New MFG forecourt store in Scottish Borders set to open in August

Thirty new jobs will be created when a new petrol station and convenience store opens in the Borders later this year, it has emerged.

Scottish Borders Licensing Board has granted a premises licence to sell alcohol from the yet-to-be-built Tweedbank Service Station at Tweedbank Industrial Estate.

Andrew Hunter, on behalf of the applicant, St Albans-based Motor Fuel Group (MFG) said: “This is a proposed new petrol filling station just off the Melrose roundabout on Tweedbank Drive and is part of a larger redevelopment of that particular location.

“Motor Fuel is on site at present with the aim of opening the petrol station around the first week of August this year.

“Given the lack of petrol filling stations in the location it is seen as a welcome addition to the local area, both in terms of fuel and in terms of the convenience store that it offers and the expectation is that it will offer 30 full and part-time jobs.

“Motor Fuel have over 50 licensed premises throughout Scotland that are all petrol filling stations that operate in a manner as is proposed here.”

Councillor Tom Weatherston said he was happy to support the application on the grounds that 10 per cent of the shop space was devoted to alcohol sales – not the 14 per cent applied for by the applicant.

Other members agreed, stating that agreeing to a 14 per cent floorspace would create a “precedent”.

Councillor John PatonDay said: “I think we have to stick to the 10 per cent because there is a risk of setting a precedent, which is not a good thing. I totally support the application but I think we should stick to 10 per cent for the alcohol.”

Members agreed to the application on that basis.