Homeowner hits back at ex-Top Gear host Tiff Needell in row over England's oldest petrol station being turned into a house
- last month
A homeowner has hit back at former Top Gear host Tiff Needell after becoming embroiled in a row over turning 'England's oldest petrol station' into a house.
Mike and Ashley Clark purchased Glendore in the Golden Valley village of Turnastone, Herefordshire, for £300,000 last February.
They have since spent thousands of pounds renovating the Grade II-listed property after planning permission was granted to convert the historic site last month.
Mr Needell, who presented the BBC show in the 80s and 90s, joined a campaign with other motoring enthusiasts to try and stop the couple "ruining a part of history."
The 72-year-old ex-racing driver claimed the site would become just a "token rather than living history" and said it should be turned into a museum instead.
But grandfather-of-three Mr Clark has brushed off the criticism and says he has saved the neglected building falling into a state of disrepair.
He and his wife are also restoring the old petrol station to its former glory and pointed out the building had already been used as home for 100 years.
As well as getting permission to add a single-storey extension, detached garage and new access road, the pair say they will restore the two pumps and reattach old signage.
Father-of-two Mr Clark, a software engineer, added: "We looked around the property when it went on the market and although it was rather run down and neglected, we were attracted to its quirkiness.
"I'm a lover of cars myself. My dad was a car salesman for 40 years and I'm passionate about historic cars as well. .
"The petrol station history was a feature that appealed to us. The property was on the market for £300,000 and that's what we paid for it.
"There was a lot of interest in it but because it was a bit neglected, with damaged walls, I think that put some people off.
"We applied for planning permission straight away and have been in consultation with the council the whole way through.
"We also had a full historical heritage survey carried out so we have been open and transparent and not done anything underhand.
"We also had no objections at all. Everybody in the village is behind us and actually happy with what we're doing because we've saved the place from being lost.
"If we hadn't have bought it, the building would have fallen down because there was a great big crack running through it.
"We're not changing the appearance, we are going to restore it so it looks like it did in its heyday. We want to preserve the heritage of the place, not destroy it.
"So you can imagine my surprise when just before Christmas, people began saying we were getting comments on the property from the likes of Tiff Needell.
"Now, I don't dislike Tiff in the slightest but he's got it wrong because this place has already been a house for 100 years as it started life as a farmhouse.
"In fact, I agree it needs to be saved and that's exactly what we're doing, including restoring the petrol pumps.
Mike and Ashley Clark purchased Glendore in the Golden Valley village of Turnastone, Herefordshire, for £300,000 last February.
They have since spent thousands of pounds renovating the Grade II-listed property after planning permission was granted to convert the historic site last month.
Mr Needell, who presented the BBC show in the 80s and 90s, joined a campaign with other motoring enthusiasts to try and stop the couple "ruining a part of history."
The 72-year-old ex-racing driver claimed the site would become just a "token rather than living history" and said it should be turned into a museum instead.
But grandfather-of-three Mr Clark has brushed off the criticism and says he has saved the neglected building falling into a state of disrepair.
He and his wife are also restoring the old petrol station to its former glory and pointed out the building had already been used as home for 100 years.
As well as getting permission to add a single-storey extension, detached garage and new access road, the pair say they will restore the two pumps and reattach old signage.
Father-of-two Mr Clark, a software engineer, added: "We looked around the property when it went on the market and although it was rather run down and neglected, we were attracted to its quirkiness.
"I'm a lover of cars myself. My dad was a car salesman for 40 years and I'm passionate about historic cars as well. .
"The petrol station history was a feature that appealed to us. The property was on the market for £300,000 and that's what we paid for it.
"There was a lot of interest in it but because it was a bit neglected, with damaged walls, I think that put some people off.
"We applied for planning permission straight away and have been in consultation with the council the whole way through.
"We also had a full historical heritage survey carried out so we have been open and transparent and not done anything underhand.
"We also had no objections at all. Everybody in the village is behind us and actually happy with what we're doing because we've saved the place from being lost.
"If we hadn't have bought it, the building would have fallen down because there was a great big crack running through it.
"We're not changing the appearance, we are going to restore it so it looks like it did in its heyday. We want to preserve the heritage of the place, not destroy it.
"So you can imagine my surprise when just before Christmas, people began saying we were getting comments on the property from the likes of Tiff Needell.
"Now, I don't dislike Tiff in the slightest but he's got it wrong because this place has already been a house for 100 years as it started life as a farmhouse.
"In fact, I agree it needs to be saved and that's exactly what we're doing, including restoring the petrol pumps.