Fears for rural filling stations

Filling stations in rural parts of Shropshire need Government help to safeguard their future, experts warned today as new figures showed that UK garages were closing at the rate of one every day.

The closures across the industry are laid bare in statistics showing that in 1967 there were nearly 40,000 petrol stations in the UK. By last year this had fallen to 9,382.

Edmund King, director of the RAC Foundation, said policy-makers could look at a similar system already in use in Scotland to help stop further petrol station closures.

"The biggest impact is in the more rural areas," he said. "You're getting more of the filling stations on the edge of urban areas, around supermarkets, but fewer in rural areas and small towns. You have to plan ahead and drive further to your nearest filling station.

"In Scotland they did give some of the small garages rate relief because they recognised they were more than just a commercial enterprise.

"There may be a case for looking at that again in other parts of Britain where you've still got some rural garages."

Ian Tristham took over an independent petrol station in Quatt, near Bridgnorth, 16 months ago and has had to diversify dramatically to stay afloat.

"Small filling stations like mine just cannot rely on fuel sales if they want to keep their head above water," he said.

"There is no way I can compete on price with the supermarkets, because I can't buy fuel in big volumes. Instead I have to concentrate on other ventures like the farm shop.

"We should have more support because we are also helping the local economy with services and employment."

Brynle Williams, one of the farmers who led the September 2000 fuel protests and is now Conservative AM for North Wales, said many rural businesses received rate relief, but some small garages were ineligible.

"One garage owner I know said both the pubs across the road from his garage had up to 60 per cent rate relief after foot and mouth. He said: 'I can't get any at all'.

"In a lot of places where the school and post office have closed, they've only got a garage.

"If the Chancellor isn't prepared to look at the tax element on fuel, he should be trying to keep these garages open."

The Energy Institute's survey also shows that 40 years ago there were 319 registered vehicles to each filling station in Britain.

By 2006 that had increased tenfold to 3,529 vehicles per forecourt.

By Farming Editor Nathan Rous