A local MP has described the government's decision not to 'call in' plans to build a motorway service station near a Buckinghamshire village as 'deeply disappointing'.

The application for a service station between junctions 15 and 16 of the M25 on greenbelt land near Iver Heath was approved by Buckinghamshire Council in September 2023.

Due to the non-greenbelt nature of the proposals, the plans had to go before secretary of state Angela Rayner to either grant permission or call the decision in for an inquiry.

The deputy Prime Minister revealed last week that she wouldn't 'call in' the application – sparking a predictable outcry from villagers and local groups, among whom the proposed development has proved consistently unpopular.

Beaconsfield MP Joy Morrissey, who has been outspoken against other greenbelt developments including Marlow Film Studios, said she was "deeply disappointed" by the move.

Ms Morrissey added: "Since day one, Angela Rayner has set out a determination to build on the greenbelt in South Bucks.

“Hundreds of residents have written to me and the secretary of state outlining why this development must be stopped.

"And yet again, our community’s concerns have been ignored by this Labour government.”

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And a spokesperson for Colne Valley Park, based near the proposed site, also said they were "hugely disappointed" by the news, which they suggested "sets an alarming precedent for local countryside".

Plans for the services include a food court, shops, toilets, a drive-thru coffee shop, a petrol station and over 1,000 parking spaces.

Access will be created from a new interchange of the M25, with a new flyover joined to Slough Road.

Iver Parish Council previously said locals had been "betrayed" by Buckinghamshire Council over the plans.

During the decision meeting, councillor Alan Turner said: “The Strategic Sites Committee at Buckinghamshire Council considered two applications for a motorway services area between junctions 15 and 16, Iver Heath, and between junctions 16 and 17, Chalfont St Peter, of the M25.

“On balance, it was deemed that the proposed Iver Heath application was less harmful in terms of the Green Belt and landscape visual impact.

“The process the committee follows in determining these and any other planning applications is clearly set out in nationally set planning law and due process has been followed at all times during this process.”