A SUBWAY and a 24-HOUR petrol station will open off Nunnery Way next year – creating up to 30 jobs.

A Budgens supermarket and the popular sandwich shop will accompany a Shell filling station and car wash after St Modwen sold part of its 20-acre plot to developer Forelle Estates Group.

Mike Price, managing director of Forelle Estates Group, said: “The site at Nunnery Park is an excellent one for our award-winning model service station development.

“I am confident that the facility incorporating the strong brands of Shell, Budgens and Subway will be highly successful in that location.”

Jonathan Green, director of asset management at St. Modwen said: “The recent deal with Forelle Estates demonstrates there is a good appetite for development in the area and is in line with St. Modwen’s wider strategy of selling retail assets to reinvest into the development of industrial and logistical space.

“With close links to the M5, the site is in a prime location and will further expand the current offering at Nunnery Park as it continues to strengthen its position as one of Worcester’s sought after business parks.”

The facilities will be built on land originally earmarked for a car showroom by St Modwen just north of the KFC and Bluebell Farm pub which opened at the end of 2017.

The site would include 21 car spaces, eight cycle spaces, two disability spaces and two electrical vehicle charging points.

The developer gave reassurances to councillors on the city council’s planning committee by agreeing to indemnity insurance in case of contamination.

This would mean the authority would not be expected to foot the bill for the clean-up of the petrol station if the land does become contaminated and is sold in the future.

Planning permission was granted by Worcester City Council in June but not without controversy – with some Warndon parish councillors concerned it would affect city centre trade.

Speaking against the application at the time, Ray Morris, then chairman of Warndon parish council, said the proposal was in an ‘out-of-town location’ and National Planning Policy says preference should be given to accessible sites that are well connected to the town centre.

Mr Morris said no buses run to the Nunnery Way development and with little cycle provision, visitors will be almost entirely dependent on cars.

The developer said with the nearest shops more than two kilometres away, the site is very much for people wanting to pick up groceries on their way home.