Group behind Tebay Services submits Tatton plans
Family-owned Westmorland is working with the Tatton Group to construct a sustainable, franchise-free MSA with a farm shop and hotel on land by Junction 7 and Junction 8 of the M56.
Glenn Howells Architects designed the scheme, alongside landscape architect Planit-IE. The plans focus on a 39-acre Green Belt site within Rostherne Parish. A four-week consultation on the project was held in August last year.
Three key buildings make up the plans: a 67,730 sq ft amenity building, 43,150 sq ft hotel, and a 10,550 sq ft fuel barn.
The amenity building would have a farm shop and kitchen as well as toilet facilities, a tourist information point and staff areas.
The proposed hotel would be two stories with a mezzanine and have 100 rooms. Connecting the hotel and amenity building would be a kitchen garden.
The fuel area would have 12 pumps across three islands.
The proposed Tatton Services amenity building. Credit: via planning documents
There would be space for 655 cars, including 33 disabled car spaces. The plans also include parking for 18 caravans, 13 coaches, 18 motorcycles, and one abnormal load, as well as 92 spaces for staff. Regarding electric vehicle charging units, there would be 54 high-power EV charging units and 42 standard ones, with the ability to grow that number over time.
There would also be a separate HGV parking area with 58 spaces and six pumps just for HGVs and coaches.
Biodiversity initiatives on the site include planting a boundary screen, creating permanent water bodies and crafting car park rain gardens. There would also be a pollinator-oriented garden by the farmhouse currently on site and a formal water garden by the hotel.
All of the buildings will use either ground source heat pumps or air source heat pumps, as well as solar thermal and PV technologies to meet their demands for heating, cooling and hot water. Each of the buildings has been designed to reduce energy demand, with the site layout being optimised and utilising solar shading and natural daylighting properties of their structures.
Water-efficient showerheads, toilets, fittings and appliances would be installed in the buildings as well.
Another view of the proposed amenity building. Credit: via planning documents
Westmorland and Tatton Group estimate that Tatton Services would receive more than 4m customers a year.
FWP is the project manager for the scheme, while Pegasus Group is the planning consultant. Ramboll is leading on sustainability strategy.
Ecology Solutions is the ecology consultant. Jensen Hughes is the fire consultant and Lightpad is the lighting consultant.
BWB Consulting is working with Les Postawa Associates as the structure engineer for the scheme. BWB is also the highways and civils engineer.
Looking to learn more about Tatton Services? The application’s reference number with Cheshire East Council is 22/0872M.
Westmorland and Tatton Group estimate the construction phase for the services will last two years. Credit: via planning documents
Great stuff, more of these please, nice destinations you can drive to, that’s the future
By Red
This will be brilliant, in many ways, as anyone familiar with Tebay will appreciate. As far as green belt objectors are concerned, this will greatly enhance its setting in what is a non – descript patch of nothing with farm buildings nobody will currently notice.
By Observer
Wasn’t aware of the need for a motorway services here. Seems to be a good way to tarmac over the whole of Britain. Having visited Tebay and seen the prices £3.60 for a scotch egg is nothing short of extortion. A motorway service should not be a destination, it should be an essential stop on a long journey. I can’t believe we are still living in an age where we are building in the middle of nowhere just to generate unnecessary car journeys. The land around there may not be an AONB but it certainly won’t be enhanced by whacking un needed buildings everywhere.
By David
@observer agree, it’s a patch of land surrounding by the motorway junctions. Can’t see an issue with building this, Tebay is great so something similar is very much welcomed.
By Disgruntled Goat
so close to Lymm services…no need for it.
By concerned
By the time this is built most car sales will be EV, those journeys don’t do anybody or anything any harm
By Geoff
Tebay services is what service stations should be like. A pleasant place to break up your journey. Those below who say its close to Lymm. Lymm services is absolutely dreadful!
By Ronnie Omlettes
Will hopefully be a great place to head out to for business meetings.
Don’t see any need for HGV parking however. As another comment says, Lymm services is available for that.
By Bentley Driver
Not only is it a great proposal, the “need” case is made clear on their website -basically no Motorway Service areas to the East at all, Knutsford doesn’t accommodate trucks, Lymm isn’t an MSA, its a truck stop etc. Improved safety is key to preventing injuries, deaths congestion and pollution – very relevant in this extremely busy part of the world!
By Concerned about road safety
Nice destinations you don’t need to drive to are the future, Red. What you’re talking about is the past.
Having said that, the M56 has just one set of services, near Helsby, so in terms of a need for them, Lymm doesn’t work if you’re travelling east-west (or vice versa) and I can see why this might have value in that regard.
I also have to say that if you’re driving to a services for the fun of it, you deserve to be fleeced for a scotch egg, something no-one is forced to purchase!
By M56User
Oh great. I’m confident Cheshire East will probably get around to approving this by 2026.
By Alan
This should include a proper link to the amazing cycle route to the south with Bowdon and Altrincham to the north. Staff should be able to have the option to walk or cycle here. At the moments the junctions are a death trap.
By WalkCycle
Given Knutsford and Lymm Services are really close, not sure why this is needed
By Steve N
This is a development not needed for the road network which already has ample hotel spaces locally, services at knutsford 4 miles away and Lymm 6 miles away. It is needless destruction of the green belt and a developers stepping stone for further development. It conflicts with the NPPF, the Cheshire East Local Plan, and the Grdater Manchester plan. It is not sustainable and anh jobs will be low skill and low wage. It is completely none sensical and should be stopped.
By Nigel Jenkins
absolutely no need for this development – the M56 is 33 miles long and has services at Chester and truck stop- soon to be upgraded to a full services, at Lymm. Knutsford Services is only 5 miles away! it won;’t create local low-pay jobs because so many shops and hospitality outlets in Altrincham and the airport can’t fill vacancies currently for this type of work.(retail and catering) If the 4m visitors that they forecast come to fruition, there will be MORE accidents on the local roads, so it definitely isn’t enhancing safety.
All those 4m visitors will have to go around the two Bowden roundabouts to get in and out.
The developers want non-motorway users to visit, so it will have a negative impact on local existing commercial areas- Alti, Hale, Knutsford and Lymm.
By Malcolm Reynolds