Plans are being drawn up for a Shell petrol station at land at Fern Brook Lane, adjacent to Kingsmead Business Park, in the south of Gillingham.

A new Shell petrol station in this location would serve the south of Gillingham and provide a convenient alternative to making unnecessary journeys to the other fuel stations adjacent to Waitrose (one mile away) or four miles away to Tesco in Shaftesbury.

As well as preventing the need for unnecessary trips, a new petrol station would improve consumer choice and provide cheaper fuel for residents in Gillingham, says the company behind the plans.

The new petrol station, provided by Forelle Estates Ltd, which builds and operates high-quality fuel stations, would be located immediately off the B3081 Shaftesbury Road, and would be complemented by a Budgens food and drink offer for users of the petrol station, alongside jet wash and car wash facilities.

As part of the Kingsmead Business Park the development of this long-term vacant site will act as the catalyst for further growth at the business park for the benefit of the local economy.

The new petrol station would also create 15 new jobs – full time equivalent –  almost exclusively for local residents, including roles in management, sales and food preparation.

Forelle Estates says it is focused on providing petrol stations of high-quality design which move away from the dated flat canopy and small kiosks found at many other petrol stations.

Forelle’s innovative forecourts have been nationally recognised and received the Best Design and Development Award at The Forecourt Trader Awards 2016.

The design approach in Gillingham would be no different and it is proposed to provide a high-quality modern petrol station incorporating the latest technologies, such as electric car charging points.