PETROLEUM giant BP failed to supply vital information about the impact a planned 24-hour service station in Blackburn would have on the local area, a public inquiry was told.

The company, which is appealing against a council decision to deny them planning permission for a petrol station in Preston New Road, only supplied the information six months after their application was decided.

BP applied to Blackburn with Darwen Council to build the Mobil filling station, including a Safeway mini-supermarket, car wash and car care facilities.

Councillors rejected the scheme because BP did not provide any information about what impact the plans may have on the nearby New Bank Road neighbourhood centre and local shops. A government inspector listened to both sides of the argument at a public inquiry in Blackburn Town Hall after BP appealed against the decision.

Gavin Baird, representing Blackburn with Darwen Council, said: "By supplying the information six months later for the purpose of this inquiry, BP was seeking to cut out the jurisdiction of the planning committee and substitute the jurisdiction of the Secretary of State, who would have to consider the matter again from scratch."

Mr Baird said if the information had been supplied by BP when it was originally requested, then planning permission would have been granted, as long as the shop was no bigger than 130 square metres.

Simon Pickles, representing developers Rapleys Commercial Property and Planning Consultants, told the inquiry the Safeway shop would provide an attractive shopping environment, stocking 3,000 different products at supermarket prices.

He said the petrol station would attract passing trade, taking shoppers from a wider catchment area than the New Bank Road centre.

The site was a filling station until it was recently demolished.

The government inspector is expected to give his decision in about eight weeks.

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