Raynor?s Shell Service Station in Southampton will close down for approximately five months if the Department of Planning approves its application to construct a new service station in its place. Owner Reginald Raynor also plans to increase infrastructure and add a canopy at the site near Riddell?s Bay on Middle Road.

Shell Oil Products manager David Rose told yesterday that pending planning permission Mr. Raynor hopes to break ground at the end of this year or beginning of next year. He says the station will remain closed during the entire construction period which is estimated at five months.

?The site was built in the 1950?s and obviously we would like to bring it up to today?s standards especially in the area of state of the art environmental equipment,? Mr. Rose said adding that this will include the installation of double wall tanks, double wall piping and automatic sensors for safety reasons.

?We have sumps that will catch any release of product from a primary source along with an automatic 24-hour monitoring system that will have sensors that will pick up anything going on so it is not possible for release of gasoline or diesel to take place without us knowing about it.?

Mr. Rose says that Raynor?s Shell Service Station has seen an increase in business since the Esso on Riddell?s Bay closed down earlier this year. Mr. Raynor will also be opening a new convenience store on site although Mr. Rose says this will not be of the type newly constructed elsewhere on the island.

?If you look at the Shell sites you will find a lot of dealers ? most are dealer owned ? have set up their own shops.

?Mr. Raynor owns the property so he will be putting in something to make it more user friendly for his customers and to provide an up-to-date facility but it is not the intention to get into fast food type of thing like chicken and pizzas.

?It is a pure convenience store to offer a limited amount of convenience items for his customers.?