Preston's first motorway services proposed for M55 junction

Junction 2 on the M55 opened in July

Plans to build a motorway service station on the outskirts of a city have been revealed.

Proposals have been lodged with Preston City Council for a Moto facility on land near the M55, where it meets Preston Western Distributor Road.

The plans include an amenity building, parking for about 360 cars, a petrol station and landscaped areas.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service said it would be the first such facility near Preston.

At present, the nearest facilities to the city are Forton, which lies 15 miles (24km) to the north, and Charnock Richard, which 18 miles (29km) to the south.

The documents submitted to the authority on behalf of proposed operator Moto show the services, near junction 2 on the M55, would include a main "amenity building" providing hot and cold food and drink, indoor and outdoor seating, toilets and baby changing facilities and retail outlets.

In 1998, longstanding plans for a service area at junction 3 near Kirkham were refused by a planning inspector because of a loss of agricultural land and the lack of proven need for the facility.

A planning application for the new facility has not yet been submitted to the city council, but Preston-based consultancy PWA Planning has submitted a request for a "screening opinion" over the environmental impact of the site.

Preston City Council said the development "would not give rise to significant environmental impacts by virtue of its size, scale or operation".

A representative said the site was "currently part of an agricultural field" and while the proposed development would have a "visual impact on the character of the area", the nature of the "existing built development, being close to a motorway, and [the] proposed landscaping would limit the impact".

If the development goes ahead, the services would take 18 months to complete.