Plans to build a roadside motel near the A140 on the Norfolk-Suffolk border have been rejected for the second time in a year.

East Anglian Daily Times: The BP petrol station and M&S Simply Food store opened last year near the site for the proposed motel Picture: SIMON PARKINThe BP petrol station and M&S Simply Food store opened last year near the site for the proposed motel Picture: SIMON PARKIN (Image: Archant)

The application, submitted by Osiers Ltd, planned to replace three existing holiday cabins off Old Bury Road at Stuston with a new two-storey motel.

The plans were resubmitted in May after Mid Suffolk District Council refused an initial application in November 2019, a month after it was originally submitted.

However, despite a revised application, the council again deemed the plans to be inappropriate for the site.

The decision, which was delegated to a council planning officer, concluded that the plans would cause “significant” impact on neighbouring amenities.

Case officer Jack Wilkinson added that the designs would result in a “significantly dominant and oppressive impact”, adding that the building will overlook neighbouring properties causing a “loss of privacy”.

However, Osiers said the designs had been “carefully considered” to ensure they fitted in with the character of the area.

A statement within the application said: “The proposed motel is in a sustainable location with the ability for the site to relate with the nearby petrol service station.

“The facility will be a benefit to the community, as it will offer an employment opportunity through the development in the short-term and in the long-term running of the motel.”

The site for the scheme is next to a BP petrol station and M&S Simply Food store.

A drive-thru McDonald’s is also set to be built nearby, after the fast food chain received planning permission two years ago.

Osiers, which also runs the neighbouring golf driving range, said it wishes to remove the cabins on the basis that their operation has become “too demanding” in recent years.

The site is located in close proximity to the A140, near to the border between Suffolk and Norfolk.

The motel was planned to be located within metres of the busy roundabout between the A140 and A143.

However, details of the proposed motel are scarce.

The building will be two storeys high but it is not known how many rooms would have featured in the new property, or how many people would be able to stay there.