Residents of a quiet Perthshire village have lost their fight against night-time opening hours at their local garage.
When Young’s Garage in Birnam changed hands last year the new owners switched to 24-seven opening hours, operating pay-at-the-pump services.
Neighbours say they are constantly woken by car doors slamming, engines running and voices as people fill up their cars during the night.
New lighting and an underground tank were installed at the fuel station, without planning permission, and the owners, Sertis Energy, had to apply for retrospective permission.
Birnam residents called on Perth and Kinross councillors to use the opportunity to impose conditions on the garage, allowing it only to open until 9pm.
At the council’s planning and development management committee on Wednesday, Nigel Turner, who lives opposite the garage, said: “A decision to shut the petrol station between 11pm and 7am is welcomed but it would be even better if it was shut from 9pm,” he said.
“In an ideal world we would like the garage to revert to original hours of 9 until 5 but we realise this is unrealistic.
“From 9pm would be an acceptable compromise, particularly for those with an early start or young children.
“We have the right to sleep undisturbed.”
Although the committee cannot decide opening hours, they can impose conditions on the hours the lights are on, effectively determining the operating times.
However, after a tied vote, convener Roz McCall had the final say, opting for the hours of 7am until 11pm, two hours later than the residents had requested.
She said environmental health had not objected to the garage staying open until 11pm, in terms of light and noise pollution.
“It is my understanding that there is no time limit on the garage right now,” she said.
“The garage is legally allowed to operate 24 hours a day. These stipulations will help to minimise that.”
Brian Worrall of Sertis Energy spoke at Wednesday’s meeting, saying the garage provides an “essential service” to both residents and people using the A9.
“We need a reasonably extended period of opening, bearing in mind that people trying to use that facility need to have confidence that if they try to use it it’s generally available to them.”
