Residents’ fury over ‘Britain’s cheapest petrol station’ after motorists cause queues by descending on town
RESIDENTS have told of their fury as drivers descend on their village to fill up at one of Britain’s cheapest petrol stations.
Motorists queue in their droves outside Dale Head Community Garage in Hawes, North Yorks., to fill tanks up for £1.58 per litre.
The garage has kept its prices low in spite of the soaring cost of living as it runs as a non-for-profit community enterprise.
It sees any surplus get put back into the local area, along with a 5p-per-litre government rebate because of its isolated location.
But while drivers are delighted to queues for the low costs, many are up in arms over the thick traffic filling up their village.
Helene Iveson-Purcival, 50, told the MailOnline: “I’m f***ing livid.
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“Local people can’t get on with their day, it has been four weeks now.
“The other day, the junction was backed up for 15 minutes.
“I live behind the petrol station, what if I need to get my children or grandchildren across the road in an emergency?”
She added: “We often have wagons and tractors coming down the road, but they are getting blocked. It has never ever been this bad before.
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Her son, Max Purcival, 18, said: “I work for a boiler company, and a hotel had an emergency so we had to rush there.
“We needed petrol, but couldn’t fill up here because they were queuing, so we had to go to the motorway to get some. Luckily we didn’t break down.”
The £1.58 per litre petrol compares with a national average of £1.80, while diesel is £1.68, compared with the £1.90 average.
It means it would cost a family car can be filled up with petrol for £86.90 compared with £99 elsewhere.
Abbie Rhodes, general manager of the Upper Dales Community Partnership, which runs the garage, admitted: “It’s been a bit chaotic.
“Everyone has become so used to paying ridiculous prices that there’s been a real rush to come here, often from miles around.
“The more we sell the cheaper we can sell it for.”
Others, however, were more than happy to queue if it meant a huge saving when filling their tanks.
Andrew Jackson, 34, said: “I’ve only come ten miles but word has spread right across the area. It’s the talk of the Dales.”
Harry Wallace, 72, was on holiday with his wife and daughter from Manchester when he filled up.
He said: “I thought there was a mistake on the sign when I drove past. I just wish I lived a bit closer.”
And Chris Yelling, 47, was visiting the area from Sussex, and was “quite surprised” at how cheap the fuel is.
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He said: “It was 188.0p a litre when we left Sussex, so it is a nice bonus coming up here.
“We’ve come up here for our holiday for years, and it has never been this cheap.”