Asda Submit Plans for Petrol Station

[Colin James]

Asda have Submitted a planning application for petrol station, should planning be approved it would be the County's first credit card only filling station with no shop or paying counter.

 

So will they open the small road coming from the store as part of the conditions? also they should be asked to contribute towards helping the on going traffic problems, like paying to have the lights turned off!

[Glenda Powell]

Asda have Submitted a planning application for petrol station, should planning be approved it would be the County's first credit card only filling station with no shop or paying counter.

 

 

 

So will they open the small road coming from the store as part of the conditions? also they should be asked to contribute towards helping the on going traffic problems, like paying to have the lights turned off!

 

I have to agree with the two Cllrs for Hinton & St.Martins ward who wrote in the HT this week against Asda filling station. In 2003 when the Asda application came before the Central Planning Committee the area they want to put the filling station on was for housing,the traffic lights installation was a part of the planning application at that time therefore it is doubtful that a condition in the present application will be to remove or perminantly turn the lights off! The traffic congestion at this point as everyone agrees is unacceptable to the people coming from the South of the city. A filling station at Asda will only make the matter worse!

[megilleland]

Plans can be seen here

[Frank Smith]

I have to agree with the two Cllrs for Hinton & St.Martins ward who wrote in the HT this week against Asda filling station. In 2003 when the Asda application came before the Central Planning Committee the area they want to put the filling station on was for housing,the traffic lights installation was a part of the planning application at that time therefore it is doubtful that a condition in the present application will be to remove or perminantly turn the lights off! The traffic congestion at this point as everyone agrees is unacceptable to the people coming from the South of the city. A filling station at Asda will only make the matter worse!

Personally I do not think it will make it any worse as you have to leave via this exit more or less now. I think if this is used as a slip road out (give way - left turn only)rather than the current traffic lights exit it will hardly have any effect. But something needs to be done about those main lights! when they are not working the traffic flows! This is well known, so why are they not looking at this?

[Bill Thomas]

 

 

I have to agree with the two Cllrs for Hinton & St.Martins ward who wrote in the HT this week against Asda filling station. In 2003 when the Asda application came before the Central Planning Committee the area they want to put the filling station on was for housing,the traffic lights installation was a part of the planning application at that time therefore it is doubtful that a condition in the present application will be to remove or perminantly turn the lights off! The traffic congestion at this point as everyone agrees is unacceptable to the people coming from the South of the city. A filling station at Asda will only make the matter worse!

Unbelievable answers from you and the other two Councillors...so what you are actually saying is because this council is so incompetent and has failed for years and years to sort out the traffic issue that their planning application should be turned down then? because it will make it worse? how pathetic is that for an excuse, the council should be addressing this traffic issue! instead of preventing progress for companies in an already difficult economic climate. 

[megilleland]

I think that the problem will not be exiting using the road from the store, but trying to get into it - especially if you are coming over the bridge towards the roundabout. Traffic in the right hand lane trying to access ASDA are held up by lights which only let about 3 cars across the main road and make traffic going down Belmont Road back up.

[Glenda Powell]

 

 

Unbelievable answers from you and the other two Councillors...so what you are actually saying is because this council is so incompetent and has failed for years and years to sort out the traffic issue that their planning application should be turned down then? because it will make it worse? how pathetic is that for an excuse, the council should be addressing this traffic issue! instead of preventing progress for companies in an already difficult economic climate.  

My answer is the two councillor and myself ARE NOT PART OF THE CONSERVATIVE ADMINISTRATION so please don't class All councillor the same. I agree the administration should be sorting out the traffic problem, but don't be mistaken Asda who belong to the American Walmart company they are not in difficulty, they are in competition with the other supermarket chain in Belmont. Why not look at all the other objections to this application through the link on this website they are making very good points, including the elderly people living with the continual noise on their doorstep.

[Bill Thomas]

My answer is the two councillor and myself ARE NOT PART OF THE CONSERVATIVE ADMINISTRATION so please don't class All councillor the same. I agree the administration should be sorting out the traffic problem, but don't be mistaken Asda who belong to the American Walmart company they are not in difficulty, they are in competition with the other supermarket chain in Belmont. Why not look at all the other objections to this application through the link on this website they are making very good points, including the elderly people living with the continual noise on their doorstep.

Hang on a minute, so who passed the original planning for this store then? so none of you had any input whatsoever? Regardless of that, you are missing the point. It does not matter that Walmart own Asda and they are not in difficulty, progress is being halted based upon the levels of traffic, which in this case, I believe is more the Councils failings past and present in dealing with this traffic problem.

Noise? what noise? This superstore had it's planning passed, so no good moaning about it now, putting a few petrol pumps in is hardly going to make any difference.

