New M4 service station one step closer to opening

Plans for a new £30m service station on the M4 have taken a major step forward after outline planning permission was approved.

The 24-hour station, proposed by operator Moto, will be based near Junction 16 for Swindon in Wiltshire and is expected to accommodate 240 cars and 63 lorries.

Wiltshire Council previously said the services were a "significant economic investment" that would create 150 jobs.

Once completed, the facility will bridge a 32-mile (51 km) service gap between Membury to the east and Leigh Delamere to the west.

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, the scheme was originally intended as a truck pit stop, before the project evolved into a public motorway rest area.

The site, which is south of the M4 and east of the motorway junction, will be accessed from a new roundabout on the B4005, which will allow entry for both eastbound and westbound traffic.

The proposal includes 50 EV charging spaces, along with seven caravan bays, six coach areas, and 12 motorcycle spaces, with free parking limited to two hours.

During a strategic planning debate in February, councillor Howard Greenman said the nearest HGV pit stop at Junction 17 was "always at capacity".

Moto's group acquisition manager David Berkey said: "Facilities like this will allow drivers to stop, rest and refuel safely.

"Approving the application will address the recognised shortage of HGV parking in the area - every night HGV drivers are sleeping in laybys and industrial estates with no access to toilet and shower facilities.

"The shortage is creating local parking issues and unacceptable community impacts," he added.

However, concerns have been raised about the effect the facility would have on residents on the nearby traveller site.

Moto will need to secure further approval for the scale, layout, external appearance, and landscaping of the site, before it can start work on the facility.

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