Proposals revised for vital petrol station

HOPES HAVE been raised that a petrol station that serves residents across a huge area could reopen later this year after a national fuel retailer revealed revised plans to one which generated a wave of objections.

Harvest Energy has lodged fresh proposals with Richmondshire District Council for the site on Victoria Road, Richmond, which was destroyed in a fire last summer, and it is believed the scheme could be decided by the authority early next month.

While having a petrol station on the site is viewed as crucial in the absence of another in the Swaledale, Arkengarthdale and Richmond area that opens outside of working hours, the firm’s initial plan to expand the fuel station and open a 24-hour convenience store was met with objections.

Residents said the new petrol station should not exceed the size of its predecessor and be more sympathetic to the surrounding Georgian conservation area, which features many listed properties.

In documents submitted to the authority, Harvest Energy said instead of having a full width roof structure between buildings, its alternative design would revert back to a forecourt canopy and keep the principle “random rubble features” which it had been asked to use.

A Richmond Civic Society spokesman said: “We are pleased to see this amended scheme which addresses many of the concerns expressed earlier by others.”

Councillors said while the firm’s ambitions for the shop’s opening hours had yet to be established, concerns over potential late-night sales of alcohol would be decided by the authority’s licensing committee.

Richmond councillor Clive World said he had opposed the original proposals due to the scale and the ambition to extend the opening hours, but the petrol station was important to the area.