Essar has successfully exchanged contracts with Valley House Properties Limited (VHPL) to acquire a long term interest in the redevelopment of Lea Gate Service Station. Situated on the A583 in Preston, the site is perfectly positioned to benefit from the £200m development of the new Preston Western Distributor road, which will link Preston and southern Fylde to the M55 motorway, scheduled to open in early 2023.
Construction on the site will begin this summer, with the station due to open by spring 2022. The finished site will comprise a 4,000 sq. ft. retail shop and parking for 35 cars. There will be a four island starter gate layout with three separate HGV pumps included, together with a Costa drive-through. Carlin Marketing will be representing VHPL on this project.
James Hughes, Essar Territory Manager, commented “This is one of the most premium locations in the North West and marks a real statement of commitment from Essar. We are perfectly placed to supply a high-volume site like this and with the Essar branding on the station it will certainly increase the appeal of the location. We are currently looking to partner with a professional operator to manage this venture for us and we expect to make further announcements on this development in due course.”
Byron Barker, Essar Business Development Manager, added “It has taken almost two years to get to this final stage and we fought off some serious competition to win. We are delighted that VHPL selected Essar and we are excited to move forward with this new project. It will be a landmark development and the Company is keen to do more business like this in similar locations.”
