Leicester Forest East MSA
Services on the M1 motorway, UK
52°37′09″N 1°12′22″W / 52.6192°N 1.206°W / 52.6192; -1.206
Leicester Forest East services is a motorway service station situated between junctions 21 and 21A of the M1 motorway, near Leicester, England.
History
It was designed for the opening of the second phase of the M1 in 1966 (seven years after the first phase was completed), based on an Italian design used on the Autostrade.[2] This design is very rare in Britain.
Construction
The contract was awarded to Ross in January 1963, to cost £500,000 and to open November 1964.[3]
Work was to start in November 1963.[4]The contract was awarded on Friday 21 August 1964 to R.M. Douglas Construction Ltd of Erdington. The architect was Howard V Lobb.
Opening
It was opened on Friday 6 May 1966 by Sir Cyril Osborne, the MP for Louth.[5]
The site became operated under the Motoross group, until 1983, becoming Welcome Break in early 1984. Motoross, with five service areas, was headquartered at the site, and during the first years of Welcome Break. Welcome Break was bought by THF on 21 July 1986 for £190m,[6] who changed their service stations' name to Welcome Break in June 1988. The Welcome Break headquarters moved to Newport Pagnell. The motorway division of Trust Houses Forte Catering had always been headquartered at Newport Pagnell since 1959.
Food
The services features a bridge-restaurant, between the two bases crossing the motorway, containing all of the service station's restaurants.[1] At the time of opening it was operated by the Ross Group and featured a Terence Conran designed restaurant with a waitress silver service restaurant.[7]
Ross Group had carried out research in the US, Canada and in Europe.[8] The whole site seated 800 people.
- The Captain's Table Restaurant
- Two transport cafes, seating 105
Buildings
It would have parking for 200 vehicles.[9][10]
Description
It contains a number of shops and fast food outlets straddling the motorway.
There is no legal vehicular access to the motorway service station from nearby Leicester Forest East, although there is nothing physically stopping cars from exiting to the A47.
Proposed closure
Leicester Forest East services faced permanent closure in 2017[11] if the M1/M69 junction had been developed to increase capacity to accommodate predicted traffic growth.[12]
References
- ^ a b "Leicester Forest East services". Motorway services online. Retrieved 6 January 2016.
- ^ "Leicester Forest East cutting edge design". Leicestershire Live. Retrieved 21 December 2019.
- ^ Leicester Mercury Tuesday 15 January 1963, page 1
- ^ Leicester Evening Mail Tuesday 15 January 1963, page 1
- ^ Leicester Mercury Saturday 7 May 1966, page 11
- ^ The Scotsman Tuesday 22 July 1986, page 17
- ^ "Leicester Forest East service station marks 50th birthday". BBC. Retrieved 21 December 2019.
- ^ Leicester Mercury Thursday 24 February 1966, page 6
- ^ Birmingham Daily Post Saturday 22 August 1964, page 8
- ^ Leicester Mercury Tuesday 8 September 1964, page 11
- ^ "M1/M69 Public Consultation Information". Highways Agency. Archived from the original on 3 June 2009. Retrieved 7 January 2010.
- ^ "Reason for the project". Highways Agency. Retrieved 7 January 2010.
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Leicester Forest East Services.
- University of Leicester Centre for English Local History blog
- Motorway Services Online — The Rise and Fall of Leicester Forest East
- Motorway Services Online — Leicester Forest East Services
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