Greggs refused permission to open new outlets

Greggs has been refused permission to open new outlets at two motorway service stations.

Planning officers at Wakefield Council rejected the bakery's plans for new stores at Woolley Edge, on the M1, and Darrington, on the A1.

The local authority cited the impact on surrounding greenbelt land.

Greggs had argued one of the new stores would be "small scale" and "in keeping with the existing nature of the site".

The bakery chain had applied to build new drive-thru premises at the Moto Hospitality northbound services at Woolley Edge, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Permission was sought to change the parking layout to accommodate the facility and provide indoor seating for 32 customers.

Greggs argued that there would be no encroachment on surrounding countryside and the visual impact of the premises would be “minimised”.

An application submitted on behalf of the company said the existing car park represented previously developed land.

But rejecting the plan as "inappropriate development", a council planning officer said: "The proposal, being located in an area currently used for parking, would have a harmful impact on the openness of the greenbelt."

Plans to install a temporary “Greggs Pod” building on a car park at Welcome Break services, on the A1 southbound at Darrington, were also rejected.

The scheme included replacing an office building with the new unit as part of plans to modernise the services.

The application sought permission for the structure for two years.

But an officer’s report said the new premises would be double the size of the existing office building.

Refusing the scheme, the officer said: "By virtue of its scale, the proposed development would have a greater impact on the greenbelt."

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