Plans to make a petrol station only accessible from the A1 have been submitted to a council.
An application to change the road layout to remove two-way access between the Ram Jam petrol station and the newly created services has been submitted to Rutland County Council.
Godwin Developments, a joint applicant with MPK Garages Ltd, is behind the scheme which created two drive-thrus and a restaurant on the site of the former Ram Jam Inn.
One way sign. Photo: istock
It officially opened last month and houses roadside diner Brightside, operated by Cosy Club owners Loungers, international restaurant Wendy’s and coffee chain Costa Coffee.
Both the services and petrol station are currently accessible from the A1 northbound and the B668, but Keir Price, associate director of planning at Godwin Developments, described the current access as ‘untenable’.
He said: “The submitted proposals will ensure the safe movement of vehicles from the A1 and the petrol station forecourt into Ram Jam Services and onto the A1 from both the petrol station and Ram Jam Services.
A Google Maps view of the Ram Jam petrol station site taken in March 2023
“The revised road layout avoids conflicting vehicle movements on the petrol station forecourt and discourages inappropriate manoeuvres that would pose a risk to highway safety including impact from headlights on northbound traffic on the A1.”
When plans for the services originally went before the council’s planning committee a one-way access was proposed.
However, this was amended to two-way by councillors in response to a desire from local residents to continue to access the petrol station through the Ram Jam Services site rather than from the A1.
If the new plans are approved residents living nearby will need to use the A1 to enter the petrol station but will still be able to exit through the services onto the B668.
Since plans were submitted Rutland County Council’s interim highways engineer Julie Smith has expressed concerns about vehicles queuing at peak times or reversing out onto the highway.
She advised that a significant amount of signage on the highway would be needed to offer ‘clear and advance warning of what routes are achievable once on site’.
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