News

A planning application to build industrial units on a truck park near Wolverhampton has been refused after fears that vehicles would have nowhere to park. However the decision by South Staffordshire Council (SCC) 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 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, says the problem lies with the high rates truck park operators are expected to pay to local authorities. He says: "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 truck stop facility, with no alternative replacement site available. "[This]  would be likely to result in an increased level of on-street parking by HGVs within the immediate vicinity which would be detrimental to the general and visual amenities of the area and local residents and the general public." Pat Nicholson, for the Professional Drivers Association, is angry at Kilmartin's decision:

"It is absolutely wrong that the land owners 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.