The developer behind an £11 million new lorry park and service station at a key South Humber Bank interchange has outlined the strategic role it could play.
Globe Consultants Ltd has been brought on board by land owner Brocklesby Estate and construction company Lindum Group, with plans just submitted for Barnetby Top.
The site, where the A180, A15, A18 and M180 converge would feature 200 parking bays for HGVs, electric vehicle charging and drive-thru restaurants alongside a filling station and cafe.
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A total of 50 jobs are envisaged.
Director of Lincoln-based Globe, James Rigby, said: “This application seeks to provide much needed and state-of-the-art new facilities for lorry drivers.
“The scheme will directly support the haulage industry at a time where challenges associated with the movement of goods and shortage of lorry drivers has been front page news.
“The Government is committed to addressing the shortage of dedicated lorry parking with national planning policy emphasising the role the planning system should play in supporting the delivery of new facilities.”
The ability to adapt to alternative and emerging technologies has also been taken into account to ensure the site’s long-term viability - with bans on petrol and diesel new car sales now just eight years off.
Mr Rigby said if approved, the development would provide “vital rest and recuperation facilities for lorry drivers who use the M180, which is one of the busiest and most significant HGV routes in the country”.
While only 25 miles long, the M180 is a critical route giving access to the towns of Scunthorpe, Grimsby, Immingham and Cleethorpes, access to Hull from the South as well as critical Humber ports, two oil refineries and the wider chemical industry on the estuary.
Lindum Group director Stuart Mitchell said: “The Government is increasingly concerned that the lack of quality facilities and overall poor working conditions for HGV drivers is one of factors contributing towards the shortages of lorry drivers.
“Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has recently emphasised the Government’s commitment to addressing the national need for more lorry parking and better services in lorry parks in England.
“The land is identified as being an employment site within the draft North Lincolnshire Local Plan and has provisional allocation for a service station and lorry park so we hope for a positive outcome when our application is considered.”
The proposal includes creating what is known as biodiversity net gain through the development. It means the work would leave the area’s habitat and ecological features in a better state than they were before.
A neighbouring field, part of the Brocklesby Estate, will be used to plant new trees, hedgerows, scrubland and a wildflower meadow.
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