X Convenience lodges fresh plans to build petrol station on Diagonal Road, Sturt

A petrol station giant is refusing to give up its fight – making another bid to open a contentious outlet in Adelaide’s south a year after similar plans were rejected.

Concept images of the retail shop of the X Convenience planned for 373 Diagonal Road, Sturt. Picture: Collard Preston

The X Convenience chain is not giving up its fight to build a contentious petrol station in Adelaide’s southwestern suburbs lodging fresh plans a year after a similar concept was rejected amid community backlash.

The South Australian operator wants to build an outlet with 16 fuel pumps, a four-bay car wash, 315 sqm convenience shop and parking for 17 cars at 373 Diagonal Road, Sturt on the site of a former restaurant.

Marion Council’s assessment panel last September unanimously rejected an earlier concept for 12 pumps citing concerns the building was out of character for the area and was not pedestrian friendly.

The new plan has been lodged under the new planning and design code, which lists a retail fuel outlet as a “desired development”, according to X Convenience’s planning application.

But the proposal, which is out for public consultation until September 9, is expected to again generate significant resistance from the community who packed a public gallery when the council considered the earlier plan.

Sturt resident Mark Linn, who co-ordinated a public campaign against the last plan which would be built on his back fence, against the accused X Convenience’s parent company Andrash of trying to “bully their way trough”.

“I think the reason they are pushing forward is they don’t want the community to set a precedent against them,” he said. “If we win this then someone else could take the fight to them.”

Concept images of the X Convenience for 373 Diagonal Road, Sturt. Picture: Collard Preston

Mr Linn said a petrol station was not suited to a residential area.

Andrash is proposing an acoustic fence to neighbours and increasing the landscaping buffer between neighbours.

The retail fuel would trade between 5am and midnight but an acoustic engineer has recommended the car wash be restricted to 7am to 10pm.

“The proposal is considered to be of a nature and scale that it will not detrimentally impact on the amenity of adjoining and nearby properties … and is consistent with and supports the sorts of activities envisaged within the Suburban Activity Centre Zone,” the X Convenience planning report by consultant Mark Kwiatowski says.

Andrash had appealed the initial planning refusal to the Environment Resources and Development Court.

In January the council accused the company of trying to bypass the council and thwart community opposition when it requested Planning Minister Vickie Chapman appoint the state planning commission as the assessing authority.

Ms Chapman rejected the request in April. The Advertiser has sought comment from