The Parish Council has lodged an objection to a proposal to increase trading hours at the Melton Road / Tollerton Lane Shell Filling Station.Whilst the Parish Council welcomes the recent redevelopment of the filling station to include a Litte Waitrose there is clearly no demand from residents for this to be available 24 hours a day.  The Parish Council has listened to the concerns of neighbours and residents about continuous noise, light and anti-social behaviour and a number of serious accidents on Tollerton Lane just outside the filling station.

In making the objection the Council notes that there are no other residential filling stations currently trading 24 hours. Filling stations in Ruddington, Bingham, Cotgrave, Bunny, Gamston, West Bridgford and Clifton all close in the evening and no exceptional circumstances have been provided for breaking this precedent in Tollerton.

For drivers needing fuel 24 hours a day there are facilities at Clifton Bridge and Saxondale. We do not believe there is demand for this or that it is appropriate in a rural village surrounded by people’s homes and have asked Rushcliffe Borough Council to refuse permission – the decision rests with them.

Tollerton Parish Council

You can read the objection and leave comments on the Rushcliffe Borough Council Website

Objection

Comment Date: Thu 03 Dec 2020

Tollerton Parish Council – Object to this application for the reasons:
Opening of the Shell Service Station 24 hours is considered likely to generate increased activity, noise, and disturbance in a small rural village, which due to the proximity of neighbouring residential properties (where many residents have objected to this application) would be harmful to the living conditions of the residents of those properties ‘ which goes strongly against the Rushcliffe Local Plan Part 1: Core Strategy Policy 10 ‘ Design and Enhancing Local Identity: all new developments should be designed to make a) a positive contribution to the public realm and sense of place; b) create an attractive, safe, inclusive and healthy environment; c) reinforce valued local characteristics.

Promoting additional sales of an unsustainable source (petrol/diesel) which will extend/increase more vehicles and therefore fumes in that area affects the nearby properties air/noise quality (use of the fuel pumps and fuel pump noise, vehicle movements, car/lorry doors closing, car stereos, patrons talking, movement of people around the site, etc). The garage opening 24 hours is not in character with the attractive quiet rural small village.

Shell has failed to demonstrate that the application would not harm the amenities of the neighbouring residents and as such the application is not aligned to Policy GP2a of the Rushcliffe Borough Non-Statutory Replacement Local Plan and Policy 10 2(b) of the Rushcliffe Local Plan Part 1: Core Strategy and the guidance with the NPPF.
Policy GP2 (a) states: Planning permission for new development, changes of use, conversions or extensions will be granted provided that, where relevant the following criteria are met:


A. There is no significant adverse effect upon the amenity, particularly residential amenity, of adjoining properties or the surrounding area by reason of the type and levels of activity on the site, or traffic generated;

B. Policy 10 (2b) states development will be assessed in terms of its treatment of the following elements:
– Impact on the amenity of occupiers or nearby residents.
There are no investigations under statutory nuisance provisions or evidence in the application that the floodlight light spill, noise and air pollution, litter, increased traffic will not have a negative impact on the wellbeing health of surrounding residential neighbours. The Tollerton Lane road through the village isn’t suitable for additional vehicles driving to the garage and has already had several bad accidents in the last year ‘ one very serious accident of a vehicle crashing into the front garden of a family home with children. We are working to calm the traffic on this road, not increase it.
Policy 12 Local Services and Healthy Lifestyles states that the provision of new, extended or improved community facilities will be supported where they meet a local need and appropriate alternatives do not exist — there is not a necessity for a 24-hour station in our quiet village (as demonstrated in other areas), with many non-residential service stations already able to fulfil the need, such as Morrison’s Gamston less than 2 miles away with existing extended opening hours and also ample nearby service stations including: Bingham, Cotgrave, Bunny, West Bridgford, A46 just on from Gamston, Clifton, Ruddington ‘ where RBC refused permission to operate 24hours.


Policy 10 – Design and Enhancing Local Identity 2(c) states the application should include the incorporation of features to reduce opportunities for crime, the fear of crime, disorder and anti-social behaviour, and to promote safer living environments. This application goes against this; providing extended light and selling alcohol will encourage groups meeting in that area and antisocial behaviour. Affecting how safe local residents, dog walkers, etc. feel in the area.