Former petrol station near Bridgnorth will become a home

The three-bedroomed property will be built on the site of the former Quatford Filling Station, which has been shut since October 2008.

Green Planning Solutions will now build a three-storey house in place of the station off the A442 after the plans were approved by Shropshire Council.

Bridgnorth Town Council had raised concerns about the plans because the size of the house, which will also be built in the green belt, and its effect on nearby properties.

The closure of the petrol station along with Rutters Garage in Salop Street and a filling station at Quatt left Bridgnorth with only one petrol station, the Esso Garage, in Low Town.

Planning officer Stuart Thomas said: "It is understood the filling station was last occupied by a tenant but the use ceased due to economic difficulties. It is the applicant's case there is no foreseeable prospect of the petrol filling station reopening and little prospect of securing long term commercially viable future for the site and its buildings as a business operation.

"The agent advises further that while the filling station has not been fully decommissioned it could not be brought back into use. The single-skinned steel tanks are some 50 years old and, along with the pipework, would need to be fully re-tested and re-commissioned before fuel could be delivered.

Mr Thomas said if planning permission was refused the site and condition of buildings were likely to gradually deteriorate.

He also said redevelopment would not be inappropriate in the Green Belt as the prospects of the site reopening as a filling station were very remote, although the plans were against local housing policy.

He said: "The vacant site is already falling into disrepair and the restoration costs associated with use for another purpose would require a high-end value use which would be provided by residential redevelopment."

Two letters of objection were received because the loss of the petrol station and the loss of the attached shop.