Published: Monday, 29th January, 2007 13:50
Fuel for thought as store takes out petrol station
By David Knox
Print Article
INNERLEITHEN looks set to become a fuel-free town.
Fresh plans have been submitted by Lothian, Borders and Angus Co-op to relocate its supermarket to the current Scott Motors site.
But these latest drawings have omitted the inclusion of a filling station.
The original application tabled by the retailer last year did have petrol pumps.
But concerns over access during the public consultation has forced bosses into a rethink.
Gordon Wilks, general manager of the Co-operative Society, told the Peeblesshire News: “Relocation of the supermarket to accommodate a petrol station, and addressing issues raised by planners and others who had been consulted, would require complete reconstruction of the existing filling station, including tanks, drainage, pumps and pipelines.
“The economics of this combined with a need to optimise the supermarket’s position on the A72 and provide good parking facilities have been the chief factors behind our charges.
“We have also considered the impact on neighbouring properties.”
But the news has been met with anger in the town.
One businessman who didn’t want to be named contacted us. He said: “This sets the whole town back when it comes to attracting businesses to come here. Most companies already here require fuel, and from next year it looks as though we’ll have to either travel to Peebles or Galashiels to fill our tanks.”
And local community council chairman Ross McGinn agreed the pumps would be a major loss. He said: “The filling station will be a big miss – and is something nobody anticipated was going to happen.
“We have to balance up the benefits of having a larger Co-op with the loss of the filling station.”
Innerleithen was home to three petrol stations just over a decade ago.
But following the closure of the Traquair Road pumps a few years ago, Scott Motors became the sole fuel service for the town.
The Co-op submitted its new plans on Monday, and a fresh public consultation process will begin within the next few weeks.
But the supermarket boss hopes they will be met with approval. Mr Wilks added: “We believe we have now accommodated all concerns raised by the earlier plans and we have further improved our proposed retail offer.
“Food retail is our business. Our approach to this development has been guided by the need for a new foodstore in Innerleithen and our requirement for a modern, well-located new store to serve the town.
“In order to avoid compromising the site’s layout we have restricted ourselves to our primary objective of providing a high quality new supermarket in an attractive building with convenient parking.
“We are hoping this will lead to early approval of our plans.”
The Co-op hope to have their new £2 million store open during 2008.
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