Brendan Simpkins

THE long mooted construction of a service station at Evanston Gardens is close to reality with plans out for public consultation.

South Australian business Peregrine Corporation purchased a parcel of land – Lot 300, Angle Vale Road – from Gawler Council in 2019.

It is intended that a 24-hour OTR service station, complete with a convenience store, and a Bulky Goods Outlet will be constructed on the site, adding to the corporation’s growing service station empire.

Construction was initially expected to be completed by the middle of this year, however that was held up after it was revealed the land had been contaminated.

Previously a training ground for the Country Fire Service between the 1960s and 1980s, the site had been contaminated with per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).

PFAS are man-made chemicals formerly used in firefighting foams.

Council had known about the contamination as early as 2017 following an investigation prior to the land being put on the market, however an environmental due diligence report complied after Peregrine engaged independent consultants found the contamination was more widespread than first thought.

The land sits on the corner of Angle Vale Road and Jack Cooper Drive.

It will consist of three rows of fuel pumps and six fuelling stations, one auto car wash facility and a manual car wash bay.

With the inclusion of a Bulky Goods Outlet, 47 parking bays are included in the design, two of which are for disabled car parking spaces.

A tenant has not yet been secured for the outlet.

Consultation opened on November 18 and is due to close at 11.59pm on December 1.

Representations can be submitted at council’s administration centre, via email at (planningadmin@gawler.sa.gov.au) or via PO Box 130, Gawler SA 5118.