PLANS to build an out-of-town DIY store, garden centre and retail unit have been rejected unanimously by a planning committee.

Members of Ripon area planning committee of Harrogate Borough Council rejected the proposed greenfield site develpment, next to Morrisons superstore and Greystone Primary School, Ripon.

Committee chairman Councillor Nigel Simms said Ripon did not need the out-of-town development when there was a chance of more shops openning in the city centre.

The out-of-town project brought protests from Littlethorpe Parish Council, as well as objections from residents who feared more heavy goods vehicles and were worried about the impact on their environment.

One resident from Peckfield wrote: "This is a residential area and a large retail outlet would seriously detract from its pleasantness. A do-it-yourself superstore would generate a large amount of traffic, especially at weekends when Morrisons are at their busiest."

The Morrisons store was, until recently, a Safeway outlet, but was the first to be converted to a Morrisons following the takeover.

The city council expressed concern about the impact development would have on efforts to regenerate the city centre. They said no study had been carried out to test that impact.

North Yorkshire County Council highways department recomended refusal on the basis of inadequate provision for trips to the site on foot or by cycle. It also raised fears about traffic with the potential to cause danger to highway users.

Planning officer Sara Purvis gave ten reasons for refusal. She said the site was allocated for employment use and it had not been shown that the scheme would not have an adverse impact on the vitality and viability of existing shopping centres.