A garage group has been given the go-ahead to relaunch a shop and service station that closed two years ago in Sale, despite objections from nearby residents.

Trafford’s licensing sub-committee agreed to Amma Garages Ltd’s application to run the Londis-franchised business which will be known as the Essar Chapel Lane Service Station.

Neighbours in Ashton upon Mersey complained over initial plans to be open for business 24/7, including the sale of vehicle fuel, food and alcohol.

Permission was granted after director Mohankumar Dhanabal agreed to cut the opening hours to 6am to 11.59pm Monday to Sunday with the business only open for refreshments [coffee and tea] from midnight to 5am.

Licensing consultant Patrick Burke, representing Amma, said that his client runs a number of shops and service stations.

“They have a record of training and employing local people who go on to have good careers,” he said. 

“Most of the objections relate to the opening hours,” he said. “As a result, we have agreed to reduce the hours.”

He said complaints from neighbours over the activities of a neighbouring car wash were ‘nothing to do’ with Amma Garages. 

The car wash operation was not part of the Amma business and would be vacating the site in February when its lease expires. After that a new toilet block would be built on the site, Mr Burke said.

He went on: “Just to revamp the facility and get the petrol pumps working again has cost more than £200,000. Sales of fuel alone will not create a viable business. They make 8p a litre, so the only way to make it work is to have retail, which in today’s world is a very brave thing to do.”

Chair of the panel Cllr Emma Hirst, said that the most important things were that environmental health issues raised during the application process had been complied with.

“We have read every one of the objections, and most of them are over the opening hours which have been addressed,” she said.

And addressing a small group of residents who had objected, she said: “If there are any issues in the future you can bring this back to licensing, if the conditions are being broken.”

And to Mr Dhanabal, she said: “We have been really impressed by your responses as the operator.”