'People over profit' - Wolverhampton petrol station reopens as managing director vows to keep prices low and community spirit high
The managing director at a newly-opened Wolverhampton petrol station has revealed the chance to give back to the local community was the driving force behind completing the £1 million revamp.
The former Linthouse Service Station on Linthouse Lane in Wednesfield, Wolverhampton, reopened as a petrol garage and Morrisons Daily convenience store on Friday, April 10, 15 years after it was last operational.
The work included demolishing the garage’s canopy roof and removing an underground tank to make space for a new canopy roof, lighting and two larger underground petrol tanks.
A new shopfront, a new cash machine and electric vehicle (EV) charging point have been built, while plans are afoot for a new takeaway food spot to open next door in a single-storey extension. Six new jobs have already been created by the opening of the petrol garage and shop, with more expected to follow when the plans are accepted.
“So much effort and work has gone into this job, and the quality is clear to see,” managing director Danny Ahmed said. “We made a good deal with the previous owner on the grounds that the site reopened as a petrol station, because his dad built the site in the 1960s.
“A lot of other companies walked past this site but we’ve come along and brought it back to life, and now Morrisons, Murco and Wolverhampton Council have supported us and the local area.
“Houses in the area have gone up in price since the work started, and we want to give back to the local community.”
The grand opening saw the Wolverhampton spot boast the cheapest petrol and diesel prices in the West Midlands, with unleaded petrol priced at 149.9p per litre and diesel at 185.9p per litre.
There was also free food on offer to those in attendance, with a variety of curry and rice dishes provided by those involved in the launch. Morrisons also provided gift bags to workers and families alike.
“We’re not looking to make the margin that other places are making,” Mr Ahmed said. “This is a lovely community and they’ve really taken us in. Everybody wanted a petrol station back on this site and we have ambitions to be open for 24 hours a day, which we aren’t currently.
“We want parents who might have a little one that isn’t feeling well to be able to come and get Calpol here in the middle of the night, we want everyone in the area to feel like they can come here for whatever they need at whatever time they need it.
“We’ve got amazing lighting that can be dimmed, we don’t get deliveries before 7am or after 10pm, and we’ve had these discussions with the local people, and we’ve got a lot of support from them.
“There have been people from all sorts of backgrounds come out to support this reopening and that’s what we’re all about in the West Midlands isn’t it?”
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