[Colin James]

My answer is the two councillor and myself ARE NOT PART OF THE CONSERVATIVE ADMINISTRATION so please don't class All councillor the same. I agree the administration should be sorting out the traffic problem, but don't be mistaken Asda who belong to the American Walmart company they are not in difficulty, they are in competition with the other supermarket chain in Belmont. Why not look at all the other objections to this application through the link on this website they are making very good points, including the elderly people living with the continual noise on their doorstep.

 

I agree with Bill on this one, the traffic problems in this city are the councils failings and should NOT have bearing on planning applications or certainly not be the deciding factor.

 

I have read thru the couple of objections, these are brilliant

 

 

"They park here to miss queuing at lights and roundabout that's always busy"? again, traffic problems being raised! nothing to do with the store itself, this is the terrible traffic lights that CLEARLY DO NOT WORK! I love the part about high town shop workers parking because they do not have to pay...again, this is about the councils pathetic car parking facilities (or lack of) and parking prices, nothing to do with objecting to this particular application

 

 

(Traffic issue number 2) I fail to see how this will add to the traffic congestion as you would be exiting the site.

 

I like this comment "the junction already looks unattractive to those arriving in the city from the south and a petrol station on the junction will make it even worse"

 

This complainant should read this topic View coming into Hereford if they are concerned on how the city appears to visitors from the south.

 

 

And this is the best one! "though the junction works smoothly" What planet are they on? then they go on to say within the same sentence "the already heavy congestion here will certainly be made worse by the additional traffic by the planned filling station" so is is working smoothly or is it congested? I think the answer is already there, again, traffic issue (number 3)

 

Competition is healthy and having another filing station will help to drive down prices at the pumps locally.

 

Have a read of this recent article;

 

David Malone questions price of petrol in Hereford

 

12:00pm Saturday 3rd December 2011

 

I HAVE recently been to Surrey where fuel is at the same price as Hereford, and also to Nottingham where fuel was a full 6p per litre cheaper than in Hereford.

 

We are not on stockbroker belt wages in Hereford so why are petrol prices comparable to the south east?

 

There seems to be little or no competition when it comes to prices, so perhaps an Asda or Morrisons fuel station, or preferably both, is needed.

 

This is one of the most unfair features of living in this county.

 

DAVID MALONE,

 

Barroll Street, Hereford.

 

Comments...

 

david000 says...

12:57pm Thu 8 Dec 11

Totally agree the majority live out in the country and cost a fare wack just to drive into the town to get to work, people are thinking twice about going out and all this does is have a knock on effect, if people don't get in there cars and go places they will not be spending money in shops, bring the fuel down will get people out and about!!!!

 

This is an interesting read from December 2003;

 

What should happen next over the Asda proposals?

 

Although I broadly welcome Asda as an attempt to build a store in the city, in my experience such a proposal will require extensive road improvements beyond that suggested or offered. The road improvements must go beyond the Belmont roundabout problem. Thought may have to be given to a wider road improvement programme measured in terms of miles instead of feet. I fear this will be too expensive for the developers and the burden will fall on the hard pressed council tax payers of the city for years to come. Perhaps the investment in a new road bridge at the former Hunderton railbridge still appears the best option so far.

 

Richard Watts,

 

Hampton Park Road,

 

Hereford

 

and

 

Residents of Belmont, Hunderton and Newton Farm who regularly travel by road into Hereford to work, will doubtless be thrilled to learn that I witnessed Herefordshire Council almost unanimously voting on Monday, December 1, for a further 300 cars per hour to join the already congested mayhem which constitutes Belmont Road and Belmont Roundabout every working day. The overwhelming majority of our Councillors with the notable exception of Councillors Matthews and Guthrie, voted against the recommendations of their professional officers, other professional bodies and government guidelines concerning retail trading in approving the Asda application. The two above-mentioned Councillors expressed concern about the effect on small local businesses.

 

HAROLD G MORGAN,

 

Westfaling Street, Hereford

 

Bottom line is this application should not be refused because of this council's lack in dealing with this city's traffic issues, that would be unfair. The council need to sort out this traffic problem properly, it has been going on for years! they need to turn this junction back into a proper roundabout and get rid of the pathetic traffic light system that obviously is a hindrance rather than an aid.

 

Asda's application I do not feel would make any difference to the traffic, and their application should be based on if there was not a traffic problem...because if the council's planning departments had got it right in the beginning Asda would not have the objections that they are getting now.

[H.Wilson]

I think Colin James has written a very good response above and has considered all. I would have no objections to another filling station and I agree it would keep prices down locally, which is a very valid point

I have also done some digging around on the Hereford Times website and found this article

 

Councillor Ursula Attfield said: "In 50 years I cannot recall anyone coming forward to develop the area."

"To refuse this would leave us with the traffic problem, flood concerns and an empty unused derelict site on our doorstep."

Councillor Stuart Thomas picked up on the traffic issue and explained how the superstore would help solve congestion.

