A COUNCILLOR has slammed the pollution outside a Malvern petrol station, saying he fears it could impact the water system – but the company which owns the site said it was not responsible.

District councillor Paul Bennett said he first noticed the pollution when he was filling up his car at the Gulf petrol station in Pickersleigh Road on December 23.

Cllr Bennett said: “I was filling up my car and could see that the heavy rain on the day was washing pollution onto the pavement, and seemed to have created a channel along the tarmac leading to a storm drain on the road.

“The rain was falling from the canopy covering the pumps which did not appear to have any guttering around the edges.

“They have no guard around the edge, all they need is a tiny ridge all the way around the edge to stop it.”

Cllr Bennett said the pollution appeared to be an iridescent oil or fuel type of liquid mixed in with the rain.

“It is washed when it does rain, you don’t notice it otherwise. Where that water has carved that channel is an ideal conduit to take it to the storm drain.

“Obviously, we do not want any kind of pollution leaking into the wastewater system in Malvern, damaging the environment or causing damage to pavements,” the councillor said.

“I contacted PJ Nicholls (the site’s owners) and they tried to say it was a lorry, but it obviously wasn’t.

“They denied the pollution was coming from spilt fuel on the premises even though I sent them a video. I think they need to police their pollution better. They have never come back to me and said they are going to do this (to deal with it) or put some sandbags there until they put a barrier around it.

“I hope all concerned will sort out this problem as soon as possible.”

Tom Nicholls, managing director for PJ Nicholls Ltd, said: “The oil type fluid identified by the councillor was from a patch of oil on the council pavement.

“It did not originate from the forecourt nor the canopy as there is an incline on the forecourt towards the pumps. Water falling on the forecourt flows into the drain and then into an interceptor system. Water falling onto the canopy drains inwards and down drains situated in the centre of the canopy.”

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