A controversial move to expand a petrol station’s store in a village before seeking planning consent has been approved after councillors concluded there were no material planning reasons to refuse the scheme.

North Yorkshire Council’s Richmond constituency planning committee passed Penny Petroleum’s retrospective planning application for a change of use at the former Coates garage in Scorton as elected members underlined they were unhappy the firm had gone ahead with the development without having initially sought permission.

Councillor Kevin Foster said he had been dismayed by the applicant flouting the rules while others who followed planning protocol could find themselves at a disadvantage.

He said: “If the shop is changed again I want the council’s enforcement officers to take action.”

The meeting at Mercury House in Richmond was attended by residents and traders in the village who raised concerns the Londis convenience shop launching at the petrol station would undermine the viability of the village shop and post office just 400m away and across the village green.

Planning officers advised the committee that competition between businesses is not a matter on which they could base their decision, particularly given the size of the shop floor, which fell below the 500sq m required in order to trigger a full Retail Impact Assessment.