Applegreen drops plans for €56m UK service area
STOCK market-listed forecourt retailer Applegreen has pulled plans for a major motorway service area in the UK.
The planned service area, at Kirby Hill in Yorkshire, was likely to cost between £40m and £50m (€45.2m and €56.5m) to develop, according to Applegreen.
It would have created about 300 jobs. But the plans for the 43-acre site drew a significant amount of opposition.
One local action group that was against the development, welcomed the decision by Applegreen to withdraw its planning application for the site.
“We have always maintained that Kirby Hill is an inappropriate location for a large-scale motorway services development,” said activist Gareth Owens. “With existing services at Wetherby and Leeming Bar, there is absolutely no need for an MSA (motorway services area) at Kirby Hill.”
Mr Owens said that Applegreen cited issues of land ownership as the reason for withdrawing the planning application.
The company has undertaken an extensive amount of local consultation, and had been involved in detailed planning and environmental studies.
Applegreen had insisted the new services area would have plugged a gap on the A1 motorway where it said such services were not available. The A1 is a major arterial route in Britain.
It had also said it would reflect the wishes of the UK government for increased competition in the UK motorway services market so drivers could get better value for money, particularly in terms of the cost of fuel.
It’s possible that Applegreen could resubmit a new planning application or the site at some stage in the future.
In August, Applegreen agreed to pay £21m (€23.7m) to the Carsley Group for seven operational sites in the UK.
The sites are located along the A1.
Applegreen chief executive Bob Etchingham said the deal would accelerate the company’s strategy to establish a major motorway service area presence in the UK market.
“The assets being acquired provide a set of large and strategically-important sites that can accelerate Applegreen’s growth in this key marketplace,” he said at the time.
Applegreen has been expanding its presence in Ireland, the UK and the United States in recent years.
In July, Applegreen sealed a $75m deal to buy a chain of 34 filling stations in South Carolina from the Brandi Group. Eleven of the stations include Burger King outlets, and also have other food offerings, such as Subway. The deal also includes the acquisition of eight stand-alone Burger King sites.