HOUSES could be built on the site of a village petrol station which has become a "thorn in the side" of its owners.

Hingley and Callow Oils, which runs the station at Chaddesley Corbett, says it can no longer compete with supermarkets who are offering cut-price petrol at the forecourt.

A planning application has now been put in asking for permission to build two detached homes on the station site.

But company director Jim Callow has pledged that villagers will still be able to buy fuel at the station, on the A448, until a decision is made on its future.

"Chaddesley garage is still open and selling petrol and will remain open until such time as I've got planning permission to build homes on the site," he said.

"Despite all we've tried to do to improve the shop, we just can't compete."

Mr Callow said the firm had extended the store and successfully applied for a liquor licence in a bid to boost its fortunes but people 'popping in for the odd pint of milk' were not enough to make it a going concern.

"I've offered it to a gentleman to run as a going concern but I haven't heard from him yet," he said.

"If someone offered me sensible money to keep it going I would accept that but I can't see how they can."

Mr Callow said that over the past few years, 1,400 independent petrol stations had closed down, along with 600 more in the rural community, which were backed by the petrol giants.

"If we don't get planning permission, I don't know what we'll do," he added.