More people have raised concerns over a proposed petrol filling station and drive-thru coffee shop in Carlisle.
They fear that it will increase the risk of flooding and make existing traffic congestion in Warwick Road worse.
EG On the Move wants to erect the four-pump filling station, with electric vehicle hub, on land off Warwick Road.
It has applied to Cumberland Council for permission for the development on land next to the existing Lidl store and Shiny car wash.
The site would include 30 parking spaces and the convenience store would be 485sq m and the coffee shop 171sq m.
Vehicles would access the site from its southern boundary, directly off Warwick Road.
Banners to raise awareness of the planning application, which has been lodged with Cumberland Council for a site next to the existing Lidl store and Shiny car wash, have been placed on Botcherby Community Centre in Warwick Road and the surrounding area.
The proposed development is intended to serve passing motorists along Warwick Road, rather than drawing trade from Carlisle city centre.
Dave and Babs Israel live just a few doors away from the site and Dave said local residents were opposed to the proposal.
They have been flooded twice in the past and Dave said his concerns included highways issues, flood risk as well as the impact on biodiversity.
He added: “It’s a soakway and the drains around here have blown off twice during heavy rains and flooded this road and stopped people from getting in and out of town.”
He also questioned the need for another petrol station and coffee shop in the area when there were other facilities nearby and added: “We should be taking people into town to go shopping rather than keeping them on the outside and keeping more traffic on this road.”
Babs said she was also concerned about traffic and said: “Since they built the lights, it’s like a it’s like a mad dash to beat the red light at the bottom so people are speeding the minute they come over the Petteril Bridge.”
Lee Anderving who also lives in Warwick Road, said he was also concerned over road safety issues and he feared someone could be seriously hurt or even killed. He added: “That junction there is going to be a nightmare.”
He said it was inevitable there would be accidents. He said: “The same thing will inevitably happen on the junction for the new development. And that is my only main concern.”
Clive Beck said he has lived in the area ‘on and off for over 70 years’ and there were three key issues: traffic, flood risk and whether or not there was a need for such a development.
He added: “It’s a petrol station. There’s going to be a fuel tanker making a delivery at least once if not more per day. That will mean at extra hazard, because that will be an articulated truck turning right or left, but particularly turning right, and they require a wider road than it currently is.”
He said that putting petrol tank storage tanks in that ground would raise the groundwater level. He said: “It will undoubtedly affect the ground level of water in this area. And the third point is we don’t actually need a petrol station or a café here.”
Neil Cunningham, of Victoria Road, said it was the wrong location and added: “Of all the places not to put something, that’s it, that’s the one place you should not put it.”
Botcherby Community Centre manager Helen Fisher said: “I think the response has been overwhelming and the fact that people, so many people, are against and opposing the planning application.
“They’ve got so many concerns about the fact that somebody’s wanting to build on a floodplain, which is ridiculous. The services that they’re offering, they’re already here in the vicinity and it’s just not needed.”
Councillor Robert Betton (Botcherby, independent), who has been helping concerned residents since the plans were first lodged with Cumberland Council, said he was concerned about the volume of traffic and there were not enough pedestrian crossings.
He said he was also concerned are about the biodiversity in the field area. He added: “It is a soakaway and it’s a habitat for nature because they found out there’s newts now there.”
Cllr Betton said he wanted to represent residents views and added: “I am their voice and I am an elected member. They are instructing me.
“Everybody is telling me ‘Rob, help’, so I’m helping the best way that I can. I was voted in not to be a yes person. It’s a role to challenge.”
The Local Democracy Reporting Service has previously contacted the applicant’s agent but there was no response.
