Service station closure anger

Fulford Service Station, on Main Street, Fulford, is the latest of York's remaining service stations to be threatened with closure.

A planning application has been received by City of York Council for the demolition of the petrol station, shop and car wash.

Plans have been submitted to replace them with a three-storey building made up of 23 flats, complete with parking.

"People around here are really worried about what's going to happen," said service station attendant Brian Stone.

"A lot of people already have to travel a long way for their petrol, we have people coming here from far and wide, but now they want to close this one too.

"Where will everyone go then, and what will it do to the traffic? People are very worried."

Station manager Intizar Ali said that the company which owned the service station had gone into liquidation, and it was now being run by receivers who may wish to recoup costs by selling off the prime land.

But the move has been attacked by parish councillors.

Fulford Parish Council vice-chairman Peter Barton said: "The parish council has decided to object to the plans as we have grave concerns about this.

"We were presented with an outline planning application for the demolition of the building, and objected to it because of the potential of over-development in the village with new building."

He said the area was now becoming very full of people living in new flats which caused an increase in population, traffic, retail demand and parking demand.

He said the council had not been consulted on the building of more residential buildings, but had objected to the plans because of fears on that score.

He said: "It may be possible that if the demolition is decided to go ahead we would try to agree a planning condition for the development, because what is needed here is retail development, shops with off-road parking, not over-development of the site, which is of no benefit to the village."

Updated: 14:03 Tuesday, August 05, 2003