Anger at 24-hour garage plan

PEOPLE living near a Seaford petrol station say their lives will be made a misery if plans for 24-hour opening are approved.

The owner wants to extend the Texaco service station at Sutton Corner to make a bigger shop and remain open all hours.

The town council's planning committee voiced its opposition at a meeting on Thursday last week which was packed with concerned members of the public.

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Frank and Pat Swindell live next to the garage in Sheep Pen Lane.

Mrs Swindell said: 'I feel it is so wrong for a garage and shop to be open 24 hours a day in a residential area.

'We suffered some years before when the garage opened for 24 hours '“ car doors slamming, loud voices resounding around the flint walls, the pumps clanking, taxi drivers talking to their control centre and delivery vehicles while we were trying to sleep.'

Mr Swindell said: 'The possible increase in vehicles visiting the filling station will further increase the dangers at Sutton Corner and in Sheep Pen Lane. The proposal will result in an over-development of the site to the detriment of the surrounding residential properties.'

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Tony Mitchell, of Hartfield Road, said: 'We have lots of vandalism now at weekends particularly after the pubs have closed. The current owner is thinking about applying for a drinks licence and the whole thing sounds like bad news. Alcohol and petrol are not necessarily a good mix.'

Cllr Jon Freeman proposed the council object to the application. He said it would be 'stark raving bonkers' to approve it before county council plans were put in place to improve safety at Sutton Corner, especially at the junction with Alfriston Road.

The county council's original scheme for the junction was rejected by the town council in February.

A county spokesman said revised plans were being drawn up but there was no time scale and that it was work in progress.

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He said: 'We went back to the drawing board and are working on some plans which may involve a signalised crossing.'

Other council members said they felt longer opening hours would create even more traffic at Sutton Corner which was already too dangerous.

Cllr Tracy Willis said: 'That junction is a nightmare for anyone trying to walk to school. I really do not feel we should support this.'

It was agreed that the town council would tell the district that the application should be refused.

It was also agreed that Cllr Freeman would try to find out more about the county council's plans for improving Sutton Corner.

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