Campaigners warn of judicial review over planning consent for new motorway services

North Yorkshire Council faces a threat of judicial review from a local campaign group in a protracted dispute over whether planning consent should be given for a new motorway services area on the A1(M) near Ripon.

Local news website the Stray Ferret has reported that Kirby Hill Residents Against Motorway Services intends to take action over the application, which the council granted last month for a Welcome Break facility, filling station and 364 car parking spaces.

Applicant Applegreen had outline permission having won a planning appeal in 2021 but had applied for amendments including extensions to slip roads and increasing the height of a roundabout by 1.25 metres.

Objectors said these were significant changes to the outline consent and so they would challenge North Yorkshire over its decision being unlawful, irrational, unfair and procedurally improper.

The Stray Ferret said the application had over the past 25 years been before multiple council planning committees, faced four public inquiries and been turned down twice by the Secretary of State and the High Court.

North Yorkshire Council’s Assistant Director of Planning, Trevor Watson told Local Government Lawyer: “I can confirm that we have received correspondence relating to the decision and we are considering our response.”

Applegreen declined to comment.

Mark Smulian