Northern Irish fuel group Maxol is spending £3.6 million on an expansion and redevelopment of Belvoir Service Station at Belfast’s Shaws Bridge.
Describing the move as a “huge investment”, Maxol says it will see the premises expand threefold to 376sq m (4,050sq ft), with an electric vehicle charging hub coming in “stage two” of the development.
The company has earmarked £84 million in capital investment across its network to “meet the growing demand for convenience-led forecourt services” such as coffee, groceries, and food to go.
Maxol says the Belvoir development will include “a host of cutting-edge technologies” to reduce the site’s carbon footprint, including LED lighting, glass door refrigeration, solar panels, solar efficient glazing to reduce solar gain and heat loss, exhaust heat pumps, and an energy management system to monitor overall energy use.
On the forecourt, car parking bays will increase from 18 to 48 and pay-at-pump equipment will be introduced. A drive-through car wash is being moved, and a new forecourt canopy with LED lighting will be added.
Later, an EV charging hub, the third on Maxol’s network in the province, will open next year under the Maxol Recharge brand.
The Spar store, operated under licence by Henderson Group, will see a doubling of its frozen food offering and the number of grocery and chilled bays “increasing significantly”, says Maxol. The range of local food, fresh butchery, baked goods, and fresh produce will also be expanded. Additions include a Delish Deli with self-serve chicken bar and a new Southern Fried Chicken offer. A second Barista Bar coffee machine is being introduced, as are three self-service checkouts and new customer toilets.
The outlet is closed for the work which is expected to be completed by late summer.
Maxol chief executive Brian Donaldson said the new outlet will build on “the blueprint of what modern day roadside retail is going to look like”, adding: “This development marks the continued rollout of our innovative and sustainable forecourt design and demonstrates our commitment to being a more sustainable forecourt retailer.”
Maxol was established in 2020 and today is a fourth-generation business with 244 service stations on the island of Ireland, 112 of which are company owned. In Northern Ireland, it owns 31 forecourts and operates 70 others through its dealer network.
