Skip to content
Search
AI Powered
Latest Stories

EG Group looks set to refurbish Hayling petrol station

Hayling Island could be getting a refurbished petrol station with a larger drive-through shop and electric vehicle (EV) charging points.

EG Group has submitted plans to Havant Borough Council for the redevelopment of the service station on 181 Havant Road.


The site currently has a petrol filling station, a Spar convenience shop and a small standalone unit occupied by Greggs.

The plans, if approved, would provide a kiosk store with an integrated drive-through, 33 parking spaces and eight EV charging points.

Planning documents state the current station ‘is tired in appearance’ and that the applicant ‘has identified a requirement’ to improve the facility.

It reads: ‘The kiosk store is of limited scale and the facility does not offer a more comprehensive food and beverage offer via drive thru provision akin to more contemporary roadside sites.

‘The proposals will ensure a significant betterment including utilisation of existing redundant, brownfield land within the site.

‘The proposed development will combine a high-quality design with sustainable development practices.

‘The EV charges will be ultra-fast in nature so that a beneficial charge can be gained by those using the facility.

‘Each EV charger will have a canopy including PV panels which will reduce draw on the national grid. PV panels will also be located on the roof of the proposed kiosk store.

‘Finally, the proposed development will result in economic benefits in the form of significant job creation in the form of circa 15 additional positions.

‘This represents a net gain in employment provision and comprises a material consideration in the determination of the application.’

More for you

UK retail jobs decline to 2.84M in 2024 ONS report 2025
iStock image

Government urged to support struggling retail as jobs plummet

The number of retail jobs in 2024 slumped to the lowest since the data began in 1996, despite total jobs in the economy continuing to rise, shows the latest report by the ONS,

there were 2.88m jobs in retail in December 2024.This is traditionally the high point of the year, with retailers employing more people during the key Christmas quarter. The four-quarter average was 2.84m jobs, 70,000 fewer than at the same point last year, and 249,000 fewer than five years ago.

Keep ReadingShow less
EUROSPAR 25th anniversary celebration with community charity event 2025

EUROSPAR is celebrating its 25th anniversary with a £25,000 giveaway

EUROSPAR 25th anniversary: community support

As EUROSPAR marks 25 years of serving local communities, the brand is celebrating its long-standing relationships with local charities, community groups, schools and sports teams.

To continue the 25th anniversary celebrations following their £25,000 giveaway, EUROSPAR is also giving away five family passes for the Belfast Giants end of season fixture.

Keep ReadingShow less
New report addressed  gender disparity in wholesale

wholesale industry diversity

iStock image

Wholesale 'severely under-indexing' in female leadership

Wholesale businesses are urged to drive change by creating more female role models as a recent report shows that the number of women at board level in wholesale firms has fallen to its lowest recorded level.

Food and Drink Wholesale UK (FWD) and Women in Wholesale (WiW) on Tuesday (18) unveiled a new research report which was launched at a landmark Parliamentary Reception to mark ten years of the Women in Wholesale movement.

Keep ReadingShow less
Scottish Businesses to Pay £54.7M More in Rates Than English Counterparts

Scottish Retail Consortium Calls for Poundage Rate Lock

Photo by Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images

Scottish firms call for rates parity with England

Firms occupying larger premises in Scotland are set to pay "£54.7 million more" than their equivalent-sized counterparts down south in the coming year, from 1 April,

The figures have prompted the Scottish Retail Consortium to reiterate its call for rates parity with England and for the introduction of a new ‘Poundage Rate Lock’, so that Scots retailers are never again charged more in rates than counterparts down south.

In response to a written parliamentary question from North East Scotland MSP Michael Marra, Scottish Ministers have confirmed that the Higher Property Rate differential between Scotland and England will be 1.3p in the pound, costing Scots ratepayers an extra £54.7 million in 2025-26.

Shops will account for £9.1 million of this surcharge, with hotels £2.5 million, offices £6.4 million, and factories £9.3 million. Pubs, cinemas and caravan parks are also affected.

The Higher Property Rate is liable on commercial properties with a rateable value of £100,000. There are 11,360 such premises. It is a slab tax and so the higher tax rate applies to each pound of a property’s rateable value.

This surcharge was described as “damaging perceptions” of Scotland’s competitiveness by the Barclay Rates Review, which called for parity with England to be restored by Spring 2020, some five years ago.

Despite some welcome decisions in the Scottish Budget including a freeze in the Basic Property Rate, the rates burden remains onerous and at a 26-year high. Meanwhile smaller stores in Scotland are missing out on the temporary rates relief being made available to counterparts in Wales and England.

David Lonsdale, Director of the Scottish Retail Consortium, said, “There is a pressing need to lift private sector investment here in Scotland yet firms liable for the Higher Property Rate continue to pay more than their counterparts in England, to the tune of £54.7 million annually.

"Shops account for £9.1 million of this, making it even more expensive to operate a store on our high streets and retail destinations at a time when retail sales and footfall are at best flatlining.

Keep ReadingShow less