The small world of UK motorway services operators has been racked with drama after the High Court overturned planning permission that had been granted to Roadchef for a new MSA, following an intervention from rival firm Moto.
Back in 2024 North Yorkshire Council granted Roadchef permission to construct a new MSA on an 11-acre plot by J52 near Catterick on the A1(M).
This decision was challenged in the High Court by Moto, which operates 70 sites including nearby Scotch Corner services, just six miles north of the proposed Roadchef MSA.
Catterick services was to be built on land classified partly as a Zone 2 flood zone, and partly as Zone 3. Moto argued Roadchef had failed to demonstrate if there were alternative potential sites in lower flood-risk areas, thus voiding the council’s planning decision.
The High Court sided with Moto and ruled that the council’s report contained “a material legal error” as it “wrongly accepted that the flood risk sequential test was ‘passed’ without a flood risk based sequential assessment of alternative locations for the proposed development”, contrary to national planning-policy requirements.
It was also ruled that North Yorkshire Council must pay Moto’s cost for mounting its legal challenge, while Roadchef has been forced to reapply for planning permission.
A spokesperson for Roadchef described the ruling as “unfortunate”, and said the firm is “actively working with North Yorkshire Council to resubmit this application”, and remains “committed to delivering this development”.
