For the last 24 years, Gareth Owens has had one goal in mind — stopping a motorway service station being built near Kirby Hill.

Developers have sought to build a new service station off the A1(M) next to the village since 1997.

However, at each stage, Gareth and his campaign group, Kirby Hill Residents Against Motorway Services (RAMS), have proved stern opposition to any proposal.

But how has Gareth managed to keep up opposition to the plans for more than two decades?

Moving to North Yorkshire

Gareth first moved to North Yorkshire in 2001 after seeking an area with open countryside and a community.

He grew up in Llanelli in South West Wales, where he was the first from his family to go to university.

Gareth passed the 11 plus and went on to study at the University of Lancashire before working in IT.

He started off in Buckinghamshire, before he longed for the open countryside at the turn of the millennium.

In 2001, Gareth and his family opted to move to Kirby Hill after falling in love with the open space and the community.

It was here that he began campaigning.

Campaigning in Kirby Hill

It did not take long for Gareth to get involved with the opposition to a motorway service station.

A plan was submitted in 1996 for a 24/7 service station between junctions 48 and 49 on the A1 northbound, which was later quashed by the High Court on appeal in 2000.

But the applications kept being submitted and after Gareth moved into his new home, another proposal was on the cards.

Gareth immediately became involved and it was not long before he joined Kirby Hill Parish Council to help spearhead the opposition.

In 2002, he set up Kirby Hill RAMS as the formal opposition in the community to the proposal.

The group sought the help of Yorkshire Planning Aid, which offered planning advice to communities who wanted to be involved in the planning process.

For Gareth, the advice from Harvey Pritchard, who worked for the company, has been “invaluable” for the continued campaign over the last 24 years.

Since the turn of the millennium, the proposals at Kirby Hill have gone through another three inquiries — all of which have seen opposition from the RAMS.

The campaign against the plan has struck a chord in the community. Some 200 people have been seen stood near the motorway junction opposing the proposed service station, says Gareth.

For Gareth, much of his motivation comes from the community. But also his father.

His dad died when he was 11. However, he believes that he instilled in him some campaigning spirit which has helped him in later life.

Gareth’s father was a campaigner for the rights of the handicapped, specifically the blind. He set up a “talking newspaper”, where he would record articles from the local press onto a cassette tape and distribute them around the town once a week.

New battle

Now, Gareth and RAMS have a new battle to fight.

In September 2023, North Yorkshire Council, who took over from the former Harrogate Borough Council, approved outline plans for a service station near the village.

It would see a Welcome Break built at the site, as well a filling station and 364 car parking spaces created.

However, despite the approval, Gareth still intends to oppose the plan at every obstacle.

A reserved matters application has already been submitted to the council seeking approval for designs at the site.

However, Gareth remains defiant over stopping the service station.