Update on Cupar Tesco Petrol Station

Many constituents have been in touch with me about the fuel shortages at the Tesco petrol station in Cupar. This follows on from the concerns I raised earlier this year about fuel prices locally, which you can read more about here.

I know many rely on the Cupar Tesco petrol station, so the recent fuel shortages have been hugely frustrating and disruptive. From commuters travelling to Dundee and St Andrews, to families juggling the school run, to small businesses that need a reliable supply - the impact is being felt right across our communities.

I pressed Tesco for an explanation of what’s happening in Cupar. They told me:

“Following the closure of the INEOS refinery at Grangemouth we have been working closely with our suppliers to rebuild fuel stock levels across Scotland.

"I want to assure you that our teams are working around the clock to resolve these issues and have remained in close contact with officials at the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) throughout this period of disruption.

"Unfortunately, fuel supply relies on a variety of factors, many of which lie outside of our control, and short-term grade outs often occur during periods like these of intense disruption. For this reason, we cannot provide a timeline for when our Cupar fuel station will return to regular operating levels.”

While I welcome Tesco’s update, it is disappointing that there is no clear timeline for when services will be back to normal. For residents in a largely rural constituency like ours, access to affordable and reliable fuel is a necessity.

I will continue to press Tesco on this issue, and to monitor both fuel prices and supply at Cupar. People deserve clear communication and fair treatment, and I’ll keep holding Tesco to account until local customers get both.