A14 services open despite council safety notice

A service station ordered to immediately close over its failure to implement essential road safety measures has been accused of "putting profit ahead of safety" as it reopened to motorists.

Elmswell Services, just off the A14 between Bury St Edmunds and Stowmarket, was served with a breach of condition notice on Thursday afternoon following a planning dispute with Mid Suffolk District Council.

The site - which includes a Spar, Greggs and Starbucks and began operating in December - opened again on Friday, with the council stating it was now considering all options, including legal action.

EG on The Move, which was served with the notice, has been approached for comment.

The issue stemmed from the planning process and the council's concerns that the site's exit would have a "severe and detrimental impact on highway safety".

The site was granted planning permission on appeal and opened in December, but Mid Suffolk said its concerns had not been addressed.

The notice states work on the access and exit points – as set out in the Planning Inspectorate's conditions of approval - were not carried out before opening.

On Thursday, the council told all businesses they must cease operation immediately until the conditions were met, with EG On The Move open to prosecution if it does not implement the measures within three months.

A council spokesperson confirmed the site was open again on Friday and said: "The businesses continuing to operate on the site are putting profit ahead of safety.

"They are in breach of the notice we have served, and we are considering all options available to us - including legal action."

Andrew Stringer, cabinet member for heritage, planning and infrastructure at the Green-controlled council, said they did not take the action lightly.

"We recognise the impact it will have on the businesses, but we have a duty to uphold planning laws which are there to protect our residents," he added.

"The safety of the local community, including customers and staff at the site, will always come first.

"It is simply unacceptable that important safety work, set out clearly by the Planning Inspectorate, has not happened ahead of opening."

The council also served an enforcement notice because there was not an approved construction management plan and construction surface water management plan in place before work started.

The Planning Inspectorate had said this was "so fundamental to the development that it would have been otherwise necessary to refuse permission".

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