‘Handy for a pee, but otherwise what’s the point?’: mixed response to planned new M55 services area

Plans for a new motorway service station on the M55 have received a decidedly mixed reaction from Gazette readers. Watch more of our videos on Shots!and live on Freeview channel 276

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While hundreds of you gave the Facebook thumbs up to the proposed facility – at the new junction 2 of the motorway on the outskirts of Preston[2] – plenty of others were nonplussed at the prospect.

Find out all about the planned new M55[3] motorway services here[4].

Moto, the firm behind the blueprint for the site, says it believes that there is a need for a service area in that location – and some of you agree. But by no means all…

Danielle Bannon

What use is this to those who live in Preston and surrounding areas?

Paul Pring

Employment opportunities for a start.

Otis Brown

Fantastic, hope it’s like the one at Tebay.

Ste Blackledge

We desperately need HGV parking in the NW – the only really decent sized place currently available is at Lymn in Cheshire. Trying to park for MANDATORY tachograph breaks is currently horrendous.

Rowena McEwan

You also need the stuff that comes from HGVs, which is EVERYTHING YOU OWN….so considering where the drivers may park to sleep at night [it] is a nice move.

Paul Fishwick

What’s wrong with the (yet to open) Saddle services, just off the new junction? Fuel, coffee, mini supermarket and some food outlets are already on the way to service a short stretch of motorway. How about they reassess in 5 years and see if that suffices before essentially condemning it before it’s even opened.

Jeffers Martini

Whaaat, ridiculous for such a short run on M55. A waste of money, but if it happens, guarantee some people will make a lot of money.

Nick Hodson

16 acres of open countryside carved up to service a motorway that is about 15 miles long from start to finish?? Any HGVs or caravans would have left or be arriving at their destinations within 10 minutes of that site, very strange and completely pointless.

Matthew King

Why does one of the shortest motorways around need a services?

Sean O’Neill

Great to stop for a pee lol, but I never buy anything from them ever, they are just too expensive.

Mark Miles

Needed about as much as the houses that will be eventually built on the green space along and around that junction and link road.

Lisa Mead

Absolutely pointless. There’s plenty of places in the local area, literally just off the motorway!!! Why destroy the local environment even more?

Stupidity.

Simon Wilsdon

I’ll tell you what will be on offer, overpriced greasy fast food and a bog you really don’t want to use. ‘Brown Standard’ akin to Rivington (formally Bolton West) rather than the ‘Gold Standard’ Tebay or Gloucester services.

Crocus Rockersosski

In other words, another site selling muck as food & high priced fuel.

Chris T Wilkinson

The only way this would be advantageous is if is was a full EV charger station and no fuel, because we’ll let’s face it there doesn’t need to be a fuel filling station.

James Simpson

Seems a bit pointless considering Kirkham has pretty much got a service station.

References

  1. ^ Visit Shots! now (www.shotstv.com)
  2. ^ Preston (www.blackpoolgazette.co.uk)
  3. ^ M55 (www.blackpoolgazette.co.uk)
  4. ^ here (www.blackpoolgazette.co.uk)