Rix Petroleum (East Anglia) Ltd withdrew plans to build a diesel and gas oil depot at the town’s new Victory Park in June after owner Breckland Council pulled out of a deal to sell land to the company.

The plans had attracted strong opposition from nearby businesses, councillors and residents who believed the development would be potentially hazardous and unsuitable for a business park.

But the Besthorpe-based firm, a subsidiary of J. R. Rix and Sons Ltd, has now submitted similar plans to relocate the firm to a smaller site off West Carr Road, formerly known as Woodys Yard.

The proposals include three 100,000 litre storage tanks which would be used for gas oil, kerosene, diesel and lubricants for distribution. A new modular office would also be built to house management, administration, accounts and sales staff.

The site is owned by Anglian Demolition Ltd and would be leased to Rix Petroleum.

The company said it has to move from its current location, which has no storage facilities of its own, to maintain stock levels and ensure supply to customers remains uninterrupted in the wake of the imminent closure of a terminal at Ipswich.

A relocation would also create an additional five full-time jobs.

Rory Beath, director of Rix Petroleum (East Anglia Ltd), said: “We’ve got a fantastic team here. If we move somewhere else, through the cost of travelling we would lose some of our staff and we’ve got a good customer base in Attleborough.”

Within its planning documents, Rix Petroleum said the potential new location was suitable because of its close proximity to the A11, its previous use as a base for heavy goods vehicles and its existing screening with hedgerows and earth bunds.

Instead of proposing that the site could operate for 24 hours, which drew objections for its last application at Victory Park, the company requests the operating hours of 5am to 8pm from Monday to Saturday.

The operation is expected to create up to 18 additional HGV movements per day, but tankers will not be allowed to travel further down West Carr Road beyond the site or along Wroo Road to access the southbound A11 in an attempt to prevent drivers passing nearby homes.

A drainage system incorporating special interceptors would be installed to lower risks of potential oil spills and all tankers would be bunded so they effectively have a double skin to stop spillages if they were pierced or split.