A Maxol filling station with a Spar store in Belfast is set to be significantly extended after local planning officers recommended the project go ahead.
The Cherryvalley forecourt was built in the mid 1990s and its current configuration was laid down in 2009. The shop boasts a gross floor area of 3,982sq ft, but Maxol says it “feels cramped” and “needs refurbishment”.
The extension and improvements will boost the gross floor area by 1,754sq ft and “bring the shop in line with modern standards”, while allowing the operator to “provide a wider range of product choice to meet customers’ expectations with greater access and circulation around the shop”. Extra parking spaces would also be added to the site if the application is approved.
Over 20 local opposition comments have been logged against the project, including a petition containing almost 40 signatures. Concerns focus around traffic, pollution, road safety and parking.
Belfast City Council’s planning officers have recommended the project go ahead, but the council is set to send representatives to the site to inspect it before any official ruling is made on Maxol’s proposals.
