City set for petrol station shake-up

This is the site, near the London St-Glasgow St intersection, which is tagged as a potential site for a Z service station. Photo/Stuart Murno

The face of Wanganui petrol business is facing a considerable shake-up.

There are currently seven options for motorists within the city precinct but two new outlets have been given resource consent and a third is apparently being prepared for opening.

Z (formerly Shell) has confirmed it is eyeing development on a site on London St, between Glasgow St and Victoria Ave.

A spokesperson confirmed that it was "keen" to build a new Z in Wanganui and has been looking at options.

"Whilst we have submitted resource consents for the site on London St, we are still exploring other alternatives. We don't have any confirmed plans at this stage," the spokesperson said.

The Wanganui District Council has since confirmed that it had granted resource consent to Wallace Developments in June to establish and operate a Z service station at 186 Glasgow St which is on the Glasgow St - London St intersection.

The site is zoned "outer commercial" so service station activity is permitted on the site. The resource consent was required to cover off landscaping and vehicle crossings.

Two fuel pumping bays and an LPG "swap and go" station were proposed along with a small retail area within the building.

Last year the Chronicle reported moves to build a new BP service station on London St, on land previously used as playing fields St Georges School used across the road from the school.

Petrosell Wanganui had applied to the Wanganui District Council for a resource consent to develop the site at 185 London St and that consent had since been approved.

The application was lodged by Opus International consultants on behalf of Petrosell.

Harvey Green , a director of Petrosell, said activities would include the sale and storage of petrol, diesel and LPG and a car wash facility, along with a shop selling convenience foods, ready-to-go food items (along with areas for tables and seating) and a laundromat.

At the time Mr Green would not be drawn on the future of the existing BP2go service station he owns a few hundred metres further along London St, on the intersection of Fitzherbert Ave and Carlton Ave extension.

Petrosell is the biggest service station operator in the city and at present operates four BP2go outlets - in Wanganui East, Taupo Quay, Victoria Ave and Springvale.

The area tagged for this new BP outlet has a residential property on its northern boundary and Wanganui High School playing fields on its southern side, while the eastern boundary backs on to Wanganui Collegiate playing fields.

Meanwhile, workmen have been on the site of the partially finished Gonville service station, on the corner of Heads Rd and Carlton Ave next door to the Wanganui Hospital.

Bryan Mooney, a director of Gonville Service Station (1970) Ltd, would not confirm if or when the Mobil remodelled station would re-open for business.

Significant work was done on site with new tanks put in and the building upgraded but then work stopped and the makeover mothballed.

A district council spokesperson said it did not have any issues with the building. "Our only issue is some of the building consented works haven't been completed. We can't issue a Code Compliance Certificate until they've been done."