Site visit to decide on major lorry park with drive-thrus proposed at M180 Barnetby Top

A proposed lorry park and service station ^[1] by the M180 ^[2] will be decided after a site visit by councillors.

Lindum Group Limited and Brocklesby Estate applied for permission for the development back in 2021, but it only appeared before North Lincolnshire Council ^[3]'s planning committee this month. The proposed location is at Barnetby ^[4] Top interchange, junction five of the motorway.

The lorry park would have capacity for up to 200 spaces, and it would be accompanied by a service station and two drive-thru units. When up and running, it is estimated the site could employ up to 75 full-time equivalent jobs.

No fewer than six parish councils have objected to the scheme. There have also been more than 60 individual comments on the application, most objecting, with traffic ^[5] concerns featuring heavily. The applicants argue it will address a chronic shortage of parking and welfare facilities for HGV drivers in North Lincolnshire.

Objector Ruth Lloyd told councillors she opposed the loss of agricultural land, which provided domestic food production and habitat for wildlife. She argued such a lorry park was "only suitable for a brownfield site, or industrial area.

She also had concerns about future criminal activity. "Facilities like this are well known to be high crime hotspots." Her question was whether staff employed would be willing to be able to challenge potentially violent situations.

"We're concerned it could be used for things such as organised crime," Ms Lloyd said. The issue of litter and vermin was also raised. She had a picture, though could not submit it at the meeting, of McDonald's litter in a Barnetby field, when it is nine miles to the nearest McDonald's.

"I would say to you this is an industrial scale development. I think this will impact on the quality of life for residents." She requested a site visit.

Elsham Parish Cllr Steve Moir said the village seemed "universally against it". Rush hour times getting into Barnetby were horrendous, and he claimed there were regular accidents. "The proposed lorry park is a duplication of services already in place," he argued.

He also felt the number of mitigating conditions proposed showed the number of problems the lorry park would bring. The application includes a proposed traffic flow. All vehicles will enter, and HGVs will exit, on the A18 section between Barnetby Interchange and the roundabout with Kings Road. Cars and LGVs will exit via the A18 to the south.

(Image: Globe Consultants Ltd)

Agent James Rigby for the applicants welcomed the officers' recommendation for approval. He said it was "viewed as an optimal location" as there were 315 per cent more HGVs passing between junctions four and five of the M180 compared to other locations.

He stated a monitored survey showed many drivers "stopping in inappropriate lay-bys without access to welfare facilities", and mentioned the problem of lay-by parking was enhanced in the outskirts of Scunthorpe and Brigg.

"The application will make a vital and meaningful contribution to improving infrastructure," said Mr Shah, on behalf of Lindum, one half of the applicants. He added the site could easily adapt to future shifts to further electric vehicles or hydrogen.

Cllr Carl Sherwood said he and Cllr Rob Waltham, Brigg and Wold Ward councillors, had called it in. He had been contacted by many people, not all against it. "I can foresee quite a few problems, not least the highways," he said. A site visit was unanimously agreed.

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References

^{^} A proposed lorry park and service station (www.grimsbytelegraph.co.uk)
^{^} M180 (www.grimsbytelegraph.co.uk)
^{^} North Lincolnshire Council (www.grimsbytelegraph.co.uk)
^{^} Barnetby (www.grimsbytelegraph.co.uk)
^{^} traffic (www.grimsbytelegraph.co.uk)
^{^} click the link (tinyurl.com)
^{^} Privacy Notice (bit.ly)