PLANNING permission for a fuel depot in Bala has been granted despite concerns about “harmful gases, leakage and fire” for local residents.

The facility, which will be able to hold up to 500,000 litres of ‘fuel oil’ once it is completed, will be built on the town’s industrial estate, just metres away from local houses.

The site will contain four containers, each one “marginally larger” than a typical shipping container, which will allow for trucks to fill up on fuel between the hours of 6am and 10pm, Monday to Sunday.

Bala Town Council objected to the plans on nine fronts and noted the project was too close to private dwellings, a local school, a food factory and could possible negatively effect the nearby road.

They were also concerned the scheme was not suitable for a ‘tourist hub’ or to be located in the Snowdonia National Park.

Seven letters of complaint were also received from residents and a business in the area.

However, despite local protestations, planning permission for the controversial proposal was granted earlier this month.

A report from the Snowdonia National Park Planning and Access Committee read: “The concerns of the town council and neighbours have been considered in assessing this application.

“However, assessing the concerns of objectors has to be done in the context of the location of the site on an established enterprise park, the extant permission and any other industrial process or business that could be attracted to the site.

“Given the factors that are presented with this proposal, the extant permission for a supermarket and the prospect of another industrial/processing use for the site the proposed development as outlined in this application is considered to be acceptable in terms of its visual impact, effect on residential amenity, transport implications and on likely effect on the environment.”