A LEGAL hearing is being held in January to review plans to build a £35 million motorway service near junction 12 of the M5.

The judicial review, which is set to be heard on January 17 and 18, is being spearheaded by Welcome Break Group and Roadchef, which both claim planning permission for the scheme was granted unlawfully.

Plans for the 66-acre development at Ongars Farm in Brookthorpe took the form of a joint application by Westmorland Ltd and Gloucestershire Gateway Trust. They say the services will create 300 jobs.

The case at Birmingham High Court is being brought on the grounds that when Stroud District Council approved planning permission in December 2010, it failed to consider an objection by Roadchef and Welcome Break Group.

Both companies are also questioning the need for another service station which would be located between Michaelwood services, owned by Welcome Break, and Strensham Motorway Services, owned by Roadchef.

They also say SDC failed to consider an objection by Natural England, which said the proposals would have a significant effect on the landscape in the Cotswold Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

The case is being backed by protest group Campaign Against Motorway Service Areas and Harescombe and Brookthorpe-with-Whaddon parish councils.

SDC denies the claims and said it intends to strongly defend its case.