Shell has closed its petrol station in North Road, Darlington, and sold it to an unnamed company for "continued oil use".
A Shell spokeswoman said: "We did a rationalisation of all the service stations in the UK because the profit margin on them is quite tight. In this case, we decided to sell."
A Darlington Borough Council spokesman said it was believed the new owner did not intend to use the site for another petrol station.
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