A petrol station in York was forced to close by competition from supermarkets, documents related to a planning application have revealed.

The former Shell-branded Mill Lane Filling Station and Spar shop closed on November 1, 2012, after trading for more than 40 years, according to a planning application lodged with York City Council.

The application names Spar wholesaler James Hall & Co, which supplies about 450 Spar stores in the north of England and had a turnover of £458m last year, as the owner of the 0.13ha site.

Skelton Consultancy, acting for a company called Treatprefer, has applied for permission to build eight homes on the site, which is surrounded by housing.

In a Design and Access statement by Skelton, to support the application, it states: “The current owner has ceased trading from the premises as it had become un-profitable due to competition from the recently opened Morrisons Petrol Filling Station on Foss Islands Road and from local convenience stores – Co-op on East Parade and the recently opened Asda on Layerthorpe – as well as the Sainsbury’s, Morrisons and Waitrose supermarkets all within half a mile of the site.”