Euro Garages logo close-up

Euro Garages has applied for planning permission to develop roadside services at the site of a pub near Preston.

The scheme would involve demolition of the Saddle Inn, a listed building currently on the site, and construction of a petrol filling station (PFS) with an ancillary retail area and a drive-through coffee shop.

A report by PWA Planning to support the application explained: “The site is adjacent to a roundabout off the Preston Western Relief Route, which is currently under construction and will link to the M55. This is due to open in 2022 and will significantly change the area and infrastructure that surrounds the site. The current application for a new roadside services development relies on this and has been designed accordingly to feed into the approved new infrastructure network.”

The proposed PFS will have a gross internal area of 484.83sq m and will be located in the central portion of the site, with the fuel pumps located to the north of this, which is where the public house and adjoining buildings currently sit. Overall, the PFS will have four fuel pumps providing eight fuel points.

There will be 12 parking spaces north of the PFS, between the unit and the fuel, and two cycle stands located to the north east of the PFS unit.

In addition, there will be two jet wash bays with air and water facilities, and four electric vehicle (EV) charging points, which occupy the north-eastern corner of the site.

The drive-through coffee shop will have a gross internal area of 171.78sq m and is proposed to be located in the south-western portion of the site. There will be 27 additional parking spaces, including two EV charging bays and two more cycle stands.

The PWA report notes: “The proposed development will provide key roadside services principally for passing traffic of the Preston Western Relief Road. However, it is also envisaged that there will be some use for future residents of the north-west Preston housing allocation, once this adjacent development is delivered.”