Rontec is applying for planning permission to add a single-storey building to its Walcot Service Station on London Road in Bath.
The site is approximately 1.9km north of the centre of Bath and currently comprises an Esso-branded forecourt plus a Shop’N Drive store.
The application to Bath and North East Somerset Council says that given the existing commercial use present within the site, the proposed development should be deemed acceptable in this location. It added that local policies show support for small scale retail units (less than 280sq.m gross floorspace) in out-of-centre locations within the urban area of Bath where they will provide for a local need.
The proposed development will comprise a single-storey building with a small terrace to the front, an accessible parking bay and smaller associated works within the existing PFS site. There is no indication on the planning documents about which business will occupy the new unit.
The accessible parking bay will be located in front of the shop to assist with vehicle manoeuvring within the site, while ensuring that the accessible parking is as closely related to the site’s retail offering and new dropped kerb as possible.
A relocated click-and-collect locker will be positioned along the back wall of the site, as far as possible from the public vantage points along London Road, and the new plant to support the new retail unit will similarly be obscured by the existing forecourt shop.
“The proposed development seeks to maximise the efficient use of the existing PFS site in a way that is proportionate and sensitive to the surrounding environment whilst providing a functional and legible layout. The proposed development is laid out in a way which achieves efficient use of the PFS site, whilst ensuring that the site remains intuitive and usable for customers,” says the application.
