New petrol station vetoed by Southwark planners

Nearly one third of all petrol stations in Greater London closed during the decade to 2011, according to Government figures.

Asda proposed to buck the trend and install a small automated petrol station in the car park of its Old Kent Road superstore, but the application was rejected by Southwark's planning department.

The planning application proposed the removal of 36 car parking spaces to make way for three fuel pumps.

In their refusal notice Southwark officers said that "it is likely that the proposal would lead to harm to pedestrian safety".

Planners warned that "...removing 36 spaces would not necessarily reduce the number of customers, as the same customers would still drive to the supermarket and expect to be able to park.

"This in turn would lead to queues on the highway, while cars wait to find a space, and would perhaps result in cars parking haphazardly and dangerously".

Officers were also concerned about the safety implications of fuel tankers manoeuvring around a busy car park used by shoppers.

The application was also rejected due to a lack of an archaeological assessment, with planners noting that the adjacent B&Q site "contains significant mesolithic archaeology relating to the earliest human occupation of Southwark since the ice age".