The Background:
MRMU optioned 160 acres of land at this strategic junction on the A30, of which 20 acres was allocated to develop a new Trunk Road Service Area called Cornwall Services. The site is on the midpoint of the new £100m stretch of the A30 and is strategically positioned to cater for Cornwall’s £1bn tourist industry, as well as being a central meeting place for Cornish businesses.
The Development:
After eight years MRMU achieved planning permission for this major development and it was built in less than a year. The main facility officially opened on 1 July 2014. A second phase saw the development of the 71 bedroom Holiday Inn Express® which opened in July 2020.
The scheme includes a BP filling station and an amenity building offering a range of food and drink concessions including Cornish options such as Open Oven Pizza Company and Rowes Bakery as well as big brands such as Costa Café and Drive-Thru, McDonald’s, Subway and Greggs. Other facilities on offer include a Co-op food store, Player’s Lounge, WHSmith, Mango Surf Shop, Saltrock Clothing, a large children’s soft play centre, toilets, Changing Places facility, washroom facilities for HGV drivers and dedicated parking areas for cars, HGVs and coaches. Outside the main building, there is also a barbers, laundrette facilities and electric car charging points.
The buildings are unique in design, environmentally sustainable and built of high quality material, locally sourced where possible. The development does not replicate any similar service area in the UK.
The Partners:
Partners on the project include Mountford Pigott Architects, Dawnus Construction, ADL Highway Engineers, Howard Kennedy FSI, Clarke Bond, GVA Grimley, RPS, Hydrock, Green Earth Landscapes, Celtec, Marsh & Baxter and Energist.
The Result:
Cornwall Services has gone from strength to strength since opening in 2014. It has a strong base of loyal local customers as well as regularly returning visitors from outside the county. Vehicle numbers have steadily increased each year with 102,000 vehicles recorded visiting the site in August 2020. With each vehicle carrying an estimated 2.5 people, this equates to more than 255,000 people in August and 8,225 people per day.
