FRESH plans are to be considered for new motorway services on the region's busiest road.

Richmondshire District Council was taken to task by developers for failing to determine an application for the redevelopment of Barton lorry park, near Darlington, back in 1996.

It was January the following year before a Government planning inspector ruled it the best location for new motorway services south of Darlington, above Catterick or Scotch Corner.

Proposals had been submitted for both rival sites, but were later withdrawn when the Government confirmed it had shelved proposals to upgrade the A1 between Scotch Corner and Dishforth in North Yorkshire.

But although Barton won that particular battle, there have been a number of false dawns since.

An application to include an extra parcel of land in the area and blueprints for a service area and a factory shopping complex and leisure all came to nothing.

Outline planning permission was renewed in 1999, but there has been little movement since.

But now Chartergate Estates has submitted designs and is requesting the district council's blessing for a major development on the Barton site which would include

* A three-storey main block, including 40-bedrooms, a restaurant and fast food outlets, kitchens, a shop, toilets and a small games arcade.

* Petrol filling station

* A small police station

* Parking for 270 cars, 90 lorries and 17 coaches

* A new roundabout at the current lorry park access point

* Upgraded access roads to the current industrial park

* Landscaping and tree-planting

Planners, who meet in Richmond tomorrow night, will be told objections to the scheme have been limited so far.

Middleton Tyas Parish Council had not responded when a report on the proposals was compiled while Barton Parish Council has requested restrictions, banning lorries heavier than 7.5 tonnes from driving through the village.

However, although there are a considerable number of finer points to thrash out, planning officers are indicating the scheme appears broadly acceptable.

Their recommendation is that the planning committee approves the service area, subject to conditions.