CIVIC society chiefs have called on Vale planning bosses to give the thumbs down to an application for a truck stop at the side of the busy A46 on Broadway Road.
Applicants have put forward a plan for a roadside venue on land at the corner of the A46 Evesham by pass and Broadway Road.
The proposed site will have associated HGV and car parking, a security hut, service yard as well as a building for drivers to use.
While agreeing with the need for a truck stop with access to the A46, Vale of Evesham Civic Society bosses have called for the current application to be rejected by planning chiefs.
In a letter to Wychavon District Council, society chairman James Powell criticised the scheme and said the application for such a site was premature given the recent publication of a study into improving congestion on the A46 in Evesham.
“The application site occupies a strategic location at the junction of the A46 with the A44 which is a junction that will require improvement to enable the delivery of the improved A46 corridor,” he said.
“Until such design work has been undertaken no consents should be granted which could compromise the scheme.”
Mr Powell also criticised the plans for ‘low level lighting’ and claimed it would be ‘unrealistic’ to expect a site open 24 hours a day to use such lighting instead of floodlights which he said would impact on views in the area from homes on the eastern side of the town.
The application’s transport assessment was deemed deficient by Mr Powell who said it failed to account for an increase in traffic from the proposed new day nursery at Four Acres.
“People living on properties adjoining the A46 laybys are affected by noise from engines and refrigeration units when there are overnight stops in the laybys, “ he added.
The former planning consultant suggested a truck stop should be sited away from houses and part of any upgrade of the A46 and questioned whether land on Vale Park could be used to house such a scheme.
“No doubt the application will receive much support from the transport industry however it should be refused due to its siting so close to domestic properties and also the site is due for consideration with the improvements on the new trunk road scheme,” he said.
The application is set to be discussed in the coming weeks.
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