Plans for service station, holiday lodges and farm shop near the A1 at site in Northumberland get green light from council
Plans for a major scheme at a site near Morpeth have been approved by Northumberland County Council.
The previous outline proposal by GH Group (2018) Ltd in 2020 for the area of land located at the bottom of Stannington Station Road close to the A1 was for a hotel and business hub units including retail. This was later withdrawn.
A new application was submitted to Northumberland County Council in late 2023 – full planning permission for a service station and a rest area including a cafe, 20 holiday lodges, a farm shop and other facilities.
In the months following this, National Highways requested further information and it said it was content for the proposal to move forward after amended plans and clarifications were submitted by the applicant.
The bid was recommended for approval by council planners and at a meeting of the strategic planning committee on Tuesday, August 5, it was given the green light by a unanimous vote with some amended conditions.
There were 13 objections to the proposal, including from the Campaign for the Protection of Rural England.
Stannington Parish Council supports the principle of development of a site which has been derelict for a number of years, but believes the installation of a roundabout at the west end of Station Road is essential.
It has also expressed concerns that the plans include a farm shop and cafe ‘when there is already a successful farm shop and cafe business on Station Road’.
Councillors on the committee discussed issues such as access to the site for vehicles coming off the A1, the number of parking spaces, noise from the site and the materials for the buildings.
Although he did say he felt the site “does feel and look a bit tight”, Coun Richard Dodd said he supports the application as the site “has been derelict for a long, long time and something needs to happen”.