TRANSPORT Scotland said plans for a new petrol station in Rosyth should be refused due to concerns about road safety.

The government agency also feel the proposed facility at Fairykirk Road, which joins a trunk road that's one of the busiest in West Fife, could impede the "free flow of traffic".

There are more than 20 objections to Euro Garages Ltd's plans to build a new filling station and create 30 jobs at the site, which is next to the A985 Admiralty Road and the roundabout linking to the M90 motorway.

A planning application was submitted to Fife Council last summer and is still to be determined, with the Press told this week there were "outstanding issues" and that additional information was required from the applicant before a decision could be made.

Transport Scotland recommend refusal and said: "The proposed development could result in a material change in the number and/or type of vehicles entering and leaving the traffic stream at a junction where visibility is restricted, thus creating interference with the safety and free flow of the traffic on the trunk road."

They added that, when Euro Garages had first put in an application in 2017, "a number of concerns in relation to the potential intensification of use of the A985/Fairykirk Road junction, which does not meet current design standards" had been flagged up.

And they said the transport statement submitted by the Blackburn-based company for the current plans "has not addressed these concerns".

Those points were countered by Curtins, acting for Euro Garages, who said there was no "technical basis to their objection", there would be "no significant impact on the free-flow of traffic" and that the vehicle impact on the junction of Fairykirk Road and Admiralty Road was "acceptable".

Other objectors highlighted issues such as speeding cars, access and parking problems on Fairykirk Road, and an increase in congestion, noise, litter and light pollution.

Admiralty Road is also one of two roads in West Fife that is monitored for air quality, with concerns that additional levels of traffic would pose more air pollution problems and health risks for residents.

It's also adjacent to the Fife Council-approved route for pupils from Rosyth to walk to Inverkeithing High School – although this has been criticised heavily by parents and local councillors who claim the links to and from the roundabout are already too dangerous for children to negotiate.

A planning statement by Colliers International described Euro Garages as "the UK’s fastest-growing and most recognisable forecourt operator" that had 360 sites across the country.

It has previously partnered with firms such as Starbucks, Burger King, Subway and Greggs and the suggestion is one of these names could be part of the plans for Rosyth.

The petrol station would have six pumps and operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week and there would also be a retail unit and drive-thru unit, generating 30 jobs in total.

Colliers said concerns about access and vehicle trips "are often more perceived than actual".

They added: "The applicant successfully operates many facilities across the UK close to residential areas with few, if any, issues.

"It is also important to note that most of the vehicle trips to the site are from people already using the road network.

"In terms of peak times again it is rare that any individual will make a specific journey to the filling station for the purpose of obtaining fuel.

"It is more often the case that they are stopping on an existing journey and, realistically, no-one decides to make a specific trip for fuel at peak hours."

The site was put up for sale in March 2017 and currently houses two empty offices and a vacant warehouse.

A similar application was made by Euro Garages Ltd in November 2017 but was later withdrawn.