Permission has been granted for Shell Northop Hall on the A55 in Mold, Flintshire, to have its shop knocked down and rebuilt.
Permission was sought to “enhance the existing facility and provide improved roadside infrastructure”. The application said that the proposal would help to bring the service area up to modern standards to meet the needs of the operator and motorists.
The site currently compromises a four-island forecourt arranged in a four-square format, with a shop towards the south-east corner of the site, with the domestic forecourt situated centrally on the site. An HGV lane sits to the north-west of this and is served by two pumps. The underground tanks are positioned underneath one of the HGV pumps. Towards the western boundary is a substation and compound. Four EV chargepoints are provided on the site as well as five car parking spaces.
The general forecourt layout and fuel installation will be mainly unaffected by the proposed works, however a small section of the forecourt will be resurfaced. The existing canopy will remain.
A new 145sq m will replace the old 64sq m shop. It will be single-storey and is described as “modern in appearance, utilising lightweight materials to create a clean and crisp appearance”. The building will make extensive use of glazing to the forecourt, allowing visitors to the site and passers-by to see what’s happening in the shop while giving staff a view of the forecourt, to help ensure safety and security.
The new shop will also include a WC, accessible WC and showers for customers and an ATM. The back-of-house areas will include a walk-in chiller, staff area and office. To the rear of the building are proposed air conditioning units, and along the south-western elevation of the sales building will be a compound. Security bollards will be located in front of the building.
Other minor changes include the provision of four additional car parking spaces, including two accessible bays, and the relocation of air/water facility.
In granting permission, Flintshire Council said Shell needed to confirm, in writing, if the petrol station would be closed for the duration of the works and if so, it would be required to submit an appropriate form of consultation strategy to inform users of the A55 trunk road of the closure.
