Wolverhampton Council turns down latest bid to make use of land left derelict for almost two decades
Plans to redevelop the run-down site of a former Wolverhampton petrol station that was demolished in 2010 have been rejected.
The area of land on the corner of Tettenhall Road and New Road was previously occupied by Newbridge Services and has remained unused for almost 20 years.
The filling station closed in 2005 before finally being bulldozed, and the brownfield site – which neighbours the Newbridge pub – has now fallen into a state of disrepair and is largely overgrown.
Nottingham-based fuel retail firm Bushbury Properties Ltd, a privately owned company, acquired the land and applied for permission to build a new petrol station, jet car wash and shop. However, council planners this week refused the proposals on the grounds of noise disturbance and poor design.
In a statement outlining the decision, Head of Planning Stephen Alexander said: “The proposed development would be detrimental to the occupiers of the adjoining residential property due to noise disturbance. It is also a poor design as it lacks sufficient landscaping and is dominated by hardstanding, which is not in keeping with the character of the area.”
Tim Farley of Copesticks Planning Consultancy, the agents acting for Bushbury Properties, said the development would have created around 20 new jobs.
A previous application to redevelop the site as a filling station was made in 2006 but this was refused on the grounds of visual appearance. Then in 2015, a further application was submitted by the Cooperative for a new retail store which was approved. However, the project did not move forward and the land was later sold.
