Lowes pushes ahead with Longford servo plan

Lowes Petroleum says it is responding to community feedback about its planned 24-hour BP fuel stop at the northern end of the town on Tannery Rd and will push ahead to obtain a building permit.

Head of sales and marketing Sharon White said that the business prides itself on being a local fuel business, employing local people throughout Tasmania and that it understands the concerns raised by Longford residents. 

“We have already addressed traffic concerns raised by the community, updating the development application accordingly,” she said.

“In addition to this, Lowes will also be undertaking the landscape design which aims to minimise the traditional appearance of a service station, further demonstrating our dedication to the Longford community’s aesthetic and environmental considerations.”

Ms White said that there had been “a lot of misinformation” about the development, mainly that it will be a large service station.

“It will be unmanned, where customers will self-serve,” she said.

She said it would mainly be 19m b-doubles and rigid vehicles accessing the site, however there is room to accommodate 25m b-doubles in the design to ensure ease of access into and out of the site.

“A dedicated turning circle/lane was determined as not required after review of the traffic report and the DA was then approved.  The ingress and egress to the site has been widened to ensure no vehicle crosses over the main road.

“Lowes Petroleum is providing the town with another competitive option, doubling down on our commitment to invest in local economies.”

Traffic congestion was one of the main worries vocalised at a public meeting held in the Longford Memorial Hall on September 1.

More than 350 Longford residents attended to voice opposition to the fuel stop, right between Swifts Meats and accommodation business Kingsley House.

A planning application for the proposed BP and Lowes fuel stop was rejected by the Northern Midlands Council last year, but the proponents later gained approval via an appeal to the Tasmanian Civil and Administrative Tribunal.

At the public meeting, participants voted for a motion calling on state parliament to order new tribunal proceedings to assess the proposal.

Spokesperson Annette Aldersea said that the 'secretive' July 2024 TASCAT decision was taken without input from the community.

“The pressure is on the government now, we are not giving up,” she said.

“If they (Lowes) goes ahead they tout themselves as understanding rural communities but show a lack of understanding and don’t care about the people of Longford,” she said.