Motorway services operator Welcome Break has sealed a deal with National Highways and the DfT to extend the leases at eight of its sites for a further 75 years.
The new agreement requires Welcome Break to make significant investments at each of the sites, which currently employ about 2,000 people.
The eight sites, which are on land owned by National Highways, are at Newport Pagnell on the M1; Corley on the M6; Woodall on the M1; Birchanger on the M11; Warwick on the M40; Membury on the M4; Keele on the M6; and Leicester Forest East on the M1.
John Diviney, Welcome Break chief executive, said: “We are delighted to have concluded this long-term lease agreement with the Department for Transport and National Highways.
“With the certainty that this agreement gives us, we can now focus on our plans to enhance the customer experience across these eight locations.”
Diviney added. “We will be investing to expand our existing EV charging infrastructure across the Welcome Break network to over 1,000 charging bays by the end of 2026 and also upgrading a range of other facilities.
“Leicester Forest East, for example, is our only site without ultra rapid EV charging facilities and this agreement and the clarity that it brings will enable us to energise 32 new chargers at that location very shortly.”
DfT Minister Keir Mather said: “Motorway service areas are key to keeping Britain moving – supporting drivers, boosting local economies, and helping us transition to cleaner transport.
“This landmark agreement with Welcome Break will secure thousands of new jobs, deliver major new investment, and expand EV charging across key sites.
“To deliver our Plan for Change, we’re backing the roads industry, to boost jobs and grow the economy.”
Elliot Shaw, National Highways chief customer and strategy officer, said: “We’re proud to have secured this long-term lease agreement with Welcome Break, enabling us to further enhance these vital services that help drivers rest, recharge, and stay safe.
“This deal shows our continued commitment to managing public assets wisely and making sure they benefit everyone.
“It also paves the way for important upgrades, such as expanded electric vehicle charging, supporting our vision for a cleaner, greener transport network.”
Welcome Break operates 60 service areas and 31 hotels in the UK and employs more than 6,000 people. It is currently embarking on a major capital expenditure programme in the UK.
Diviney said: “We plan to invest about £400 million in our service area business over the next five years through building new facilities and upgrading our existing locations,”
“We’re a long-term investor in the British economy and we see significant potential to add to our existing network of 60 sites and to also upgrade our existing portfolio on a regular basis,” he added. “We have a strong pipeline of new motorway and A road sites across Britain, and we are working to progress those.”
Welcome Break opened a new £55m new motorway service area just off the M1 at Rotherham in January.
In July, it opened a new £12m services area on a A46/A406 at Hickling, south of Nottingham. The two developments created a total of 250 new jobs, according to the company.
Welcome Break was advised on the lease transaction by commercial real estate company Newmark and legal firm Freeths.
The Department for Transport and National Highway were advised by commercial real estate company CBRE and legal firm Evershed Sutherland.
