Planning application seeks redevelopment of popular Newry filling station and store
Plans have been submitted to demolish an existing forecourt and store on the Belfast Road in Newry to create a brand-new facility at the site.
The plans were submitted to Newry, Mourne and Down District Council in the name of Niall Clarke Oils and relate to the current SPAR store and Circle K filling station, which operates on a 24-hour basis.
The application seeks permission for the redevelopment of the well-known and busy existing petrol filling station to include the demolition of the existing PFS and other site buildings, including the shop, and the erection of a new PFS with associated retail shop, fuel court and canopy and service yard.
In the proposed development, the forecourt would comprise of eight no. fuel pumps, with one HGV pump as existing located parallel to the road to improve manoeuvring.
The shop would be 745.6 sqm (just over 8000 sq ft) comprising a retail unit, hot food area and butchery prep with ancillary stores, offices and staff rooms, WCs and plant rooms. The retail aspect would have a total internal floorspace of 456.6 sqm, the hot food element would be 78.4 sqm and the butchery prep 52.5 sqm.
Overall, there is to be an increase in total floorspace of 106.7sqm (16.5%), with much of the increase comprising sales, circulation space, hot food, ancillary space, and a butchery prep area.
The main purpose of the store would be for fuel and ‘grab-and-go’ goods for travellers on the main network.
A total of 61 parking spaces are proposed in the application, including provision for disabled parking and electric vehicle parking, doubling the current 29 on the site.
The application seeks approval for the demolition of buildings, save for two existing blue cladding units which are to be retained.
Supporting documents in the application state the proposed redevelopment would “not result in any unacceptable impacts on the local character, environmental quality or residential amenity of the wider area and has been appropriated designed by way of a sympathetic bulk, scale and mass and materials”.
