| Gloucestershire Gateway Services | |
|---|---|
| County | Gloucestershire |
| Road | M5 motorway |
| Coordinates | |
| Operator | Westmorland Motorway Services Ltd & Gloucestershire Gateway Trust |
| Date opened | Proposed |
| Website | www.gloucestershiregatewayservices.com |
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Gloucestershire Gateway services (Gloucestershire)
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The Gloucestershire Gateway Services is a pair of proposed motorway service areas (MSA) serving both northbound and southbound carriageways of the M5 between junctions 11A and 12 near Gloucester, England. Although planning permission has been granted, as of June 2011[update] no date has been given for the start of construction.
Contents |
In September 2009, independent motorway services operator, Westmorland Motorway Services Ltd., jointly with a local charitable trust, Gloucestershire Gateway Trust submitted plans for a services at Matson for public consultation.[1] The plans are for a business operated in a similar manner to the Tebay services on the M6 in Cumbria, with much of the food and produce on sale being sourced from local suppliers.
Arguments both in support and opposition of the scheme have been made, citing Highways Agency and Department for Transport guidance.
A 2008 DfT circular advises a maximum 28-mile (45 km) mile or 30 minute drive time, whichever lesser, gap between services on the motorway network.[2] In early 2009, the Highways Agency conducted a review of Motorway services in England, guided by this circular, identifying gaps in provision of core motorway service areas. A shortcoming of provision for traffic traversing the Welsh-English border between the M50 terminus and Michaelwood Services was identified.[3]
A distance of 40 miles (64 km) or greater would be a gap between MSAs above which the Highways Agency would consider informing a local authority of the potential need for a new MSA to be included in the Local Development Framework.[4]
The 2008 circular also advises that any development be limited to mitigate the impact on the environment particularly to National Parks and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.[5] The proposed site at Ongers Farm is on the boundary of the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB).
There has been vocal opposition to the proposal from groups in the local area, including the Campaign Against Motorway Service Area (CAMSA), with objections mainly based on aesthetic damage to the surrounding countryside (with particular reference to the scheme's proximity to the Cotswolds AONB), and a lack of need.[6]
A planning application was submitted to the local Planning Authority, Stroud District Council in December 2009.[7] The application was approved in August 2010, with councillors on the planning committee voting six to four in favour of the scheme.[8]
The District Council was informed at the end of February 2011 that Roadchef and Welcome Break (the operators of Strensham and Michaelwood service stations) have applied to the High Court for a judicial review of the Council’s decision to grant planning permission for the Gloucestershire Gateway motorway service area on the M5. Joined in the action are CAMSA and the Parish Councils of Brookthorpe with Whaddon and Harescombe. Roadchef and Welcome Break allege that the council failed to take full account of Policy NE8 regarding landscape issues and the AONB, that the legal agreement requiring the MSA to source a percent of its goods locally is unlawful, and that a number of conditions are not tight enough. A full version of the “grounds for application” together with SDC initial response can be found here.[9]
The case will be heard in the High Court in Birmingham on 17th and 18th January 2012.
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Motorway service stations on the M5 Motorway |
Next: Michaelwood Services |