A 60-BED hotel, farm shop, restaurant and electric vehicle charging station are at the heart of plans for new services on the A303.
The plan, for land off the A303 at Sparkford Road, West Camel, has been submitted to Somerset Council by Grass Roots Planning on behalf of Hopkins Estates Ltd.
If approved, the scheme would see the new services constructed on “what remains of three fields” north of the busy route, which is currently being dualled as part of a multi million-pound project.
The application says the intention is to create a services similar to a popular eco-friendly development off the M5 at Gloucester, “with a focus on celebrating the local environment, landscape and produce within”.
Views of the site at West Camel as it currently stands. Picture: BPL Architecture/Somerset Council
It would include an ‘energy station’, with an electric vehicle charging hub, a farm shop, restaurant, hotel/lodge accommodation – with 60 bedrooms over two storeys – HGV parking and accommodation of 50 spaces with an amenity block, and a solar field generating “enough energy to more than cover the proposed energy station and further promote the green credential opportunities of the scheme”.
Access would come from a new T-junction off the Steart Hill link, created during the dualling work, the application said.
There would be a net gain in biodiversity through the development, the plan claims, with “green corridors” around the site helping create “an attractive and green environment to encourage users to take advantage of the outside spaces”.
A view of the hotel/lodge proposed for the A303 services at West Camel. Picture: BPL Architecture/Somerset Council
However, the proposal has provoked mixed reactions from residents.
Joy Whittington, who runs The Bakery, across the A303 from the site, said the new services would add to a “severe loss of trade” the business has experienced during the dualling work.
“We have just suffered a severe loss of trade for the past three years while road works have been in progress and business has just started to improve as the temporary signage has been put up, only for us to discover … a planning application for a farm shop etc right opposite us which will take all our trade,” she said.
“My staff are very worried about this, as their livelihood depends on the Bakery, which is a family business.
“I must therefore strongly object to this application.”
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Geoff Lavender, of West Camel Road in Queen Camel, also objected.
“A great shame that another area of outstanding beauty is to be chewed up on the back of a road expansion,” he said.
“Not even a sign of anything environmentally useful, like a windmill.”
Meanwhile, Donna Edwards, of Rimpton, backed the plans.
She said: “The current two services, at Podimore and Sparkford, are overstretched. Not enough parking, only one electric chasrging point at McDonald’s, and very little HGV overnight parking.
“I fully support this application. It will bring employment to the area and create a much-needed services suitable for the heavy traffic of the A303 and the modern traveller.”
For more details on the application, and to comment, log on to somerset.gov.uk and search for reference 24/00841/FUL.
A Brilliant idea, the present services at Podimore are a disgrace and the sooner these are shut the better
It might be a brilliant idea for you living miles away. This is on my doorstep. We have already had 3 years of living on a building site. Now there will be years more dust and noise
100% back this Application nothing close for the HGV driver, sparkford McDonald’s can’t get in there. Podimore services want flattening dirty and rat infested. Just what we need on the A303. It will bring jobs a growth to the area, well done Hopkins Estates. Geoff Conway Ex haulier from Sherborne.
This is the wrong place for a development of this nature, its on top of a hill , visible from miles around, Service areas are desperately needed on A303, but develop this service area at Podimore replacing the existing run down services
There’s a farm shop – teals 3:4 mikes up the road, a travel lodge at podimore 3 miles down the road. We have local businesses who have already lost trade due to the new road -upgrade podimore services and put it there
NIMBY Please, living with chaos and filth for the last 3yrs with the new A303 road development. West Camel also has dread flooding problems too, so don’t need more grief. Podimore is the site for this development, it is a disgraceful mess of broken roads, and no kerb appeal, also a very careworn Travel Lodge. A great idea, just the wrong place!
This will be another devastating blow to all local businesses and why do we need another Hotel, service station, farm shop and restaurant when we have 2 Travel Lodges within a couple of miles of this new site with facilities and Teals offering Electric charging points and Farm shop in between 🤷🏻♀️
Sadly the ‘Hopkins’ empire behind this development give nothing back to the local community – they just take from the environment and their appetite to ‘conquer’ will never be satisfied. This is just another excuse to build ugly houses in a beautiful location.
Hopkins is a prolific developer who sadly has absolutely no interest in the local environment or the community. All very well presenting AI generated plans of this development but in reality it will be an eye sore, built
on the cheap. Look at what a mess they have made of Wincanton. This is not the place to concentrate over when there are already services east and west of here in close proximity.
The location of this proposed development is elevated and therefore visible from miles around. Is it necessary with services at Podimore and Sparkford. Surely a lorry park would be better further west at Cartgate where the roundabout would offer much safe re-entry to the A303 than what is a very short slip road before the new bridge. It’s almost too shabby rt for a car so it would be very dangerous for HGVs, especially when any number could be trying to join the A303 at any given time.