Bishop Burton residents 'blindsided' by plans for drive-thru rest stop in small East Yorkshire village

Bishop Burton Parish Council and nine people have objected to the plans for the drive-thru in Killingwoldgraves Lane on the outskirts of the village west of Beverley.

The parish council stated it would likely provide low-skilled jobs not beneficial to the village economy, threaten local shops, lead to more litter and lead to more fast food outlets.

But Garness Jones, acting for applications Lovel Capital Projects, said the drive-thru would provide a key roadside facility to provide food, drink and rest for motorists, improving safety.

It comes as Beverley and Holderness MP Graham Stuart wrote to East Riding Council urging them to take the views of locals onboard, but he said he remained personally neutral.

The Conservative MP added locals felt blindsided by new development which seemed to come out of nowhere.

The call comes ahead of the plans going before the East Riding’s Eastern Area Planning Sub-Committee on Monday, August 8.

Council planning officers have recommended the plans be approved once developers provide more information on making a footpath to a road crossing to the site.

Plans for the drive-thru lodged with the council stated the site had already been developed and has permission for employment development, despite being in the open countryside.

The building would have a gross internal area of almost 172sqm, with its yard covering a further roughly 31sqm. The drive-thru facility would go around the back of the building and the site would have parking spaces for 26 vehicles. They would include two disabled spaces, two electric vehicle charging points and room four four bikes.

Plans stated the drive-thru could create between 20 and 30 full time jobs.

Councillors granted approval for the site to be used for employment purposes in 2020 but blocked plans for a petrol station which was later passed on appeal in 2021.

Developers stated the site would be small and modest, serving passing motorists and providing a place to rest longer than they could at a petrol station.

They added it would be unlikely in the extreme that the drive thru would cause locals to alter their shopping habits so it would not disrupt the local economy.

Developers stated: “The proposals are typical, in principle, of a valued roadside facility which is commonplace in many parts of the country and is becoming a key feature of transport infrastructure.

“This is particularly so where the facilities are designed with a food and drink offer, as well as indoor and sometimes outdoor seating so a meaningful break to driving can be achieved.

“This is why these facilities sit alongside petrol filling stations very effectively, and do not compete with them but offer a facility which aligns with the function of such small scale service areas.

“The facilities are also becoming very popular on the basis of revised working arrangements post the coronavirus pandemic, where the balance between home working and office based working has shifted.”

Bishop Burton Parish Council said the plans would create low paid, unskilled jobs which would be inferior to higher wage roles other developments such as industrial units would create.

The local council added there was no need for the development locally and it would threaten trade in local shops.

The parish council said: “The proposals do not provide sustainable transport, there is no safe method of accessing the site by bike or foot and the provision of electric charging points is woefully inadequate.

“The drive-thru will likely be the final nail in the coffin of the three local village shops in Bishop Burton, Walkington and Cherry Burton which play a vital role in preserving community life and are critical for the vibrancy of the villages.

“It will not be a community asset but an ‘asset’ that destroys local communities.”