Outline plans for a petrol station, EV charging hub, shop, drive-through and lorry park on land off the A140 in Brome, have finally been recommended for approval by Mid Suffolk District Council’s planning committee.
The plans were originally submitted in 2022 by Wilkinson Planning, on behalf of RH Developments (East Anglia) Ltd.
However, concerns about water could still affect the decision. A flood risk and drainage water strategy assessment carried out last month said that while the site was shown to be at risk of surface water flooding, mitigation measures would minimise the risk. These measures include designing a new drainage system to secure the surface water run-off.
Another hurdle exists from Essex and Suffolk Water, which currently has a moratorium in operation in the area, prohibiting new non-domestic supplies because Suffolk is classed as a ‘serious water stressed’ area.
The water company said it is not clear from the application whether there will be a need for an increase in water use for non-domestic purposes over any existing level of their mains water supply allowance.
“We would request that clarity is provided by the applicant to determine whether additional mains water supply will be required as a consequence of this proposal. If the development is likely to result in an increase in mains water usage, then we will object to the planning application, in line with our moratorium,” it said.
“However, we will work collaboratively and if we can create supply headroom through innovative demand management activities, then this could be sufficient to allow some companies to marginally increase their mains water consumption. Consequently, we will keep the situation under review.”
