PLANNING chiefs have slammed supermarket chain Asda over the state of a petrol station forecourt it runs in Sale.

Members of Trafford’s planning committee spoke out after hearing complaints about the impact the petrol filling station on Marsland Road is having on neighbouring residents.

Ward councillor Jane Baugh told the meeting last Thursday that “for the residents it is like living with the neighbours from hell.”

Planning permission for changes to the forecourt and sales kiosk was granted last October.

Another ward councillor, Barry Brotherton, said the Asda shop is now ‘like a mini supermarket’.The ward councillors and residents’ spokesman Kevin Ashton listed a catalogue of issues cause by the way the site is operated - including lorries delivering through the night and parking next to the boundary wall near people’s homes.

They also said they were worried that storage of waste and refuse materials was a safety hazard, while noise from a condensing unit prevented them from sleeping. This had been installed in a different part of the site to the one approved by planners.

Asda claimed it had to put it there because of its design and that ‘sound shells’ had been put in to reduce the noise.

Cllr Baugh said: “The neighbours say the intensive use of the site in a residential area is a health and safety risk and are concerned there will be an accident there.”.”

A succession of planning committee members slammed the state of the site, pointing out issues such as rows of metal crates.

Planning committee chairman Cllr Viv Ward claimed a fire exit was obstructed.

Cllr Brian Shaw said: “This site is an absolute disgrace.

“I could not live next door to that.

“Asda needs to get its act together and become a good neighbour.

“Asda should be ashamed of themselves.”

The committtee heard that Asda has breached the planning approval granted in October. As well as the condensing unit being installed in a different location to that agreed, parking bays had been put half a metre closer boundary wall than they should have been. This reduced the space for landscaping to screen the garage from its neighbours.

Despite the criticisms the planning committee approved the new application for the condensing unit and car park layout. But members stressed that effective landcscaping had to be put in place to screen the garage and this would have to be agreed with the council’s planning officers.

Planning committee chairman Cllr Ward added that residents should not be disappointed with the outcome, and there was scope for improvement.

Asda did not speak at the meeting.