Spar wholesaler James Hall has submitted plans for a new petrol filling station with Spar convenience store at Bragg Field in Hawkshead, in the Lake District National Park.
The 0.27 hectare site is in Hawkshead village centre. The main part of the land was the garden of the former Croft Hotel, which has been converted to holiday apartments.
The application seeks full planning permission for the erection of a Spar convenience store and petrol filling station with associated infrastructure, external works, car parking and access.
The single-storey convenience store would have a gross internal floor area of 604sq m and a net sales area of 280sq m. It would have a pitched roof to all sides with a central flat section to minimise its height.
The building would be positioned in the northwest corner of the site with a delivery bay and staff car parking on its northern side, and service yard with enclosed bin store and plant area to the western side.
The proposed petrol station has a small pump island with four petrol and diesel pump bays covered by a canopy.
The proposed new access onto North Lonsdale Road (B5285) is north west of the store and the present car park access from the Bragg Field service road would be repositioned further east. James Hall says this two-way access and circulation arrangement, and the location of the fuel tanker delivery stand and the pump island, mean that store delivery HGVs and fuel tanker HGVs could safely access and manoeuvre to service the site without conflicting with customer vehicle movements and parking. Store and fuel delivery times would also be limited to off-peak periods, whenever possible, and could be controlled by a banksman/store manager if necessary.
Customer parking would be provided to the front of the store (six standard spaces and two mobility spaces) and to the south and east of the fuel pump island (eight standard spaces). There would also be two EV charging bays. Cycle parking would also be provided outside the store entrance.
The proposed store opening times are 7am to 10pm, seven days a week.
James Hall says the venture would provide new jobs for up to 30 local people (15 full-time and 15 part-time), as well as supply and servicing opportunities for local produce, goods and services suppliers and temporary construction jobs.
The application stated that the site would reduce the need for local people to travel to fill up their vehicles. Currently locals have to travel to Coniston, Ambleside or to petrol filling stations on the A591 towards Kendal to purchase fuel.
“Removing unnecessary journeys by providing local fuel sales (and additional EV charging) in Hawkshead will provide economic and environmental/sustainable-travel benefits (by reducing the need to travel) and complements the role of the village as a Rural Service Centre and Transport Interchange (multi-purpose hub),” planning documents said.
