ANGRY residents have joined forces to campaign against plans to develop a petrol station on a busy main road.

Eleven letters have been sent to Bury Council objecting to an application to extend Turks Service Station, in Turks Road, Radcliffe.

The proposal would see the shop extended and refurbished, hot takeaway food sold there, the automatic car wash replaced with a hand wash facility, and the erection of a bin and container store.

Employment would double, from the current six full-time and four part-time jobs, and the site would operate 24 hours a day.

A separate planning application for a cash machine was approved earlier this year.

A report submitted with the latest plans states: “The site is a somewhat outdated PFS (petrol filling station) facility and would clearly benefit from redevelopment both in terms of visual improvement and the provision of improved facilities better suited to meeting the needs of the modern motorist.”

The report also states the proposal “would not give rise to any unacceptable conseq-uences for the environment, community or other public interests.”

But people living nearby are concerned about the impact the development could have on the area.

They have written letters of objection, started a petition and contacted Ivan Lewis, MP for Bury South, to seek his support.

Among their concerns are smells and litter from the takeaway food, increased traffic, difficulties getting on and off the forecourt, noise, the proximity of a bin store, and bringing more industry to the area.

They are also worried about crime and gangs of youths hanging around outside the service station at night.

Moira Shiels, who moved to nearby Penrice Close in November, said: “I’m worried about what will happen if this is approved. The cars will be passing very close to the end of our gardens and the bin storage will be right next to our garden.

“I moved to this area because it was quiet and peaceful. I would have had to think very carefully about moving if I had known about this before.”

May Shipperbottom, also of Penrice Close, said: “I think it will have an impact traffic-wise, it will be dangerous, and if there is a 24-hour takeaway, there could be groups outside.

”It’s going to be massive and we don’t need it. We have lots of shops nearby.”

The applicant was unavailable for comment.

A decision on the proposal is expected to be made by the planning control committee this summer.