Proposed forecourt near Liverpool raises strong objections

Plans for a petrol station with convenience store on the site of the former Boundary Pub in Roby look set to be refused by Knowsley Council.

The plans for the station, which would sit on the boundary between Knowsley and Liverpool local authorities at Pilch Lane in Roby, have attracted over 100 objections.

The applicant, Rutherford Holdings Limited & NHS Property Services wants to put a petrol station and convenience store at the site of the former pub, which was demolished in 2011, which would open between the hours of 7am and 10pm.

Concerns raised by local residents include how close the petrol station would be to a nearby primary school and church.

Many of the objections raised relate to traffic issues, with one person saying the plans would cause “mayhem” in an area that has already seen high profile accidents in recent years, include a major three car crash and a school patrol officer being knocked down by a car.

One objector said: “Children would be afraid to walk past the petrol station on their route to school.”

Others spoke of already “poor visibility” and traffic issues in the area, which is a main route for many of the 800 children attending nearby St Margaret Mary’s infant and junior school as well as for the congregation of St Margaret Mary’s Church.

Objections also included the proximity of several other petrol stations nearby and the fact that the plans would be “disruptive to home life” in what is primarily a residential area.

Knowsley Council’s environmental health team have objected to the plans on the grounds that “the development would lead to adverse impacts affecting the amenity of neighbouring residents due to noise and disturbance, which could not be adequately mitigated.”

Highways and Planning also objected that insufficient information had been provided about the impact of the plans on traffic and roads in the vicinity.

Because the site is on the boundary of Knowsley and Liverpool a separate application has also been lodge with Liverpool Council which has gone through consultation and is due for a decision next month.

In a planning report submitted ahead of a meeting of Knowsley Council’s planning committee next week, officers recommended rejecting the application on several grounds, including its location in a residential area, concerns around noise and pollution impacts and that the plans included “alien features” that “would have a harmful effect on local character.”

Members of Knowsley’s planning committee will now meet at Huyton municipal buildings on Thursday March 10 to decide whether to approve or reject the plans.