Last October, Venari Land submitted a planning application for a Welcome Break service station and drive-thru by the A46/A606 Melton Road junction, about 11 miles south-east of Nottingham. According to local media reports, the council is set to give the project the green light.
The plan is for the 2.5-hectare site to have a service station, electric vehicle chargers, a HGV fueling station, and a drive-thru.
In addition, a new road for access from the A606 is also planned. According to the plans, 65 jobs will be created.
However, as reported by West Bridgford Wire, as many as 155 of the 170 locals who responded to the planning application have submitted objections.
Among those to submit negative responses was Nottingham Astronomy Society, who said the service station would “detrimentally impact upon the sky quality as viewed from the observatory.”
West Bridgford Wire adds that Conservative Councillor Tina Combellack has raised concerns about flooding, biodiversity and the service station’s “proximity to nearby homes”.
“The proposal will create a destination location where there is no demand, which will undermine any existing pubs and cafes to the detriment of the rural economy. The proposal will result in extreme light pollution, turning dark rural skies into a sea of commercial activity; the objection from the astronomical society should be noted and given due weight,” said the councillor.
However, the council appears set to green light the plan after concluding that “no demonstrable harm has been identified which would outweigh the benefits of the development”.
Therefore, in this case at least, it looks as though planning permission will be granted – bucking the trend of the many plans for services and HGV parks being rejected by councils.
