PLANS for a new filling station and drive-through restaurant near one of York’s busiest road junctions have been unveiled.

Developers want to knock down the existing Wills & Ellis garage in Boroughbridge Road, close to the site where a new Park&Ride facility is being built, and replace it with a larger filling station, a shop and a restaurant.

The proposals for the scheme, at the junction of the A59 and the outer ring road, have been submitted to City of York Council by Skelwith Group and a decision on whether they can go ahead is expected to be made next month.

The site is surrounded by green belt land, but in a statement to the council’s planning teams, DLG Architects said the development would be designed in a way which did not spoil the countryside’s appearance.

The new Park&Ride site at Poppleton Bar is part of the council’s £22 million Access York project, which is designed to reduce congestion in and around the city. A larger Park&Ride facility is also being built at Askham Bar alongside other road improvements and bus lanes.

“This is a chance to regenerate this tired site with a sustainable development,” said DLG’s statement.

“The existing site layout is inefficient and, visually, the site is unattractive. It is surrounded by a variety of uses and could therefore provide a useful local amenity.”

If approved, the filling station’s shop would be expanded alongside the creation of the drive-through restaurant, although it has not yet been confirmed which firm would operate it.

The current vehicle service and maintenance centre at the site will move to new premises, although the location has yet to be confirmed. York Van Centre, which has a showroom at the site, is centralising its business at its base in Shipton-by-Beningbrough.

DLG said the restaurant’s size would be “considerate” to its surroundings and the station would be accessed from the outer ring road, with vehicles then exiting on to the A59 and pedestrian crossings being included in the scheme as well as parking space.

The planning statement said: “The proposals strike a balance between what is respectful to the site and surroundings and the requirements of future tenants.”