PEOPLE living close to a petrol filling station at Bramhope are being urged to keep an eye on its hours of operation to help in 'taking on' the multi-national firm of Shell UK Ltd.

Parish councillors say the filling station has led to angry complaints and that measures to lessen the impact of the station on its surroundings are inadequate.

Plans have been submitted to Leeds City Council by Shell for the addition of two freestanding floodlights and 2.5m high and 2m high boundary fence to the petrol filling station at 180 Leeds Road.

But for Bramhope Parish Council, the plans, which are said to be retrospective, are far from satisfactory and follow a history of wrangles with the filling station.

Councillor Richard Harker told last week's council meeting: "You are saying this is retrospective planning permission for work already done. I think there are two issues - supporting any complaints and the issue of environmental health.

"We have to assist these residents in taking on Shell. We have had problems with Shell before. The fact that they had lights on all the time has come before this council before and then it was rectified - it was a problem with an employee.

"Last time this came up, the manager said he was not aware that the lights were going on and off at the wrong time. He said it was down to the people he employed." Coun Harker said that a lot of residents were extremely angry, and Coun Alastair Thompson said there were complaints on the subject.

Chairman John Mordy said that an objection should be lodged and that the observations of former parish councillor Ron Stubbs, who lives close to the garage, should be taken into account.

Coun Mordy said: "I think we clearly ought to object to this, put in the recommendations we have heard from Ron Stubbs and again ask for the council to make sure planning conditions already imposed are enforced.

"The grounds for objection are the plans are inadequate and we would be prepared to withdraw the objection if revised plans that meet the requirements of local residents were amended in accordance with the wishes of the residents.

"There is a separate issue of writing to the environmental health people saying we are concerned the garage isn't being operated in accordance with the planning permission that was given."

He added: "It is breaching the environmental safeguards and it is having an adverse effect on the lives of local residents. We can make points about the effects of lights, noise and noxious fumes."

The meeting heard that at least one nearby resident to the filling station was already keeping a diary of dates and times of the garage's operation.

Coun Mordy added: "We can say to the local residents it would much strengthen our cause if they can monitor the hours of operation."

At the time of going to press, no comment was available from Shell.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.