Tankerford’s plans to build a new filling station in Norfolk have been met with a series of objections from locals over concerns the development would increase traffic and noise-pollution levels.
The Top 50 Indie is seeking to build a brand-new forecourt on Drayton Road, Norwich. The site would feature three 10-hose pump islands served by two 70,0000 tanks, four jet-wash bays, two EV charging units, a 2,850sq ft shop, plus a forecourt canopy complete with solar panels.
Parking for cars, bicycles, motorcycles and drivers with disabilities would also feature, as would InPost and Amazon lockers and an on-site laundrette.
The location previously traded as a used-car dealership, but before this a petrol station occupied the land.
Despite this, four local residents have lodged detailed objections to the latest proposals, with one raising a “complete opposition and objection to this development”. Neighbours have voiced concerns over “vehicle engines, car doors slamming, and fuel deliveries at unsociable hours”, as well as a predicted “significant increase in the level of traffic”. A nearby river, meanwhile, led one neighbour to ask if the developer “can guarantee that any spillage of surface water contaminated with oil/petrol/diesel/jet wash detergent” won’t enter the watercourse.
Responses from officials have been more mixed. The Environment Agency has objected to the plans as it considers “the level of risk posed by this proposal to be unacceptable” with regard to “groundwater and contaminated land”. The EA also states it would “favour above ground tanks with very robust pollution prevention measures instead of underground storage tanks”.
The body details its objections can be overcome should Tankerford take a number of steps, including conducting a “comprehensive and balanced options appraisal that compares above ground storage with below ground storage”. The EA also recommends Tankerford conducts a “detailed assessment of groundwater levels”, and drills boreholes to check for potential contamination from the decommissioned underground that served the earlier filling station.
Norfolk County Council’s highways authority, meanwhile, concedes that “it would be difficult to substantiate an objection given that this was a former petrol filling station and that the site was recently used for car sales and would have generated traffic movements of a similar quantum.”
Norfolk Police, meanwhile, submitted a generally positive appraisal of the proposed designs, while Norwich’s environmental protection officer made a number of recommendations, including limiting the hours of the jet-wash bays to 8am-7pm Monday to Saturday, and 10am-4pm on Sundays and Bank Holidays.
