1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182 
No reprieve in sight for the Wolverhampton truckstop
Page 8
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
Plans to build industrial units on a truckstop have been rejected — but the site will still be closed down this week. Chris Tindall reports.
A PLANNING application to build industrial units on a truck park near Wolverhampton has been refused in the face of fears that vehicles would have nowhere to park. However the decision by South Staffordshire Council (SEC) has not saved the business: the vital parking area for drivers will close this week because it is losing money.
Land owner Kilmartin Properties could appeal against the council's decision, but in the meantime the doors will close for the last time on 14 December.
Murdo Macdonald, managing director of Nightowl, which runs the site, explains that the problem lies with the high rates truck park operators are expected to pay to local authorities: "It works out at around £3 per overnight customer. If Tesco had to pay that for their customers they would find it very difficult."
He adds:"I am very grateful for the support from the council, but unless central government helps them they don't have an awful lot of power to move forwards."
The reasons given for SCC's refusal include: "...the loss of a valuable existing truckstop facility. with no alternative replacement site available.
-[This] would be likely to result in an increased level of on-street parking by LGVs within the immediate vicinity which would be detrimental to the general and visual amenities of the area and local residents and the general public," the council adds. Pat Nicholson of the Professional Drivers Association is angered by Kilmartin's decision: "It is absolutely wrong that the landowners of truckstops can close them down, and leave them to stand empty, especially at this time of the year when we are most at risk from crime."
Kilmartin Development director Simon Bower says: "We are still reviewing our options. We may reapply. The truckstop is shutting. Even before we had the planning application we had decided to shut it down. It's not a commercially viable venture."
• Alan Evans, who runs nearby ATE Truck and Trailer Sales, says he is still keen to purchase the land from Kilmartin and keep it open as a truckstop, as reported recently (Dealer wants Wolverhampton truckstop', 29 November).