TWO McCallum Street residents have appealed to neighbours and community members to lodge a submission about the proposed Coles Express servo on the northern corner of the McCallum and Beveridge Street roundabout.
Earlier this month, Swan Hill Rural City Council announced a development application had been made to place the petrol station at the empty block, currently opened for residents who are unable to access their driveways while the Beveridge Street phase three upgrade is underway.
At the time, the council advertised in The Guardian that it would be receiving objections to the proposal during a two week consultation period ending this Friday, October 23, and notified neighbours directly adjacent the block via a letter.
However, McCallum Street neighbours Bruce and Julie Truelove have argued the petrol station would affect more than just direct neighbours of the plot, and are appealing to other people to consider making an objection.
While they feel they will be personally impacted by the increased noise emissions and benzene pollution caused by the new servo, they said the area was heavily frequented by motorists, shoppers and other community members and they too would be disadvantaged.
“It’s a concern to parents who take their children to the nearby childcare centre and it’s a concern for access points to neighbours’ houses,” Mr Truelove said.
“Although Beveridge and McCallum Streets are deemed truck routes, once a month we have incidents on the McCallum and Splatt Street intersection — there’s a concern that the B-double [petrol tankers] will have to get through that intersection to get to the petrol station.
“Then the actual exiting of the B-doubles onto Beveridge Street will cause even more congestion around the Safeway’s car park, right near the pedestrian crossing as well.”
A Coles spokesperson said the business was keen to develop the station in a way “which met the needs of local residents and passing motorists, and is also sympathetic to surrounding landowners”.
For more on this story, grab a copy of Monday’s Guardian (October 19).
