Roadchef, one of the UK’s largest operators of motorway service areas, has today announced a significant agreement with National Highways and the Department for Transport to secure the lease extension on five of its sites for a further 75 years.
The sites where the leases have been extended are Clacket Lane Eastbound and Westbound, Northampton Northbound and Southbound, Sandbach Northbound and Southbound, Strensham Northbound and Watford Gap Northbound and Southbound.
The multi-decade deal provides long-term stability for all Roadchef customers and colleagues, delivering the assurance needed for Roadchef to unlock over £300 million investment into the business over the next five years. This investment will fund new EV charging infrastructure, the upgrade of HGV driver facilities, increased retail and catering options as well as the capacity to develop new sites.
The expansion of EV charging points is in response to increased consumer demand as well as Roadchef anticipating the future needs of drivers. Roadchef plans to increase the number of charger bays across its sites to 1,000 by 2030, as a result of the new investment in the business.
Under the UK’s transition to zero-emission vehicles, motorway service areas will play a critical role in improving the availability of en-route charging points.
The modernisation of HGV facilities remains a key priority for Roadchef, with driver welfare on UK motorways an important consideration. As the HGV sector plays a vital role in keeping UK supply chains moving, Roadchef is committed to enhancing the facilities for drivers. This includes increasing HGV parking capacity, upgrading catering units, improving shower and changing facilities and investing in security upgrades and high-speed Wi-Fi.
Moving forward, Roadchef has a renewed focus on evolving its retail and catering partnerships, to ensure that more motorists have convenient access to the nation’s favourite brands from McDonald’s and Costa, through to Pret A Manger, LEON, WHSmith and Co-op, when travelling on UK motorways.
Roadchef currently operates 31 locations across the UK, serving over 46 million customers annually.
Tim Gittins, chief executive of Roadchef, comments: “Securing the lease extension on five state-owned sites marks a significant milestone for Roadchef, giving us the long-term certainty to deliver new investment across the network. We are focused on enhancing the customer experience today, while making the upgrades needed for the future.
“Having worked closely with National Highways and the Department for Transport, this agreement demonstrates what can be achieved when the public and private sector collaborate with a shared ambition, to deliver meaningful benefits for motorists, employees and the wider UK economy.
“This is a pivotal time for Roadchef, with further developments already in the pipeline. This investment will support our continued growth, enabling us to expand our network and provide more motorists with access to high-quality facilities across the UK’s road network.”
Elliot Shaw, chief customer and strategy officer at National Highways, said: “We’re proud to have secured this long-term lease agreement with Roadchef, 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 and HGV driver facilities, supporting our vision for a cleaner, greener transport network.”
Welcoming the announcement, Aviation, Maritime and Decarbonisation Minister Keir Mather, said: “We know we need to support businesses in the transition to electric and that’s why we’re investing over £7.5 billion to grow the market, boost EV manufacturing, increase sales and build up the UK charging network.
“Our recent £1 billion investment will cut cost for British businesses, support jobs, clean up our roads, and give operators protection against shifting global fuel prices.
“The logistics sector is the backbone of the UK economy, worth £170 billion and supporting 2.7 million jobs. We’re helping them expand and decarbonise their fleets whilst saving them cash, driving growth up and down the country.”
Alpesh Patel, a managing director at Macquarie Asset Management, said: “As a long‑term investor in the UK, we understand the vital role that high quality infrastructure plays in supporting economic growth, employment and improved public services. Roadchef’s lease extensions provide the long‑term certainty needed to unlock meaningful investment across its site network, delivering enhanced services for motorists nationwide, both now and into the future.”
The Department for Transport and National Highways were advised by commercial real estate advisor CBRE.
