A petition has been set up to oppose plans for a new Carlisle petrol station.
EG On the Move wants to erect the four-pump filling station, with electric vehicle hub and drive-thru coffee shop 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.
Residents have erected banners on Botcherby Community Centre and in the surrounding area to raise awareness of the planning application and urging people to object.
They were hoping to set up the petition, which would be online as well as having paper hard copies, but no one could commit the time to do it.
Cumberland councillor Robert Betton (Botcherby, Independent) volunteered to set it up via the change.org website with paper copies available at the local community centre and local businesses.
He said it was an important move because there was strong local opposition and added: “So it goes bigger and everybody can access it, and they’ll also know where the hard copies are.
“I’ve got back from the group of the local residents they say opposition is absolutely massive and it’s growing all the time.”
Dave Israel, who lives next to the site in Warwick Road, is part of the group of residents against the proposal.
He added: “I think that it would go to a wider audience, to those people that don’t already know about it. And I truly believe that the more people that are involved, in what’s going on, would be better.”
He said that he would find setting up the petition himself difficult because he did not own a computer and added: “But I would hope that our local councillor could do that for us as he represents this ward.”
Mr Israel said that it should also have paper copies, as well as an online presence, so people with no internet access could also sign it. He said: “If they got a petition, put in a shop or in their local community centre, they would sign it.”
Helen Fisher, the manager of Botcherby Community Centre, said there had been a steady stream of people coming into the centre asking to sign a petition and added: “It must be in double figures each week.
“So, if a petition was to be raised, it’s something that we would certainly support and help within the community centre and have hard copies here. And I would support any group that was prepared to work on this.”
She said there was strong opposition to the plans and added: “I think it’s important that we continue to raise awareness.”
The petition is available at https://www.change.org/p/help-stop-the-construction-of-a-petrol-station-on-a-flood-plane-area-in-warwick-road
