Flint garage redevelopment given the go ahead

Major redevelopment plans for a garage in Flintshire will provide a boost to the local economy following their approval, it has been claimed.

Politicians have given their backing to proposals to demolish an existing outbuilding and extend the shop at the former Jones Motor Services on Chester Road in Oakenholt, Flint.

Blakemore Property Ltd, the largest division of SPAR UK, is behind the improvements and said it would signal new investment and create up to 14 extra jobs.
The plans include installing two large new fuel tanks, along with a new canopy, ATM and car parking spaces.

Speaking at a planning committee meeting in Mold this afternoon Cllr Chris Bithell (Lab) welcomed the development.

He said: “This has been a well-established garage in Flint for many, many years and well known locally as Jones the Oil.

“The proposal before us is really to rebuild and actually design a new building to take the place of what’s there presently.

“The usage will be very much the same as what’s been there in the past, but it’ll be more of a unified building than the higgledy-piggledy added buildings which have occurred over the years.

“It does supply a local need there and an important local need for a shop.”

The proposed changes were put forward after the owners said the current site did not meet their requirements.

In total, the application site extends to more than 1,700 square metres, including the SPAR store and petrol forecourt, along with a post office and vacant accommodation above.

Cllr Kevin Hughes (Ind) also spoke in favour of the plans.

He said: “It’s good for the local area and the economy and it’s a betterment of what’s already there now.”

The majority of councillors voted in favour of the application with only one against and one abstention.

By Liam Randall – Local Democracy Reporter (more here).