Say No To Moto! Residents Anger Over Proposed Plans To Concrete Over 45 Hectares Of Greenbelt Land.

On Tuesday (28 January) residents from Havering and Essex joined forces outside of the Town Hall in Brentwood. The protest is aimed at a planning development that would see hectares of greenbelt land with endless wildlife on on it destroyed in place of service stations.

Residents and members of Harold Hill Deer Aid have already formally objected to this development and their battle contiunes.

In response- the property Director at Moto Jess Lockwood said:

“Our proposals address very special circumstances by meeting critical safety and infrastructure needs along this stretch of the M25, as identified by government policy. The area, which is entirely within the Green Belt, has significant service gaps, with distances between Thurrock, South Mimms, and Birchanger exceeding policy recommendations. These gaps will become greater still when the Lower Thames Crossing is completed.

The development will provide essential rest stops to reduce fatigue-related accidents, significant EV charging infrastructure to support the UK’s transition to a cleaner and greener future, and 400 secure HGV parking spaces to address the acute shortage in the area. These measures will alleviate HGV parking issues on local roads, including reducing roadside crime, and ease capacity constraints at existing facilities.

We have significant taken steps to minimise environmental impacts. Our plans include measures to protect wildlife, deliver at least a 10% Biodiversity Net Gain, and safeguard local heritage assets. After conversations with council officers, and in response to consultation feedback, we have also updated our Environmental Statement to ensure our plans respond to and consider local environmental considerations and adhere to the highest standards. 

We have listened to residents and amended our plans to remove the rear access points, meaning all vehicles will access the site directly from the M25 and not via local highways. We are also actively considering how to manage and reduce construction traffic impact on local roads. This includes planning to have all construction traffic have sole access to the site from the M25 for the vast majority of the construction programme.

Moto’s proposal is a standalone submission, carefully designed to address the needs of road users while respecting the character of the local area. We remain dedicated to engaging with the community to deliver safety, sustainability, and infrastructure improvements.”

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