Decision on plans for service station, cafe and holiday lodges at site close to the A1 in Northumberland to be delayed

The previous outline proposal by GH Group (2018) Ltd in 2020 for the area of land located at the bottom of Stannington Station Road near the A1 was for a hotel, business hub units including retail, an electric vehicle charging station and car parking. This was later withdrawn.

A new bid was submitted to Northumberland County Council shortly before Christmas. It seeks full planning permission for a service station and a rest area including a cafe and a total of 20 holiday lodges.

Various consultees have been responding to the plans and it has emerged that National Highways, which is responsible for the A1, has told the council not to proceed to the next stage until August 1 this year or ‘until all information is assessed and any issues of concern have been resolved to National Highways’ satisfaction, whichever is the earlier’.

It is seeking more details in relation to the suitability of the noise mitigation measures being proposed and its response to the local authority also includes the following.

‘Those visiting the on-site accommodation will likely involve parties that include children and, possibly, dogs. Therefore, further details are also requested in relation to the boundary treatment along the southern boundary of the site, beyond the acoustic barrier, to ensure that this is sufficient to ensure that it is not possible for errant children and dogs to stray beyond the site, to the existing southern footpath and, thereby, towards the A1.’

The bid also includes a farm shop, a forest and toddler playground and associated landscape improvements.

In its response, Stannington Parish Council said it supports the principle of development at the site given that it has been derelict for a number of years, but it would not support an application that did not include a roundabout at the west and east end of Station Road because Station Road is a very busy thoroughfare.

It also said: ‘The council is also concerned at the inclusion of a farm shop and cafe when there is already a successful farm shop and cafe business on Station Road.’