Council seek meetings with BP and Scottish Fuels

Convener Alison Magee is to write to the two organisations expressing the Council’s concern at the withdrawal of the service from all filling stations in Caithness, Sutherland and East Ross and others in Ross-shire and Badenoch and Strathspey from 30 September.

The Council is among those customers which benefit from the fuel cards, which offer the national rate for petrol and diesel, often 10p per litre cheaper than charged at rural filling stations.

Councillor Magee said: "This is yet another blow to filling station operators, already struggling to stay open in the wake of competition from superstores and rising running costs. It is also another blow to business customers, many of whom took advantage of the discounted rates on offer through the agency fuel card."

Councillor David Flear, Convener of the Council’s Caithness Area Committee, echoed the Convener’s concerns.

He said: "I agree fully with the view of many filling station operators that we are being treated as second class citizens by BP and Scottish Fuels. The loss of this business, in some cases up to 100,000 litres of fuel per year, further erodes the viability of local businesses. A meeting with the companies will give us the chance to highlight the importance of retaining the scheme and the threat the move poses to the future of these lifeline fuel outlets."

The Convener said she has asked for a debate on fuel poverty and in particular rising fuel costs at a special meeting of the Council being held at Lairg Community Centre on Friday 11 November.