Drive through restaurant, coffee shop and petrol station at Elmswell gets the go ahead
The green light has been given for a new drive through restaurant, coffee shop and petrol station off the A14, at Elmswell.
It comes after a planning inspector granted the go ahead for the plans after it was originally turned down by Mid Suffolk District Council and followed a series objections to the project by the parish council in the village along with Woolpit and Norton councils.
The appeal, lodged by EG (formerly Euro Garages) Ltd, is on land off Kiln Lane, next to the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency, and was originally submitted to Mid Suffolk back in November 2021 but refused planning permission in March 2023.
Now following a visit to the site in November last year inspector A Veevers has given the go ahead.
His decision was given to Mid Suffolk last month by saying that “having considered the development plan along with all other relevant material considerations, I conclude that the appeal should be allowed.”
It’s prompted anger with the local community but Peter Dow, the clerk of Elmswell Parish Council, said: “No appeal can be made against a Planning Inspectorate Appeal decision other than, as I understand it, Judicial Review should there be a claim of administrative/procedural error in the due process.
“Judicial review is vastly expensive and time-limited to, I believe, three months from the decision date (10th January). I can personally see no grounds for suggesting that the Inspector or the process were at fault in the way the appeal was handled.”
The parish council originally urged rejection of the scheme on a series of issues including highway safety, additional traffic and a failure to provide safety for cyclists and pedestrians.
Woolpit also “strongly” objected to the plans saying that the exit from the site is “extremely hazardous” and it would create queuing traffic tailing back onto the A14.
And Norton added that the site is too small for the development and was concerned about road safety and litter.
The scheme also includes more than 60 parking spaces and various infrastructure and landscaping works.
The inspector said: “While the presence of the proposal would inevitably urbanise the appeal site, it would not appear out of context here.”
No matter what the local objections, it all gets steam-rollored in the end. This will surely be visible from School Road the view from which has already been partially spoilt. How will this effect the local garages at Norton and Woolpit that also act as local shops?
Ah what a sad contrast between the village sign backdropped by English farmland and the prospect of drive through this that and another in an unrecognisable, over-developed Elmswell.
Yes good it’s going ahead. These village councillors need to get with the times & get into the 20th century. We need more amenities . Where I live is worse!!
that really good news cant wait to use them