A haulage company boss has accused council planners of 'moving the goal posts' as he seeks permission for a lorry park.

Danny W Poole & Sons Limited is applying for retrospective planning permission for its existing Campbell Road Lorry Park in Stoke.

But despite the latest plans being submitted nearly a year ago, Stoke-on-Trent City Council has yet to make a decision.

Planning officers say there are still concerns over issues such as drainage and ecology that need to be resolved.

But company director Danny Poole believes the council is being overly obstructive with his application.

He believes this is because the council has plans to acquire the land for its district heat network – the authority says the DHN has not been a factor.

The application seeks retrospective permission for offices, storage and lorry wash buildings and café on the lorry park site, and also includes proposals for new landscaping.

Danny W Poole & Sons recently submitted additional information to address officer concerns over the 'high risk of surface water flooding' at the site.

But Mr Poole is not confident that this will be enough to see the application approved.

He said: "The council just keeps moving the goal posts.

"We put this application in back in December and we're still waiting for a decision. And this was the third application – it should be relatively straightforward.

"The council raised issues with the last application and we've addressed those concerns. But now they're raising issues that they didn't mention before. They just keep putting more obstacles in the way.

"If the council have problems with the application, why can't they suggest how we can fix those problems? They're not being positive at all."

Mr Poole says the lorry park serves a vital function in providing HGV drivers with a place to park and access welfare facilities, and should have the council's support.

A report from the Traffic Commissioners of Great Britain, published this week, highlights the lack of lorry parking as 'one of the most significant challenges facing the industry'.

But Mr Poole suspects the council's interest in the land has affected how it has dealt with his application.

Mr Poole added: "The Traffic Commissioners have told the government that we need more lorry parks in this country. Driver welfare is really important.

"There's a massive shortfall of lorry parks in Stoke-on-Trent, we're the only one in the area, so you'd think the council would be more supportive.

"I know the council will want to put in a compulsory purchase order for the site in the next few years because they need the land for the district heat network. But it will cost a lot more if it has planning permission."

The city council says that the DHN has not been an issue in this case, and that there are genuine planning reasons for withholding permission for the scheme.

'Significant' additional information submitted since last December, including details on drainage and changes to the site boundary, triggered a re-consultation process, resulting in the delay in making a decision.

A spokesperson for the council said: "Unfortunately, despite extensive discussion between the applicant and ourselves, there remains a number of issues relating to drainage and ecology, along with potential highways concerns, outstanding.

"Furthermore, there has also been some inconsistency in the applicant's position regarding design issues and delays in responding to the Local Planning Authority's requests for further information. All the above factors have contributed to delays in progressing the application.

"The district heating network has not formed any part of the planning application assessment at any time in this case."

The application was originally due to be determined by March of this year.

The council's planning portal does not currently indicate when a decision will be made.