A new roadside motel could be built next to the recently opened service station at the busy roundabout junction between the A140 and A143.
Plans have been submitted to remove three existing holiday cabins on land off Old Bury Road at Stuston, on the Norfolk/Suffolk border, and replace it with a new two-storey motel and car parking.
The site is next to the BP filling station and M&S Simply Food outlet, which opened in May, though work is yet to start on a drive-through McDonald's which was also approved for the new service area by Mid Suffolk Council in 2018.
Osiers Ltd, which also runs the golf driving range off Old Bury Road, is seeking outline planning application for the motel development which it says would attract both short-stay guests and longer-term tourists.
In the planning submission to Mid Suffolk Council they state: "The proposal would have considerable economic benefits in creating employment and serviced tourist accommodation; to serve both transient occupancy in association with the main through routes and as longer tourist stays for a base to enjoy the wider area."
MORE: 'Not lovin' it!': 12m McDonald's sign on A140 agreed despite objectionsPlans for two new homes on the site were refused in 2016 with planners saying it was an "unsustainable form of residential development in the countryside for which no essential justification".
In their new motel application the developers argue the site and its boundaries are "established and approved for the holiday accommodation use".
They state: "Though it was accepted the site is well related to the villages of Stuston and Scole, the intervening main trunk roads, A143 and A140, were considered to form a barrier which were unreasonable and unsafe to cross. As such occupants would be reliant upon private vehicles to access services and facilities.
"The granting of permission for the petrol station is considered to have altered sustainability and potential of the site. The site provides a drive-through restaurant and convenience store opened within close proximity of the application site. Essential items will now be within walking distance of the site. More significantly footpaths and crossings connect the site to Scole."
Despite the delay in construction, McDonald's said they remained committed to building the new restaurant and hope to begin work as soon as possible.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here