Hawkshead Parish Council has objected to James Hall’s plans for a new petrol filling station with Spar convenience store at Bragg Field in Hawkshead, in the Lake District National Park.
After a site visit, the Parish Council said it objected because the proposed petrol station, shop and canopy were “quite an excessive build” for the area and members felt that there was no real need for the filling station. Councillors said a previous planning application was more in keeping and “acceptable”. There was also concern about whether James Hall’s plans would retain vital parking spaces for the neighbouring doctors’ surgery.
Meanwhile, the local highway authority said that in principle it did not object to the plans but had some concerns. It said there were no details for the new access to the B5285 and that the development should provide a safe crossing point of the B5285 to connect the forecourt with the campsite on the opposite side of the road. It also queried the number of parking spaces for the doctors’ surgery as well as adjacent holiday apartments and local cottages.
The highway authority said it would be in a better position to give a decision on the plans once it had received the full details.
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 EV charging and car parking.
The single-storey convenience store would have a gross internal floor area of 604sq m and a net sales area of 280sq m.
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.
The application is still being considered.
