Plans to build a petrol station off the A14 at Elmswell have been recommended to be given the green light.

If approved, the petrol station will be accompanied by a drive-thru restaurant and coffee shop.

Euro Garages' plans - for land north-east of the A14 at Junction 47 - have been met with opposition, including a petition that has gained hundreds of signatures.

The planning statement for the project said there is a shortage of roadside services along this section of the A14 - with a clear need for them to support the local growing population.

Planning officers have recommended that the plans are approved at Wednesday's (September 28) Mid Suffolk development control committee.

A previous application was refused on highways grounds - however, the developers believe that he current application addresses previous concerns, and Suffolk Highways have now removed their objection, subject to conditions around access on and off the site.

Mid Suffolk District Council has also received 66 objections and two supporting comments on their planning portal - while Suffolk Constabulary said it cannot support the application "in view of the historical and current evidence of the rise in crime at similar locations".

Suffolk police did also say they would be willing to work with the developer to make the scheme safer - but they had not issued another comment on the plans since being re-consulted following further information from Euro Garages, at the time that the planning officers' report was written.

Despite the concerns, the planning officers' report for the project says: "The proposal is considered to deliver significant economic benefits, in terms of expected job creation, and social benefits, in terms of providing additional services and facilities for local persons, as well as the wider national population.

"Whilst the proposal would result in a level of environmental harm in landscape, heritage asset setting, and highway convenience terms, it is considered that such impacts can be successfully mitigated to acceptable levels, by way of design and the imposition of planning conditions."

The official recommendation to the committee is to grant planning permission with conditions.

Euro Garages declined to comment on the plans at this time.