Details for new M4 service station in Wiltshire unveiled

An outline application for the development of Swindon Motorway Rest Area has been officially submitted to Wiltshire Council.

The service station would be located on 7.28 hectares of land adjacent to the M4 at junction 16 and immediately north of the B4005, south west of Swindon.

Moto Hospitality Limited, the applicant, initially revealed the £30 million project in September for a consultation period.

Although this period has ended, residents can still leave comments on the application.

It states that Swindon Motorway Rest Area would be open 24 hours a day, for 365 days of the year and would employ at least 150 equivalent staff.

The site would include an amenity building of approximately 2,300m2 containing hot and cold food offers, shops for essential goods, lavatories, pay phones, shower and seating areas.

The outline application also mentions an outdoor children’s play area. (Image: Moto Hospitality Limited)

It would also provide a filling station shop and two fuel-filling canopies, one with eight filling points for small vehicles and the other with three filling points for larger HGVs and coaches.

The proposal says there would be two hours of free parking for up to 241 cars, 63 HGVs, six coaches, seven caravans and 12 motorcycles, with a large number of electric vehicle charging stations.

A point of access from the B4005 would mean a new roundabout arrangement along the road.

The application says: “The development has undertaken strategies that ensure the development fits in succinctly with the surroundings.

“It is designed and located to minimise the adverse impact of noise and to protect from the impacts of light pollution.

“Green roofing proposals and planting schemes are going to be present to mitigate impacts from the built form of the site and ensure there isn’t a feel of overdevelopment.”

It adds: “In addition to providing much-needed parking spaces for both HGV and EV vehicles, Moto are committed to providing a development that has overarching ecological, socio-economic and sustainability objectives.”

The proposal includes acoustic fencing and integrated planting on the site boundary. (Image: Moto Hospitality Limited)

The site is currently comprised of two agricultural fields separated by hedgerows.

The application states that through the preparation of a landscaping scheme and extensive ecological survey work, the service station will achieve a biodiversity net gain on-site of over 12.5%.

It concludes that “there is demonstrable need for the development and that planning permission should be issued without delay.”