Wyre Forest District Council’s planning committee has granted permission for EG On The Move to knock down a defunct car dealership described as “a redundant eyesore”, and construct a new 24-hour filling station in its place.
The project will see a former former Vauxhall dealership in Kidderminster, Worcs, demolished, and a four-pump-island forecourt with a 5,400sq ft shop offering 4,300sq ft of retail space constructed.
The new-to-sector site will also feature eight EV charging spaces, a jet-wash bay and a dozen parking spaces, while 10 full-time and 10 part-time jobs will be created.
EG On The Move’s proposals met with resistance from local residents, 65 of whom lodged objections to the firm’s proposals, many due to concerns over increased traffic and noise.
Kidderminster Town Council also objected to the plans, which led to the application being heard before Wyre Forest’s planning committee.
During that meeting, councillor Marcus Hart recommended the authority grant permission for the project to go ahead, arguing that he could “see absolutely no reason why [the committee] can object to it” on policy grounds.
Hart added that the shuttered Vauxhall dealer, which closed in 2023 after the business went into administration, amounted to “a redundant brownfield site with an extant use” that “benefits from the lawful use as a commercial car dealership”.
He added that the plot represents “an eyesore at the moment – a redundant eyesore”, and said he believed that if permission were denied and EGOTM subsequently lodged a case with the Planning Inspectorate, arguments made against the forecourt’s construction “are not going to be able to be substantiated on any appeal”.
While some members of the committee raised questions about the site’s proposed 24-hour opening status, councillors unanimously voted to approve the plans.
