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Fuel for thought : Welsh motorists are better off than English
publication date: Oct 12, 2011
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author/source: Robin Roberts
There are currently 31 million cars on the road.
However Britain has fewer than half the petrol stations it had 20 years ago,
leading to many areas at risk of having nowhere for motorists to refuel or
shop.
Years of closures have led to a dearth of petrol
stations in certain parts of the UK, in urban, rural and semi-rural areas. The
southern English counties are particularly badly served for petrol forecourts,
with eight of the top ten fuel deserts in this area. |  | These statistics have been released in support of
The Palmer and Harvey Forecourt Report 2011. Written by the UK's largest
delivered wholesaler and released today, the report examines the current state
of play in forecourt retailing.
Chris Etherington, Palmer and Harvey's chief
executive, said: "Fuel deserts have been created across the country due to a
number of factors - volatile fuel prices, an uncertain economy and unfavourable
exchange rates, not to mention a changing retail landscape, fluctuating land prices
and supply chain costs."
He continued: "These fuel deserts lead to massive
inconvenience for the already hard-pressed motorist, and also to the loss of a
focal point in communities that have often lost their local pub, village shop,
post office or even, in the worst cases, their entire high street.
"In many places, the local forecourt is or was the
last retailer left. They are as important to the nation as pubs and village
shops, and we will all suffer if the closures continue. There is still scope
for entrepreneurs to make a success of these sites, but they need to understand
that the attached convenience store is just as important as the petrol pumps -
perhaps even more so."
Palmer and Harvey supplies 70 percent of all UK
forecourts with products (not fuel) and advises many on how to improve their
businesses.
Despite the falling number of forecourts, the
wholesaler is positive about the future of the industry and says the situation
presents an opportunity for savvy entrepreneurs, particularly those willing to
offset low-margin fuel with a good forecourt shop offering.
Chris Etherington concludes: "Traditional forecourt
operators are being replaced by big grocery retailers and entrepreneurial
independents, including symbol groups like Mace, and by small convenience
retail chains. Many UK forecourt operators come to us for advice on how
to make their business work. We are increasingly advising them to strengthen
their convenience offer to make their businesses work harder."
Matthew Hopkinson, director of the Local Data Company,
said: "This data, which is based on Local Data Company location
information, indicates the general trend for consolidation in the market. Fuel
prices and the investment by multiples to create a wider offer have meant a
balance in favour of the large operators. Increasingly, supermarkets see the
forecourt sector as a key outlet for their convenience offer, along with being
a key footfall driver to larger store formats.
"Out of town development has added to the
significance of petrol stations in these locations as multiple retailers opt
for clustering in larger format locations. The focus of multiple chains on
certain locations leaves untapped opportunities for smaller operators."
The Palmer and Harvey Forecourt Report, which is
released today, is a state-of-the-nation analysis of an industry in flux. It
brings together research from across the sector and examines opportunities for
forecourt retailers as well as predicting what the future might hold for the
industry.
The ten areas of
mainland Britain with the busiest fuel pumps are:
1. Torridge,
Devon (11,300 cars per petrol station)
2. Slough,
Berkshire (10,200 cars per petrol station)
3. Rushmoor,
Hampshire (10,100 cars per petrol station)
4. Broadland,
Norfolk (9,900 cars per petrol station)
5. Maldon,
Essex (9,200 cars per petrol station)
6. Rochford,
Essex, (7,500 cars per petrol station)
7. Adur,
West Sussex, (7,200 cars per petrol station)
8. Oadby
and Wigston, Leicestershire, (7,100 cars per petrol station)
9. South
Norfolk (6,600 cars per petrol station)
10. Clackmannanshire,
Central Scotland (6,500 cars per petrol station) |
The Welsh ratio is as broken down
below, the list is sorted in terms of the highest number of cars to petrol
stations - so on the whole Wales is pretty well serviced for petrol stations.
UK Average is 3,500 cars for a petrol
station. The ratios are listed below, against a ranking, only one Welsh local
authority is in the top twenty - The Vale of Glamorgan - this has 6,000 cars
per petrol station. If you want to find the cheapest fuel in Wales or anywhere else in Britain, go to our front page and click on the fuel search link at the top of the page.
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Name
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Stations
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Ratio (,000)
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UK Ranking
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The Vale of Glamorgan
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14
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6.0
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14
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Torfaen
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11
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3.9
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121
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Merthyr Tydfil
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7
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3.8
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133
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Caerphilly
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22
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3.4
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185
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Neath Port Talbot
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13
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3.4
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191
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Newport
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18
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3.4
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192
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Rhondda, Cynon, Taff
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30
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3.3
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211
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Cardiff
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36
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3.1
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233
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Conwy
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17
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3.1
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236
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Wrexham
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20
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3.1
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236
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Denbighshire
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19
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2.8
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293
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Swansea
|
40
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2.8
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304
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Blaenau Gwent
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12
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2.7
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309
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Monmouthshire
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20
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2.6
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340
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Bridgend
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29
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2.4
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360
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Isle of Anglesey
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15
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2.4
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363
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Flintshire
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31
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2.2
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378
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Carmarthenshire
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51
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1.7
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396
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Gwynedd
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33
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1.7
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367
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Pembrokeshire
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39
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1.6
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401
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Powys
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53
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1.6
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402
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Ceredigion
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38
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1.1
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403
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