‘An accident waiting to happen’: Fears voiced as service station plan refused

Plans to build a service station near a busy Lincoln roundabout have been refused following road safety concerns. West Lindsey district councillors voted to reject proposals to build eight fuel pumps, a roadside services area, drive-thru coffee shop, HGV parking area and electric vehicle charging bays at the A46/A15 Riseholme roundabout.[1][2][3] The plans, lodged by applicant Venari Fuel Ltd, had received 73 objections - and councillors chose to listen to the concerns and vote against the scheme at their meeting on Wednesday, August 20. Nettleham Parish Council objected to the plans over road safety concerns and the fact that there's already a service station two miles away at the Lincolnshire Showground.

Riseholme Parish Council said the proposal would have a negative visual impact on the area and increase noise and pollution to existing residents. Its chairman Neil Foster spoke on behalf of the parish council at this week's meeting and said the application was an 'accident waiting to happen'. Councillor Foster said: "This application would harm the character of Lincoln and the Green Wedge.

To make this proposal work, the speed limit on the A15 would need to be reduced from 70mph to 40mph. "This is an accident waiting to happen. The A46 and A15 roundabout would become dangerous for road users.

This would pose a serious danger to pedestrians and cyclists. This is the wrong development in the wrong place. If this application is approved, it would cause a significant risk to road safety."

Councillor Sue North, who also spoke as a Riseholme parish councillor, said: "It's the wrong application in the wrong site. I support Councillor Foster's points." Councillor Jakie Brockway (Conservative), who spoke as the ward member for Nettleham and Saxilby, said: "I support everything that has been said here.

This application is not wanted and isn't needed. When council officers recommend a refusal, they don't do so lightly. "I think that is very significant.

The roundabout is dangerous because just as people are going across the A15, they are accelerating. People already struggle to get into Riseholme village." West Lindsey district councillor John Barret (Conservative), said: "This has been going on for two years now.

This has caused residents a lot of misery. They did not know what was happening." But Councillor David Dobbie (Liberal Democrat) acknowledged that the applicant had tried to keep the service station in character with the area. He added: "I'm not sure it's the wrong application but it's definitely in the wrong place.

I think the fact that it had a green roof makes sure it fits in with the area. We've got to keep this area as clean as possible. We want to keep nature as close as possible to the back of the area.

I don't think any application should be built on a wildlife area." Lincolnshire County Council had previously objected to the plans but later dropped this after the applicant made changes to address concerns around traffic flow and access for cyclists and pedestrians. Case officer George Backovic said the highways team at the county council had conducted a risk assessment of the proposal.

He added: "At peak times there may be some delays in vehicles finding a gap in the traffic flow to exit turning right.

This potential for queuing has been accommodated in the internal site layout."

But Mr Backovic said that the mitigations made by the applicant were not 'sufficient' enough to outweigh the concerns around road safety and traffic flow.

References

1. ^ near a busy Lincoln roundabout (www.lincolnshirelive.co.uk)
2. ^ West Lindsey (www.lincolnshirelive.co.uk)
3. ^ Riseholme roundabout. (www.lincolnshirelive.co.uk)