Welcome Break has applied for planning permission to build the Fareham Motorway Service Area (MSA) and associated works on land off Junction 11 of the M27 motorway, near Wallington.
The new MSA and associated infrastructure represents a £50m investment and would sit on approximately 13.58 hectares of greenfield agricultural land located immediately to the north-east of Junction 11 of the M27, near Fareham, and would be accessible from both directions of travel on the motorway.
The proposed 24-hour development would provide various amenities, including welfare facilities, multiple food and drink offers, parking and fuelling facilities for both light vehicles and HGVs. The application says it would also offer “much needed” ultra-rapid EV charging infrastructure.
Welcome Break says there is a national need for MSAs and a specific need case for a new MSA on the M27. Its planning application state that the proposed Fareham MSA sits within a region where there is a demonstrable and urgent need for new services provision for HGVs. It says the only suitable location between Junctions 5 and 12 of the M27, where the identified need for an MSA could be met, is on land adjoining the north-east quadrant of Junction 11 ie the application site. It adds that the Fareham MSA would deliver on all MSA-related policy requirements across all of the facilities being proposed.
The development would comprise the following key elements: a means of access into the MSA via a new roundabout off the unnamed road forming the northern spur off Junction 11; off-site improvements to Junction 11 of the M27, including widening of the existing eastbound off-slip and widening of the southbound M27 overbridge; on-site circulatory roads; a main amenity building (circa 2,502m2) which would include hot and cold food offers, shops, storage/back-of-house areas, lavatories, showers and seating/resting areas; a fuel filling station (building circa 342m2) with four fuel pump islands for cars, vans and small commercial vehicles, and three HGV fuel pump islands for HGVs and coaches; and a separate standalone drive-thru coffee shop.
The site would also include 546 public car parking spaces, including 29 accessible spaces and 58 ultra-rapid EV/future EV charging spaces; 16 caravan spaces of which two would be accessible spaces; 16 motorcycle spaces; seven coach parking bays; 53 HGV spaces (which is apparently 20 more than required), of which 20 would be future ultra-rapid EV charging spaces; seven coach parking bays; and one parking bay for abnormal load vehicles. All parking would be free of charge for a minimum of two hours.
The development would include an extensive scheme of on-site hard and soft landscaping, with soft landscaping helping the site achieve a minimum 10% biodiversity net gain. The landscape areas would include: children’s outdoor play area; outdoor gym; dog-walking area; native landscape planting; and habitat creation in accordance with biodiversity net gain requirements.
Some 250 jobs would be created with apprenticeships during construction of the site.
John Diviney, CEO at Welcome Break, says: “The proposed investment at Fareham aims to deliver a state-of-the-art MSA for customers, creating significant job opportunities in the local area. This development will address the need for a much-needed facility on the M27 to serve passing motorists, and Welcome Break is excited about the potential to enhance the travel experience and support the local economy through this project.”
