North Yorkshire councillors set to reject motorway services plan

The plans put forward by Roadchef included 56 HGV spaces at the motorway services

Councillors have been advised to reject plans for a new motorway service station on farmland in North Yorkshire.

Planning officers said there was "no compelling need" for the site at the Selby Fork junction of the A1 and A63 which would harm green belt land.

The plan by Roadchef was recommended for approval by Selby District Council before it was merged into the new North Yorkshire Council last April.

The council has been urged to reverse that decision at its 12 March meeting.

The plans for a motorway services area (MSA) include toilets, a seating area, several restaurant outlets, a shop, a gaming area, 351 car parking spaces and 56 HGV spaces.

The motorway services area would also include restaurants, a shop and a gaming area

The company said the proposed site would help lorry drivers serving the nearby Sherburn Industrial Estate, who were currently forced to park on the roadside overnight.

Selby councillors had previously agreed the plan met the "very special circumstances" test for a large green belt development for this reason, but North Yorkshire planning officers did not believe it was justified.

The planning officer report said the proposal would cause "substantial harm to the openness of the green belt".

It also argued that there was not a "compelling need" for an MSA in this location.

The proposed motorway services site would be six miles from Ferrybridge services

"There are no gaps of more than 28 miles between MSAs," it said.

"The proposed development would be located... approximately six miles from Ferrybridge MSA and 15 miles from Wetherby MSA."

It recognised the local need for lorry parking but added it would just be a "benefit of the scheme".

"It is not considered that, of itself, justifies the provision of a new, full scale MSA in a green belt location where there is no compelling need for an MSA," the report added.

However, scores of support letters have been sent to the council, with some stating the new services would boost the area's economy and the health and safety of HGV drivers.

If Roadchef's scheme is given the green light, it will require referral to the Secretary of State as the proposed development is for a building more than 1,000 sq m in the greenbelt.