THE future of the BP garage in Alton is hanging in the balance after it was revealed that bosses are considering selling it off. The announcement - which could see Alton lose one of its two petrol stations - has been met with concern from civic and economic leaders who fear the impact it would have on the town. The oil giant - which last week reported a strong rise in annual profits in the third quarter - is in the early stages of marketing the site in Butts Road. There are two options on the table: selling it to another supplier as a petrol station, or selling it for another use. But BP has stressed that no decision has yet been taken on the future of the site. The uncertainty has fuelled fears, however, that the town could be left with just one petrol station, that at Sainsbury's. And some are concerned that with the neglected site behind the garage being considered for a residential and business development, this site, too, could have homes built on it. Alton Town Council has this week spelt out its fears to BP and urged it to retain the site as a petrol station. In a letter to the oil giant, seen by The Herald, deputy town clerk Greg Burt said: "While I note that you are 'testing the market at present', and that no decision has yet been taken, the town mayor of Alton Paddy Mendham has asked that I write to you expressing the town's fear of the possible closure of your facility and its effect on the community. "While there is also a Sainsbury's petrol station in the town, in no way could this cope with the additional burden that would be put on it if you were to close your facility which currently offers Altonians some choice as to where they purchase their fuel. "Moreover, I am aware that local people value the personal service that your facility offers residents, with many being appreciative of the familiar and friendly faces that sell them, not only their fuel but also their newspapers and other items they buy on a near-daily basis, with it often being more convenient than a trip into town. "Alton has a very strong community spirit and identity, and your service station is a much needed and valued part of this." Mr Mendham said: "I'm extremely worried about the thought of losing one of our only two remaining petrol stations. It is not long ago that we had four. I can see if we are just left with Sainsbury's, people will be driving a lot more miles out of Alton to get fuel which will mean a lot more cars running about. "It is yet another facility being taken from the people of Alton together with those that have been threatened, like the hospital. "I think it is important that it is highlighted and that if it is sold, it is for another retail petrol use." Mike Baker, president of Alton Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said: "The news that the BP station has been put up for sale is met with mixed feelings since the present circumstances mean that, together with Sainsbury's, a duopoly exists in Alton for petrol which results locally in higher fuel prices. "At present it is assumed that it will be sold as a petrol station and it is hoped that prospective buyers will offer the potential for a more competitive situation than exists at present. "However, since a planning application already exists for residential and business development in Old Acre Road behind the garage, it is considered that there is a possibility that the property may be attractive to developers with other objectives in mind. This means that a risk exists which would leave Sainsbury's with a local monopoly as the sole supplier of fuel, which if abused may result in encouraging residents to shop elsewhere." Sheila Williams, spokeswoman for BP, said: "We are at the first phase of marketing the site. No decision has been made yet but we are looking to find a future use for the site either as a petrol station, but obviously run by someone else, or to sell it off for non-oil use. "We are currently looking at a number of our sites, looking to maximise the benefits of all of them. "We feel that this garage just doesn't fit in with the future plans for BP. "The staff are working as normal. It is a long way off before a decision is made. It is too early to say when a decision will be made." If BP decided to sell the site for something other than a petrol station or commercial use, such as residential, it would need to overcome a number of planning hurdles. Chris Murray, area planning manager (north), said: "If a planning application was made for housing on that site, a number of policy issues would need to be overcome. "We like commercial sites to remain commercial but assuming they can overcome those policy concerns, the site would have to be decontaminated before it could be used for residential purposes. Normally what happens is the developer prepares a report on the mix of contamination and then puts forward proposals to deal with that contamination. "There are various ways of doing that. If, for example, there were underground petrol tanks, which in this case there would be, then they can be dug out and removed and back filled with clean material."
