200 jobs in planned hotel and service station between Grantham and Stamford
Almost 200 jobs would be created in a planned hotel and service station on the A1 near South Witham.
The scheme, if approved, would see the demolition of the existing The Fox Inn, the OK Diner and the disused Abacus bus station.
The site is on the southbound carriageway, opposite a service area on the northbound carriageway that contains a Starbucks restaurant, Travelodge Hotel and a car sales business.
The planning application from London-based Fox Roadside Services includes a petrol filling station and budget hotel of up to 40 rooms.
A single three-storey building would also contain WCs, plus eating and shopping outlets.
The filling station would have a sales kiosk “which may or may not include a franchise store within the kiosk (E.g. Spar, M&S, Costa, Greggs) depending on the future site operator.”
Such facilities would be on the ground floor, with the hotel on the upper two floors. Its operator is un-named though the application says it is likely to be ‘budget.’
There would also be parking for 121 cars, 12 motorbikes, and 14 HGV/coach/ caravan spaces.
The site would also be landscaped.
The application to South Kesteven District Council said: “The site is ideally located to provide a new modern, clean, mixed development of roadside facilities to serve the high volumes of passing traffic on the A1.”
The OK Diner is the only business on site which remains in full use, with The Fox operating “well below its capacity” and the bus station unused and available for lease.
Previously, the site was under multiple ownership, which historically, prevented its comprehensive redevelopment.
But now, the applicant owns the whole site, allowing it to bring forward proposals with improved access and better facilities, which says it it has discussed with Highways England.
The application said ten people presently work at businesses operating from the 1.57ha brownfield site, but numbers would increase to 200 full-time staff.
It concluded: “The redevelopment of the existing roadside services with improved facilities will introduce re-fuelling and will enhance the choice and offer for road users along the A1, meeting modern demands with modern standards of provision.
“It will provide significant employment during both the construction and operational phases.”
SKDC will determine whether or not to approve the application at a later date.
Early this year, the council approved plans for a McDonald's on the A1 a few miles to the north at Colsterworth.
