Shell’s plans for a partial redevelopment of its forecourt in Warwick Road in Solihull have been turned down by planners.
The oil giant sought to demolish the existing shop, canopy and car wash area and replace it with a new shop, car parking spaces and an EV hub.
Planners at Solihull council said the existing shop has a dual pitch tiled roof with white rendered elevations, which took into account its surroundings and fitted in. They said the proposed new building would be a flat roofed building of modular design “which fails to protect or enhance the existing streetscene and character of the area”. They added that as the new shop would be nearly three times bigger than the one it replaced, it would represent a ‘harmful visual impact’. Planning officers had originally recommended the planning application be approved but planning committee members voted unanimously against the proposal on the grounds of its design and scale.
Shell’s plans also attracted objections from neighbours who were concerned about a potential rise in anti-social behaviour, noise pollution and accidents at the junction where it sits.
