'Poorly designed’ Wolverhampton petrol station plans thrown out again over noise fears

The move to build the petrol station, car wash and shop on the site of the old Newbridge Service Station off Tettenhall Road, Wolverhampton, was rejected by Wolverhampton Council last year over fears it would be too noisy for neighbours.

The applicant Nottingham-based Bushbury Ltd then appealed to the government’s planning inspector, which has the power to overrule the council, in a bid to get the decision overturned but was rejected again.

“I find that the proposed development would have a harmful effect on the living conditions of occupiers of neighbouring properties in regard to noise,” the inspector said in a report outlining the latest refusal.

The planning inspector said that noise assessments included with the application predicted a “small increase” in noise – with Tettenhall Road being a busy route in and out of Wolverhampton – but had not measured noise levels from a nearby home. The house, which sits on the border of the proposed petrol station site, would have had to face noise from the petrol station’s jet wash, car wash, tank vents and tyre air pumps according to the inspector.

The plan was criticised by Wolverhampton planners for being “poorly designed” with the council saying it needed more landscaping instead of hardstanding. The council’s planners also said the “utilitarian” forecourt would be to the “detriment of the surrounding area".

The shop would have had 6am to 11pm opening hours with the car wash operating until 9pm every day.

The land, next to the Newbridge pub, was used for a petrol station until 2005 when it was demolished but has remained empty since.

An application to build another petrol station was refused in 2006 and was left empty and overgrown until 2015 when the Co-op revealed plans to open a new supermarket. The plans were backed by the council but the work was never carried out and the land was sold again.

A statement included with the application said the new petrol station would have created more than 20 jobs.

“The site lies within a local centre and on a heavily trafficked route,” the statement said. “The proposed commercial and retail roadside use is entirely appropriate within this context.”