In planning documents lodged with Hambleton District Council, Calverts Carpets has stated the £16m development would be off the A170 York Road, beside a fuel station, a McDonalds and a Costa drive-thru, food store and lorry park development that was approved by the authority last year amid controversy.

Councillors were then warned developing the farmland on a site that had not been included for development in Hambleton’s recently completed Local Plan would make a mockery of the council’s development masterplan as well as setting a precedent for the greenfield area.

They were also warned the scheme would have a significant environmental impact, but passed the plan partly on the basis that it would bring the prestige of a Marks and Spencer shop to the town and partly following claims it would create 106 jobs.

However, it transpired the jobs figure was not supported by any evidence and following consent being given Marks and Spencer pulled out of the scheme and have since been replaced by Budgens.

The latest proposed site is bounded on its other sides by farm fields, beyond which is Cod Beck. A Site of Importance for Nature Conservation lies to the west of the site, albeit with some fields between the designated area of environmental protection and the proposed development.

With just seven months until the council is closed down and replaced by the incoming unitary North Yorkshire Council, Calverts Carpets has asked the authority to consider whether it needs to complete time-consuming Environmental Impact Assessment studies for the major development on undeveloped land.

Although a planning application has yet to filed, the papers state the scheme is quite advanced with the layout having been developed following talks with the council’s planning officers.

The documents state buildings on the site would be up to three storeys “to ensure the scale of the development is not obtrusive on the surrounding landscape”.

The planning documents state: “The proposal will result in significant investment in the region of £16m in construction/developmentcosts and encourages sustainable economic growth, as well as having the potential to bring in new employers to the area and promotes small business growth and development.”

In an unusual development, while no planning application has been lodged, the chair of Thirsk Youth Club has already written to the authority to “support the planning application”.

While the letter makes it unclear whether the club would be given or have to buy land on the site, she stated its trustees “would be very interested in acquiring use of a large unit as a permanent home” for the growing youth club as it was “out-growing all available spaces in Thirsk”.

Thirsk councillor Gareth Dadd said while everyone with planning ambitions deserved a fair hearing, he would “take a lot of convincing” over Calverts’ Carpets plans.

He added: “Given what we were told previously about developing the land beside this site, setting a precedent and a deviation from the Local Plan, I suspect my fears are now coming to fruition.”

Travelodge and Starbucks drive-thru could be built on North Yorkshire farmland