"We have used up the benefits of the new bridge and we all know the problems people in the south of the city face when crossing the river," he said.

"The proposed changes, which will be funded by the applicants, will allow 40% to 50% more traffic to move through the roundabout."

Councillor Bob Preece, who has lived in the area all his life, said: "I have never known the place to flood, it may have been a bit boggy at times, but it has never been serious."

I find is amusing that Councillor Bob Preece actually opened the store as the Mayor in 2006 and he is one of the Councillors now objecting.

Having a small unmanned filling station will not make hardly any difference, the GP Walk in Centre has had no impact on the traffic so why should a small filling station be any different?

[Victor Wright]

 

 

I find is amusing that Councillor Bob Preece actually opened the store as the Mayor in 2006 and he is one of the Councillors now objecting.

Having a small unmanned filling station will not make hardly any difference, the GP Walk in Centre has had no impact on the traffic so why should a small filling station be any different?

Having read through some of the objections, I see no reason or grounds why this application should be refused, having a filling station (credit card only)will not make the slightest bit of difference to this City's traffic problems.

We have had them for many years because of bad planning originally and the lack of another bridge crossing and or bypass.

 

[Roger Edwards]

I have to agree with the two Cllrs for Hinton & St.Martins ward who wrote in the HT this week against Asda filling station. In 2003 when the Asda application came before the Central Planning Committee the area they want to put the filling station on was for housing,the traffic lights installation was a part of the planning application at that time therefore it is doubtful that a condition in the present application will be to remove or perminantly turn the lights off! The traffic congestion at this point as everyone agrees is unacceptable to the people coming from the South of the city. A filling station at Asda will only make the matter worse!

 

The question is ASDA will appeal the council have no money to fight it so it will be granted. The same happened at Sainsburys.

[K.Butt]

 

Bottom line is this application should not be refused because of this council's lack in dealing with this city's traffic issues, that would be unfair. The council need to sort out this traffic problem properly, it has been going on for years! they need to turn this junction back into a proper roundabout and get rid of the pathetic traffic light system that obviously is a hindrance rather than an aid.

 

Asda's application I do not feel would make any difference to the traffic, and their application should be based on if there was not a traffic problem...because if the council's planning departments had got it right in the beginning Asda would not have the objections that they are getting now.

 

I could not agree more. The issue is the traffic and the councils failure to deal with it, this should have nothing to do with Asda's planning application.

[Bill Thomas]

I could not agree more. The issue is the traffic and the councils failure to deal with it, this should have nothing to do with Asda's planning application.

 

100% spot on!

[Quarryjam]

We are desperately in need of this filling station and anybody (councillors in particular) who argue against it are hell bent on hampering Hereford businesses. We are paying extremely high fuel prices and both Sainsburys and Tesco should be ashamed of themselves for operating what is effectively a cartel, on Wednesday night this week diesel was 2p a litre cheaper at a BP filling station on Park Lane in London than it was at Sainsburys in Hereford.

Walmart may well be American owned but what has that got do with this major employer selling fuel in Hereford?

Suggestions that adding a service station at Belmont will in some way slow traffic in Hereford are speculative and without foundation, a vehicle on the forecourt at Asda will be one less vehicle causing congestion at one of the other filling stations.

We all know that Asda will bring the price of fuel down at every filling station in Hereford, we NEED Asda to open a filling station and the sooner the better.

[Frank Smith]

Congratulations Colin on your superb letter in this week's Hereford Times, what you wrote was spot on.

 

You should become a Councillor we could do with the younger blood!

[Chris Adcocks]

Agree fully , a new petrol filling station will make very little difference to the traffic problem and would help competition on petrol prices in Hereford.The best way of sorting the traffic problem in the city is simple, return to straight forward roundabouts on Belmont Island and Tesco roundabout in town.Get rid of the lights, we have all seen how clear the city's roads are when they are out of service at either of these two islands.

[Mick]

Petrol and diesel is now cheaper in the Shell garage Whitecross Road and yes another garage would help bring down local prices and it would make no difference to the current traffic problem in my opinion. Ironic as it was Councillor Bob Preece who officially opened Asda when he was the Mayor 

[M. Preece]

I agree with all the above comments including Colin James's letter in the Hereford Times very well written and it covered the traffic issues as well as the fuel prices.

[megilleland]

We all know that Asda will bring the price of fuel down at every filling station in Hereford, we NEED Asda to open a filling station and the sooner the better.

 

From the ASDA Transportation Statement

 

Consideration of a Petrol Filling Station (PFS)

 

ASDA has stated that the business rationale for including a PFS at the Hereford store is to provide a more complete offer to existing customers, rather than to increase revenue. The profit margins on fuel are not sufficient to justify the introduction of a scheme that undermines the core business activity associated with the food store.

