Traffic fears lead to delay over decision for A5 service station plan near Shrewsbury

Shropshire Council’s northern planning committee came close to approving the scheme at a meeting on Tuesday, but instead agreed to defer the application.

Members said vehicles accessing the site, next to Churncote Roundabout, would cause a backlog of congestion on the island as they wait to turn right into the services across the traffic on Welshpool Road.

However, they held back from refusing the plans altogether, saying they wanted to give the applicant, EG Group, chance to address their concerns before making a final decision.

It is the third application by the company for the site, after one was withdrawn in 2021 and another refused last year.

Planning agent Mike Sproston, representing EG Group, told the committee that the new petrol station and accompanying coffee shop drive through would create 21 full-time equivalent jobs.

Mr Sproston said the scheme had been significantly scaled back since the previous applications, which had also included a drive-through restaurant and office units.

He also said there would be a “biodiversity net gain” and electric vehicle charging points, with infrastructure for more to be added in the future.

A statement from Emma Bullard, from campaign group Better Shrewsbury Transport (BeST) was also read to the committee, saying the plans “will add to the poor conditions for walking and cycling on Welshpool Road”.

The land forms part of the Shrewsbury West Sustainable Urban Extension (SUE), and is allocated for employment use.

However a report to the committee explained that since the SUE masterplan and outline planning permission were agreed in 2014, and particularly since the onset of the Covid pandemic, there was less demand for office space.

The site lies near one end of the proposed North West Relief Road, and if approval is granted the developer will make an £80,000 contribution towards its construction.

Councillors questioned why this figure was so low, but were told the current application only covered part of the site, the total contribution for which was agreed at £177,000 in 2014.

Asked whether inflation since then would be taken into account, planning officers said the figure was “set in stone” by the legal agreements signed as part of the outline permission.

Councillor Garry Burchett proposed refusal of the application, saying: “I think the junction itself is going to be far too dangerous.

“I have travelled that road many times, it can take you 15 minutes to get across that junction on a busy morning.

“Ninety per cent of people using that petrol station will come in from the Churncote Roundabout and will have to turn right across the traffic on Welshpool Road onto the site.”

Councillor Nat Green said the applicant should have considered having an exit slip road from the site back onto the A5, to avoid a build up of traffic leaving the site via Welshpool Road.

However councillor Vince Hunt said the judgement of experienced highways officers – who had raised no objections – should be listened to rather than “amateur opinions”.

Councillor Mark Jones proposed granting permission, saying: “We are short of petrol stations and amenities like this."

The proposal was narrowly defeated, with five votes for and six against.

Officers advised the committee that a refusal on highways grounds would be difficult to defend in the event of an appeal, but admitted there were several other “loose ends” to be tied up.

Councillor Burchett withdrew his proposal to refuse the scheme and instead said it should be deferred.

This was unanimously supported, meaning the application will come back before the committee at a future meeting.