Town set to welcome petrol station

Sainsbury’s has confirmed that it is looking to build the petrol station on a site separate from its new supermarket, which is earmarked for an industrial estate on the edge of Whitby at Stainsacre Lane.

While the possibility of creating the fuel station has been mooted for some time, it is understood that the proposals are now being advanced by the supermarket giant.

The Yorkshire Post has learnt that senior Sainsbury’s officials are looking at several locations around Whitby for a suitable site.

The exact sites have not been disclosed, but the new petrol station would help address the high price of fuel in Whitby, where a litre of petrol costs £1.36.

The town has been blighted by high costs of fuel because of its remoteness.

The regional development surveyor for Sainsbury’s, Jo Try, said: “We’ve also been working on options to provide a Sainsbury’s petrol station in Whitby, which many people told us they wanted. The proposals are still at an early stage, but we’ll update people as soon as we can.”

Scarborough Borough Council approved the scheme last July, but it was referred to the Government as a potential departure from policy. The Government gave the go-ahead in October last year, but work has yet to start on the supermarket.

Sainsbury’s confirmed it has to wait for existing businesses to vacate the site once the current lease expires in January before construction work can begin.

The firm was embroiled in a protracted planning battle with supermarket rivals, Tesco, which also submitted proposals to build a store in Whitby.

But the Tesco plans provoked major opposition as they selected a greenfield site at Sneaton Castle.