M-way services plan using dirty tactics - opponents

A roadside services operator has been accused of "dirty tactics" to get a planning application approved.

Roadchef has submitted proposals for a new motorway services area off the A1(M), near Catterick.

However, opponents to the plans have complained about a form on the firm's website, inviting customers to sign automated letters of support for the application.

In response, Roadchef said it was "committed to working closely with all relevant stakeholders".

If approved, the £50m scheme would be built across a 27-acre former quarry site, which is now home to a variety of wildlife.

It includes a restaurant and café space, a 100-bedroom hotel, Costa and McDonalds drive-thrus, a filling station and HGV overnight parking.

The plans were unanimously approved by Richmondshire district councillors in 2022, who concluded it was urgently needed due to nearby facilities being at full capacity.

However, the approval was on condition that Roadchef provided compensation for the ecological damage caused by the project.

At the time, the company agreed to pay almost £2m to create wildlife habitats elsewhere to compensate for the impact on Swale Lakes - a nearby Site of Special Scientific Interest.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service said that, since then, planning officers had been unconvinced Roadchef would provide sufficient environmental mitigation.

Therefore, the application had been referred back to a planning committee, now North Yorkshire Council, for further consideration.

Residents from the nearby village of Catterick have written to the council, after more than 80 generic letters of support were recently lodged from across the UK.

The letters were described as "outrageous and a total disregard of the feelings of the local population" and a "severe abuse of local ratepayer democracy".

One resident stated Roadchef’s automated response system on its website was "a clear attempt at manipulation of the outcome of this proposal".

Another complaint added: "I believe this is a dirty tactic and totally unethical.

"These letters should not be considered."

In response, Roadchef said that it "respected and valued the opinion of the local community".

A spokesperson added the services would "provide significant benefits to both the local Richmondshire community and those that use the motorway network outside of the local area".

They said all road users should be aware of the application and be able to submit their views if they choose.

"Submissions made have been on their own merit and, as with any planning decision, it’s the role of the local planning authority to determine the weight to be given to public correspondence received,” they added.

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