an unauthorised change of use has taken place for which we consider planning permission is required.

“From the records available to this department, it is clear no permission has either been sought or granted concerning the current use following the expiration of the temporary permission on December 15, 2006.”

The company received permission to change the use of the former Sainsbury’s car park in 2003.

The car park has spaces for 333 vehicles, with 313 spaces and 20 disabled spaces, and charges £3.20 for 14 hours of parking.

A spokesman from Grosvenor Casino said: “The fact we didn’t apply for planning permission in 2006 was due to a simple clerical error. We are keen to put this right and as such have submitted a planning application to that effect.

“We are very hopeful this application will be approved so that we can continue to allow the people of Bolton access to this car park rather than having to limit it to our customers only.”