PLANS for a £1.5 million motel for the A12 have been unveiled.Property developers Riverdale Projects Ltd are planning to build a 48-bedroom motel at a site near the petrol garage at Darsham, near Yoxford.

PLANS for a £1.5 million motel for the A12 have been unveiled.

Property developers Riverdale Projects Ltd are planning to build a 48-bedroom motel at a site near the petrol garage at Darsham, near Yoxford.

Last June, outline plans for a 40-bed motel submitted by the Salter and Skinner Partnership were given the go-ahead by Suffolk Coastal District Council.

Earlier this year, the site was sold to Riverdale Projects Ltd, and they have now submitted detailed plans to the council.

These have been drawn up by Beanland Associates Architects, and facilities include a small café/coffee bar, and four double bedrooms with full wheelchair access.

“Whilst the scheme is modern in concept, the design utilises traditional local materials such as red brick, render and sawn timber cladding,” said architect Stan Beanland.

“The ground floor of the building has been set at a reduced level and the roof designed at a shallow pitch to minimise the impact of the building on the landscape and open countryside.

“We are hoping, subject to receiving full planning approval, that works will start on site in mid 2006 with completion early in 2007.

“Once built the motel will bring much-needed modern hotel facilities to this area of Suffolk boosting tourism and employment opportunities in the area.”

Architects amended the design following pre-application discussions to reduce the length of the elevation facing the A12 and to increase the landscape buffer between the road and the north east corner of the development.

Mr Beanland said the motel represents “the viable unit in terms of bedroom numbers”

“In developing the design, we have been mindful of the need to minimise the ridge height and have therefore opted for a shallow pitch roof utilising zinc or similar material,” he said.

Ron Reeve, chairman of Darsham Parish Council said they would need to see the proposals before reaching any conclusions, but they had supported the previous outline plans.

“We would have to look at it to see,” he said.

“The parish council were in favour of the original application. We thought it was good for the parish and it would bring visitors in who would patronise other businesses in the parish.”