LPG filling station approved

Councillors approved a planning application to convert a vacant car sales yard into a liquid petroleum gas filling station.

Birmingham company Supergaz Ltd now has permission for the station at Washwood Heath Road, Ward End, after the city council’s planning committee approved plans on May 21.

The new filling station includes five LPG tanks, each containing 2,200 litres, as well as four parking spaces for customers and a 2.95m tall canopy.

Converting petrol or diesel cars to run on LPG has previously been suggested as a way of avoiding costs due to be introduced by the Clean Air Zone (CAZ), currently due to come in “as early as possible” in 2021.

The city council has so far converted 65 of Birmingham’s black cabs to run on LPG.

The fuel, which can be used by cars designed for petrol or diesel following a conversion, reportedly produces fewer CO2 emissions and nitrogen oxides and is cheaper to fill up.

The station in Washwood Heath Road is one of only a dozen in Birmingham according to FillLPG.co.uk.

A petition signed by 20 residents had opposed the application, including on the grounds that there was no consultation prior to building work starting at the site.

But another petition was also received by the council on behalf of LPG users and occupants of 93 addresses.

Concerns were raised by residents about safety but there were no objections from the Health and Safety Executive.

The committee heard the facility would be off-line when vehicles come onto the site to replenish the LPG stock.

Speaking after the committee’s decision, Haroon Momand, director of Supergaz Ltd, said: “The Clean Air Zone will come into force soon and therefore the city needs an infrastructure of stations to provide the clean fuel.

“This will ensure that they now have one more filling station available where people and taxi drivers on LPG can come and fill their cars at competitive prices.”

Martin Stride, air pollution campaigner at Birmingham friends of the Earth, said: “While LPG fuelled vehicles emit less nitrogen dioxide and particulate matter than petrol or diesel vehicles, they still contribute to poor air quality and climate-wrecking carbon emissions.

“We believe that LPG can only be regarded as a stop-gap measure for certain types of vehicle, where electric alternatives are in short supply such as for black cabs.

“To cut carbon emissions and air pollution sufficiently, a substantial switch from car use to walking, cycling and public transport is necessary.”

The planning committee approved the application with eight councillors voting for, one voting against and one abstaining.