A new filling station development by Costco has been approved by planners despite concerns from a local council that it would increase traffic volumes too much at a busy retail park.
Westhill and Elrick Community Council objected to Costco’s application to build a new forecourt at the Arnhall Business Park in Westhill, eight miles to the west of Aberdeen, stating that traffic on this section of the park was “always busy at peak times”, and a new pedestrian crossing would be required should the development go head.
This concern was put to one side by Aberdeenshire Council, whose roads development department said it did “not believe the additional traffic flows will necessitate a pedestrian crossing”, partly as “pedestrian flows associated with the filling station are expected to be negligible”.
The forecourt, which will be adjacent to a Costco warehouse on the site, will feature 12 dual-sided pumps served by five double-skinned underground tanks.
No convenience store or kiosk will be offered, and only Costco members will be able to use the pumps, which will require a membership card to be scanned before activating. All transactions will be facilitated by pay-at-pump card terminals.
Also planned are 12 EV charging bays served by six double-sided EV chargepoints. Planning documents indicate these will be Ecotap Duo units, advertised by their makers to offer maximum charging speeds of just 22kW.
