Luss Filling Station Opens 24 Hour Automated Filling Station
Luss Estates is pleased to announce the opening of Luss Filling Station on Monday 25 July 2016. Luss Filling Station is an unmanned 24 hour filling station developed with Certas Energy and Tokheim Solutions. Certas Energy and Tokheim Solutions are at the forefront of developing small, unmanned filling stations to provide fuel for rural communities.
The first vehicle to use Luss Filling Station was from Arrochar Mountain Rescue Team. There is a strong link between Luss Estates and the Arrochar Mountain Rescue Team (AMRT) as Luss Estates’ dedicated Operations Manager, Charles Johnson, has been an active team member of AMRT for many years. Arrochar Mountain Rescue Team are an incredibly important resource for visitors to the area. Looking back, the land on which the AMRT post is sited was gifted by Luss Estates to the order of St John in 2002. The provision of 24 hour fuel in the village of Luss will hopefully be an asset to AMRT, alongside other local organisations, businesses, residents and visitors.
Mike Bignall, Team Leader Arrochar Mountain Rescue Team: “We are a team of 34 volunteers, on call 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Arrochar Mountain Rescue Team comprises of men and women from a variety of professions and backgrounds. We pride ourselves on our professionalism and have a shared goal which is the desire to assist anyone who is in distress on the hills.”
Luss is accessed off the A82, a major transport route to the Highlands and Islands. The provision of this new site is a great asset to those travelling north, as the next 24 hour filling station on the A82 is 64 miles (103km) away in Fort William. Luss Filling Station will provide Gulf diesel and Gulf unleaded petrol. Luss Filling Station has been developed on the old filling station site in the carpark in Luss. The old filling station had ceased operation over twenty years ago. Luss welcomes over 750, 000 visitors every year and the carpark offers space for private vehicles as well as the huge number of tourist coaches which visit the area.
The Luss Strategic Development Framework, published in 2013, highlighted that the Luss Filling Station site represented a development opportunity for the village. The provision of facilities in the village, such as the filling station, is essential for the survival and growth of rural communities. The report was commissioned and funded by Luss Estates Company and produced by the award-winning urban design and economic development team at Page\Park Architects and Roger Tym Associates, following eighteen months of extensive research and consultation with the local community and key stakeholders including Argyll and Bute Council and Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park Authority. It provides a clear roadmap for increasing the number of families in Luss, shifting the balance away from an aging population, sustaining the local primary school and other services, reversing years of economic decline, maximizing the benefits to the village from the huge number of tourist it attracts, and creating a sustainable community.
Sir Malcolm Colquhoun, Chairman of Luss Estates said: “It has been a long time coming, but now, after 25 years, Luss has got its filling station back. The latest auto payment technology means that it can remain open 24 hours a day throughout the year, and allows us to maintain competitive pricing, in contrast to many rural filling stations. I am convinced it will be an absolute boon to local businesses, residents and tourists alike, a huge enhancement of what Luss has to offer, and I am delighted that we have been able to bring this project to fruition.”
Mike Bignall, Arrochar Mountain Rescue Team Leader commented: “We rely heavily on public donations and support to help us maintain the equipment that we require and the team’s training to ensure our competency to continue to deliver a world class rescue service. We receive some funding from the Scottish Government but, while this is much appreciated, it is not enough to keep the team running. Therefore, we do a great deal of fundraising and organise charity events to top up the team funds.”
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