A Cumbrian oil distributor has announced it will reopen its storage depot in Carlisle.
Allan Stobart Lubricants & Fuels is expanding its distribution network with the base on the Kingstown Industrial Estate which will increase the firm’s fuel storage capacity by more than 40% and provide easy access to the major road network for tankers.
The site on Parkhill Road operated as a fuel depot for more than 20 years until 2016 when it was closed to bring operations together at Allan Stobart’s head office and depot at Raughton Head, near Dalston, Carlisle.
The firm said it was responding to a changing marketplace by reopening the site, which has been rented out for vehicle storage for several years.
Its reinstatement as a fuel depot includes the installation of new fuel storage tanks and office space.
The new site at Kingstown will operate alongside Allan Stobart’s existing depots at Raughton Head and Hexham. Planning permission for the site was granted earlier this year and it is expected to be operational by late autumn.
Steve Hindmarsh, general manager of Allan Stobart Lubricants & Fuels, said: “This move signals our investment in the future and our commitment to ensuring we deliver the best possible service for our customers.
“The changing nature of the fuel distribution business means that we need to be flexible and be in a position to react to the changing marketplace. Increasing our fuel storage capacity enables us to be more resilient during periods of peak demand and ensures we can meet our customers’ needs and get deliveries to them as soon as possible.”
Steve said the firm planned to move some of its existing fleet of tankers to the Kingstown depot, improving access to the main road infrastructure and making it better placed to service customers in southern Scotland.
“The investment in this site will help us expand our customer base while continuing to provide a quality service to our existing customers,” he added.
Allan Stobart Lubricants & Fuels delivers commercial, agricultural and domestic fuels to customers across north and West Cumbria and the Eden Valley, South West Scotland, Hexham and the wider Tyne Valley.
The firm is part of Brampton-based WCF Ltd.
