Between 80 and 100 local people gathered in the village hall at Bishop Burton for a presentation by the Lindum Development Group of their plans to build a petrol station and a convenience store on agricultural land to the north of the Killingwoldgraves roundabout on the road between Beverley and Bishop Burton. The developers were represented by a builder from Lindum, a planning consultant and a highways consultant, both engaged by the developer. They also answered questions put by members of the audience.
Those attending were mostly from Bishop Burton but also came from neighbouring villages and from Beverley.
There was no need for a petrol station and a convenience store in the planned location. At least four petrol stations had closed in recent years within a few miles of the location.
The development would cause additional traffic congestion and hazards in a location already problematic.
The development would increase the hazard to pedestrians who regularly walked the path between Beverley, the Westwood and Bishop Burton and its college.
The traffic survey had been conducted on a day when the college was closed to students. This invalidated the claim by the highways consultant that the traffic impact would be small.
The proposed store would have a damaging effect on the village stores/post offices of Bishop Burton, Walkington and Cherry Burton. Their possible closure would rip the heart out of those communities.
Bishop Burton especially has a great reputation as being an attractive village unspoilt by commercial development.
The use of agricultural land in a rural location which was not allocated for commercial development was heavily criticised.
Villagers spoke of the damage that would be done to the heritage and character of the rural access to Beverley and the Westwood from the west and north and to Bishop Burton and the Wolds from the east.
The site was of historical significance and there may well be archaeological interest in the immediate area of the location. Reference was made to Killingwoldgraves Hospital, the Sanctuary Cross and the Gallows.
Villagers felt the development could lead to further planning applications for take-away and drive-thru franchises such as had occurred at Pocklington and Shiptonthorpe roundabouts.
The development would exacerbate the problem of litter between Bishop Burton and the Westwood, and on nearby lanes and roads.
The detailed research that underlay the assessment of need for the development and the source of customers.
Precedents for planning approval being granted to a new petrol station on green-fields agricultural land that was not allocated to commercial development in a local strategy plan.
BP and M&S were criticised for not attending the meeting to hear the concerns and passionate objections of villagers even though they had been invited. It was understood that they would be the owners and operators of the site.
The Clerk to the Bishop Burton Parish Council advised villagers that if and when formal plans were submitted she would inform those who had attended the meeting by email and information would also be put on the village web site.
She stressed that those wishing to object must send in letters to the East Riding of Yorkshire Council when the plans have been lodged with the council. She would offer advice on the matters that would be appropriate to include in such letters. The quantity of individual letters of objection would weigh heavily with the Planning Committee’s consideration of the proposal.
If you click on the title of this article you will find at the bottom of the full article copies of the plans as presented by Lindum to the consultation meeting.