Rapidly growing forecourt operator Ascona Group has taken its estate to nine sites after the purchase of Mossdale Service Station, located on the A6, near to Carnforth in Lancashire.

The filling station, an Esso-branded forecourt alongside a convenience store trading under the Nisa banner, was sold through specialist business property adviser Christie & Co.

Mossdale Service Station was previously run by the second generation of the Vincent family, who have owned the business since the 1980s. Current owners, Chris and Rob Vincent decided to sell in order to pursue other business interests within the caravan parks sector.

In a joint statement they said: “After much deliberation we decided after 30 years that now was the right time for us to sell. Christie & Co were the obvious choice to help with this process and they managed to agree a price we were happy with as well as making the whole process a smooth one.”

Duncan Morris, property director at Ascona Group, commented: “Ascona are delighted to have completed on this high-profile site which further enhances our rapidly growing network. Christie & Co were instrumental in making this deal happen, and our thanks go to James Moore-Martin for his tireless work chasing the deal through.”

James Moore-Martin, associate director at Christie & Co who handled the sale, commented: “It was a pleasure to assist the Vincent family in finding a new operator to take over operations at Mossdale Service Station. The well-established business attracted significant interest from the market, resulting in multiple offers. As a result, we were able to negotiate an accepted offer for the vendor that included a significant premium in excess of the asking price.”

Christie & Co sought offers in excess of £2m for the freehold interest of Mossdale Service Station.