MAJOR changes planned for a Warrington motorway service station have led to objections being raised by residents.

Plans have been submitted to Warrington Borough Council’s planning department seeking outline permission for the extension and conversion of the existing Lymm services.

Confusingly, the plans were originally submitted in January 2023, but have appeared back on the council’s planning portal this week with amendments.

Documents submitted by applicant Moto Hospitality Ltd for Lymm Poplar 2000 Services, located off Cliff Lane, detail the amendments.

They state: “The application is for the extension and conversion of the existing Lymm Poplar 2000 Services site to create a motorway service area from the M56, and to retain and improve the truck stop from the M6.

“The development will comprise the reconfiguration and extension of car parking to provide up to 623 car parking spaces, including 42 accessible spaces and 70 electric car charging points.

“There would be 24 new dedicated coach parking spaces and 30 dedicated caravan parking spaces, while the extension to the HGV parking layout would provide up to 340 spaces.

How the upgraded service station would look

How the upgraded service station would look

“Plans also include the demolition of the existing truck wash facility and reconfiguration of the HGV fuel filling station.

“Other new external works will include a new service yard to the amenity building, soft and hard landscaping, updated infrastructure services signage, external lighting and drainage.

“The central amenities building, McDonald’s drive-thru, hotel, fuel filling station to the north-west corner of the site and compound facilities would remain as existing and unchanged.”

Plans have now been updated, with landscaping scaled back to create a greater degree of separation between the site and residential property.

Parking provisions have also been amended to reflect the latest traffic data, as well as amendments to drainage, ecological and biodiversity impact assessments.

Nine letters of objection have been submitted by residents, as well as one from Lymm Parish Council.

These highlight concerns regarding issues such as existing congestion at the junction, encroachment onto green belt and a lack of need for expansion.