Tebay-style Cheshire service station delayed by govt intervention

Tatton Estates and Westmorland Group, the company behind the popular Tebay service station, will head to inquiry in October to make the case for the 39-acre Green Belt scheme.

Cheshire East Council approved developer Westmorland Group and landowner Tatton Estates’ plans to create a high-end service station on land between Junction 7 and Junction 8 of the M56 last October.

Despite backing from the local authority, secretary of state Michael Gove has opted to call in the project amid pressure from a local campaign group.

The Planning Inspectorate will assess the project at an inquiry beginning on 15 October. The case number for the inquiry is 3345318. The plans can be viewed by searching for reference number 22/0872M on Cheshire East Council’s planning portal.

The Glenn Howells Architects-designed Tatton Services would follow the blueprint set out at Westmorland’s Tebay and Gloucester service stations.

The plans would feature a 68,000 sq ft main amenity building, a 100-bedroom hotel, and a filling station.

A statement from the team behind the scheme thanked Cheshire East Council for its support and bemoaned the Department for Levelling Up, Homes, and Communities’ decision to call in the scheme.

“Whilst we are obviously disappointed by the inevitable delay from central government – taking away the decision from the locally elected leaders who had already approved it – we remain steadfastly committed to the project.

“We will continue to make the case to decision-makers so people can benefit from the local jobs, sustainable growth and vital road safety improvements this project will secure.”

Pegasus Group is the planning consultant for the scheme. The project team also includes FWP, Planit, Ramboll, Ecology Solutions, Jensen Hughes, Lightpad, BWB, and Les Postawa.