Tag Archives: Petrol station

Seacourt Retail Development decision due

The Seacourt Retail project is due to be decided upon, now that all the Thames water obstacles (danger of flooding) have been overcome.

Many residents provided written feedback, and all letters are available to read on the Vale’s Planning website: http://bit.ly/q4iHb0 (scroll down a few screens and you’ll see all the documents associated with this plan). Many people objected to the removal of the only petrol station serving this area. There were other objections to do with environmental impact, pedestrian access and more traffic for our already clogged streets.

But none of these objections are anything that will cause a decision against the application, as the Vale officers have said a  decision based on these issues would not hold up in appeal.

If you have comments, please leave them here. Or contact the planning officer at the Vale (you can find out who to talk to via the web link above)

Planning is very much run by planning policy, and the deciding criteria is usually whether an appeal about a decision would be upheld. (Appeals are very expensive for the Vale.) Personally, I think planning policy that doesn’t consider the last local petrol station serving thousands of residents of a growing and expanding village as an amenity, needs to be examined. The additional objections about the cost in money and polution (requiring motorists to make a 10 mile journey to fill up), also points to the need to address the policy.

It’s too late now for a policy change to save our petrol station, but maybe it can save the next vital service that developers want to demolish.