Plans for fuel depot could turn reserve into ‘drain’

MORE than 60 residents have criticised plans to demolish a car servicing station in Charvil and replace it with a fuel storage facility.

Speedy Fuels re-submitted an application to change the use of the Grove Road Service Station in Old Bath Road to a fuel storage and distribution facility after a prior application was withdrawn in August.

The site was formerly used by car body shop Prince Brothers, which closed in November last year.

Speedy Fuels applied to install eight fuel oil storage tanks on the site, containing between 83,000 and 130,000 litres of fuel.

The original application was withdrawn to make corrections and specify additional work required.

The project involves demolishing two existing buildings and the recladding of one more building for staff.

The site would be operational from 5am to 6pm from Monday to Friday, from 5am to 2pm on Saturdays and from 6am to 4pm on Sundays and bank holidays.

There would be 132 heavy goods vehicles, cars and vans accessing the site on weekdays while 32 would do so on Saturdays and eight on Sundays.

S & L Planning Consultants said the business would employ 28 people, 24 of them full time.

Residents have raised concerns about road safety and fears that fuel could seep into the water system during floods.

Charvil councillor Lee Cripps said: “The area is surrounded by flood areas. Imagine the damage to the Charvil Country Park lakes, River Loddon and River Thames if the fuel entered the ecosystem — 800,000 litres of fuel stored within 10 metres of the lakes?

“What if that 800,000 litres of fuel caught fire? How quickly could fire services reach the site, via what is essentially a residential road network?

“Yes, it’s on the A3032 but this is little more than a village residential road. This simply isn’t a suitable site for fuel storage and distribution.”

Vanessa Caudle, of Farmers End in Charvil, raised concerns about the environmental impact of the development.

She said: “To have a fuel depot storing more than 800,000 litres of hazardous fuel oil on the edge of a residential village and within yards of the Charvil nature reserve and lake is not just inappropriate. It is reckless and too risky of a location for this type of business.

“The proposal to include a surface water and treated sewage outfall pipe running directly into the River Loddon is unacceptable. This is a nature reserve, not an industrial drain.”

Robert Lowings, of Old Bath Road, raised concerns about safety of cyclists and pedestrians. He said: “Old Bath Road is a relatively narrow village road which is constantly used by cyclists and pedestrians.

“It serves as a primary route for school children cycling to and from Charvil Piggott school and also local commuters cycling back and forth to Twyford station.

“It is also used by recreational cyclists as it forms part of the Round Berkshire Cycle Route which means it is under constant use all day by these riders who really need to be protected.”

An agent from S & L Planning Consultants stated that water would be removed from the site through the use of lined cellular storage, which would discharge into the Old River, a tributary of the River Loddon.

The planning agent stated that a transport assessment had demonstrated that the project complies with the council’s travel policies.

A final decision will be made by Wokingham Borough Council.