Proposals by Penny on the Move to install a 10,000-litre above-ground fuel tank at a Durham forecourt have prompted complaints and concerns from local residents.
The firm is seeking planning permission from Durham County Council to add the tank to its Barnard Castle site, which adjoins the A67 to the east of the town.
Penny is proposing to add the 2.4m-high, 3.9m-long and 2m-wide bunded tank to the side of the forecourt shop in order to offer super diesel at the site. The tank would be shielded with bollards and Armco crash barriers, while an existing pump will be retrofitted to draw fuel from it.
The site, which made the news recently for being held up twice in the same week, is surrounded by homes, and residents have raised concerns about both safety and visual amenity.
One objector said if the plans are approved the tank would be just 3.5m from the end of their house, and they consider it “poses a significant safety and environmental risk”.
Another wrote to local paper the Teesdale Mercury arguing that having consulted with neighbours in the area, the tank will represent “a significant visual intrusion, adversely affecting the enjoyment and peaceful use of their home and garden”.
A county councillor, meanwhile, voiced concerns the tank would be “open to criminality and vandalism”.
Emma Shell, Penny’s head of compliance and business development, told the paper:
“Above-ground fuel tanks are widely used across the industry and we currently operate similar installations at a number of our service stations without issue.
“Modern above-ground tanks are designed and manufactured to rigorous industry standards and are subject to comprehensive monitoring, inspection and maintenance regimes.”
She added that Penny intends to “enclose and screen the tank as far as reasonably practicable, creating an installation that is both functional and sympathetic to its surroundings”.
