EG Group seeks to build new forecourt store in Bournemouth

A new petrol station with linked shop is being proposed for a prominent Bournemouth garage close to the East Cliff conservation area.

It comes after a previous application for an extension to the forecourt at the Esso site on the corner of Bath Road was refused permission and then dismissed at a later appeal.

The applicant, EG Group, claims the current proposal has taken previous concerns into account with a new building and a new design for the site which is immediately adjacent to the East Cliff Conservation Area off St Peter’s roundabout.

The planning application outlines the demolition of the existing petrol station and linked kiosk to be replaced with a new building with an increase in parking spaces on the site from two to five in addition to the creation of a new disability parking bay.

Documents with the planning consent request to BCP council say the replacement building will have a 17 square metre increase in shop space from the existing 183 square metres, to 200. Four pump consoles are shown in the layout plan for the site, capable of taking six cars at a time.

There will be no change in the number of staff, two full time and two part time, with the opening times remaining the same, 24-7.

There has been a petrol station on the corner plot since the late 1950s or early 1960s with the site being rebuilt or redeveloped at least twice since then, most recently in 2013. St Peter’s roundabout, which the petrol station faces, was built in the 1960s.

A heritage report concludes that the current garage “does not make any positive contribution to the character and appearance of the adjacent conservation area.” It argues that the site it is not part of the conservation area and should not be treated as if it were.

The application form claims that a new garage would not adversely impact the character or appearance of the area and should be allowed.