Plans have been submitted to build a petrol station, McDonald’s drive-thru and electricity sub-station at The Woodyard on Weaver View in Runcorn.
Impero (Development Management) Ltd submitted the proposal to Halton Borough Council, saying that the position of the site, which is next to the Clifton/Rocksavage roundabout at junction 12 of the M56, makes it a “perfect choice” for a roadside uses scheme, comprising a petrol filling station with EV charging and a fast-food drive thru. It is located beside a main roundabout on the A557, which is a major route into Runcorn from the M56 and Impero highlighted the fact that the A557 (Western Point Expressway) has only recently been reconfigured and upgraded.
The site is currently partly developed as a woodyard and outside storage facility, with the remainder of the space given over to grazing land.
The proposed forecourt shop will feature a combination of white render and timber cladding with a full height glazed shop front with dark grey frames. Impero says that both the shop and the McDonald’s have been designed to avoid the “traditionally harsh aesthetic of other earlier roadside uses designs”. It says its designs fit into the setting in a much more “naturalistic” way, creating an inviting place to spend some time.
The application states that in time, the petrol filling station will move away from petrol to a more sustainable approach, with more EV charging and perhaps hydrogen fuelling. It says the design of the building will fit with this philosophy.
It says the electricity sub-station is required for the significant power needed to supply the site buildings and the EV charging spaces.
The proposed facilities will operate 24 hours a day. The existing site access will be used but improved to allow for the increased traffic.
Approximately 145 jobs (25 in the petrol station and 120 in the drive-thru restaurant) will be created by the proposed scheme.
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