TEIGNMOUTH'S leading car dealer is looking to move out of town, stating 'there is no long-term future' for the business. Gordon Eaton, managing director of County Garage in Bitton Park Road – home of a successful Seat dealership – said he has been offered a 'very suitable' site on the outskirts of Newton Abbot. Pressures from the car manufacturer to sell more and more cars means the garage needs to access more customers. 'Basically, we have outgrown our present premises, which leaves little room for further expansion but the site we have been offered would be beneficial to both our customers and ourselves. 'The company has been successful with the Seat franchise with both sales and service of the products, but we have simply outgrown the site and we are under pressure to sell more and more cars every year. 'Furthermore, Seat want us to relocate the franchise into a town with a larger catchment area like Newton Abbot, which we are prepared to do,' said Mr Eaton. The company lost its Nissan franchise about 10 years ago when it refused to move to a site in Torbay. 'We have made a large investment and put much hard work into the Seat franchise and we do not want to lose it. Basically, there is no long-term future for a new car dealership in Teignmouth,' said Mr Eaton. Teignbridge planners have received plans to convert the garage and fore court at Bitton Park Road into a 336 square metre convenience store with parking for 15 cars. The petrol station will remain. Plans include the removal of the car wash to make way for car parking. The store will be housed in the garage showroom. The planned site layout is similar to some convenience stores and petrol stations in other areas in Teignbridge, Exeter and Torbay. It is a format that could ensure the viability of the only petrol station in Teignmouth. Mr Eaton said: 'There is a long-term future for a petrol forecourt with a convenience store attached to it. 'The company does not wish to close the petrol forecourt to the detriment of the local community. 'But the site would not be viable just as a petrol forecourt without the addition of a convenience store and parking.' The plans will mean the loss of the garage which has been run by the Eaton family since 1947. Mr Eaton joined the company, aged 23. It has been linked with many motor manufacturers, including Austin, Leyland and Nissan, before becoming a Seat franchise in 1997. Mr Eaton and his wife Pat will retain ownership of the site and hope to pass it on long-term to their daughters and grandchildren.