 

Notably, ASDA would not promote a PFS if it was likely to compromise the operational effectiveness of the store car park, access road and access junction.

 

Given the low margins on offering fuel, ASDA is not in a position to significantly undercut other local providers in order to win custom. In any event, were ASDA to offer fuel at a price that was markedly less expensive than that offered elsewhere locally it is likely that the cost of fuel available from competitors would drop to match ASDA's prices. This then has the effect of lowering the cost of petrol available in the local area in a blanket manner. That being the case, the assumption that ASDA would serve as a significant draw because of lower prices would be incorrect.

 

In other words ASDA will only sell fuel at the same price as its competitors - the price will rise and fall in line with its competitors, but will not be cheaper. No benefit to motorists who will still pay the going rate at the time.

 

ASDA has recent experience of delivering similar projects at more than 70 sites in the UK. The following provides an explanation of various issues given by ASDA's Petrol Trading department in response to queries raised in relation to other sites:

 

Concern over pricing policy relative to local competitors attracting higher volumes

ASDA does not propose to adopt an aggressively competitive pricing strategy. It will not trade below cost or offer prices that were more favourable than prices in the local catchment. In the event that a price differential emerges, local competitors would be expected to respond by price matching. The overall effect would be to drive down fuel prices in the catchment.

 

And put the independent PFS out of business?

 

Concern in relation to "Supermarket offers"

ASDA does not operate a loyalty card system and is not in a position to offer discounted fuel as a reward to food store customers whose spend might quality them for such offers available at other food store operators.

 

But this does preclude them with coming up with a marketing scheme to get customers through their doors.

 

Scepticism over assumptions and forecasts made during the Transport Assessment process

ASDA is committed to a forecourt management strategy which ensures a trained member of staff will attend the PFS for 60hr each week to monitor its operation. This is standard practice at comparable ASDA facilities throughout the UK. In the event that the PFS performed in excess of expectations presenting traffic problems during peak times, ASDA reserves the right to introduce closures at certain times of day.

 

Can you imagine them doing this!

 

 

So will they open the small road coming from the store as part of the conditions?

 

Not according to the submitted plans. All vehicles and fuel deliveries will be using the existing access and entering the PFS off the first roudabout.

[Mick]

 

Can you imagine them doing this!

 

 

So will they open the small road coming from the store as part of the conditions?

 

Not according to the submitted plans. All vehicles and fuel deliveries will be using the existing access and entering the PFS off the first roudabout.

 

So are you opposing this application ?

[P. Rowe]

Having another garage in the city can ONLY benefit the motorist and help drive fuel prices down or at the very least stop the current cartel! Competition just has to be good, regardless of the above post that megilleland has added.

[megilleland]

So are you opposing this application ?

 

No, I cycle everywhere. I am just intrigued of the reasoning of ASDA. I agree another petrol station is always convenient for the motorist considering that over the last sixteen years the number of filling stations in the UK has reduced dramatically from over 18,000 in 1992 to 8,787 at the end of 2010.

[Alex]

 

 

Congratulations Colin on your superb letter in this week's Hereford Times, what you wrote was spot on.

You should become a Councillor we could do with the younger blood!

You took the words right out of my mouth Frank 

[P. Rowe]

As Colin has said on a number of occasions, these traffic lights should be turned off and this should be turned back into a roundabout.

[Victor Wright]

As Colin has said on a number of occasions, these traffic lights should be turned off and this should be turned back into a roundabout.

This is exactly what Colin James is asking for and I agree, traffic is chaos in Hereford

[megilleland]

This is part of the road network that the government want to privatise! I imagine if it goes ahead there will be turnstiles placed here to catch the tolls.

[Glenda Powell]

Agree fully , a new petrol filling station will make very little difference to the traffic problem and would help competition on petrol prices in Hereford.The best way of sorting the traffic problem in the city is simple, return to straight forward roundabouts on Belmont Island and Tesco roundabout in town.Get rid of the lights, we have all seen how clear the city's roads are when they are out of service at either of these two islands.

 

Could not agree more Chris about the traffic, the lights should never have been put there in the first place. Anyone know what happened on Good Friday afternoon, I went into town on bus all lights were RED and the build up of traffic was on both the A49, A465 and both bridges everything was at a stanstill.

[H.Wilson]

 

 

Could not agree more Chris about the traffic, the lights should never have been put there in the first place. Anyone know what happened on Good Friday afternoon, I went into town on bus all lights were RED and the build up of traffic was on both the A49, A465 and both bridges everything was at a stanstill.

I think that was just a normal afternoon on Belmont Road Glenda 

[Glenda Powell]

 

 

I think that was just a normal afternoon on Belmont Road Glenda    

No it was not a normal afternoon it was worse, someone told me today it took them an hour to get out of Asda on Friday afternoon, it took the bus I was on 40 minutes to get into town.