Skelton Lake services (also known as Leeds Skelton Lake services) is a motorway service area operated by Extra, on the M1 motorway's junction 45 near Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It is south of the motorway junction, making it accessible from both carriageways and the A63 (linking to Leeds centre).
| Skelton Lake | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Skelton Lake services on the M1 at Leeds | |
  Skelton Lake Location in West Yorkshire, England .svg) Skelton Lake Location on the UK motorway network | |
| Information | |
| County | West Yorkshire |
| Road | M1 |
| Coordinates: | 53°46′22″N 1°28′19″W / 53.7727°N 1.4719°W |
| Operator | Extra |
| Date opened | March 2020 |
| Website | extraservices |
History
editThe M1/A1 link road between Leeds (now junction 43 of the M1) and the A1(M) at Hook Moor, opened in February 1999.[1] Although the slip roads were built in 1999, it was ten years before junction 45 was opened to lead along a 2.5-mile (4 km) dual carriageway (designated the A63) westwards into Leeds.[2] Extra submitted an application to build a service station in the area (known as Skelton Grange) in 2005, which was rejected by the government.[3][4]
A second set of amended plans was lodged with Leeds City Council in spring 2016,[5] and permission for the site, 2.5 miles (4.0 km) southeast of Leeds Dock, was granted with an interim bill of £50 million in early 2017.[6]
The services started to be constructed in the summer of 2018, at the M1's junction 45 with the A63, it is accessible in both directions of the motorway and from the A-road.[7][8] The site provided 400 jobs during the construction phase, and now employs 300 people.[9][10] Morgan Sindall were appointed as builders and by 2018, the bill was estimated at £60 million,[11] with a projected opening date of summer 2019.[8]
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The £64 million service station opened in late March 2020 during the outset of the UK's first Covid-19 pandemic lockdown with just the general shop and fuelling station.[12] The station was billed as the greenest motorway service station in the United Kingdom, having a "living roof", access to the nature reserve at St Aidan's, and a viewing platform overlooking Skelton Lake.[13] Skelton Lake covers 60 acres (24 ha), and is a remnant of opencast coaling operations in the area.[14][15] The station's design, particularly its roof, reflects the green corridor that site sits in.[5] The station also has an adjoining 100-bedroom hotel.[9]
References
edit- ^ "A1 upgrade prompts noise fears". BBC News. 8 January 2003. Retrieved 9 September 2020.
- ^ "Leeds link road opens". 10 February 2009. Retrieved 9 September 2020 – via infoweb.newsbank.com.
- ^ "Motorway services inquiry criticised". 15 July 2002. Retrieved 9 September 2020 – via infoweb.newsbank.com.
- ^ Casey, David (18 December 2015). "Services and 1,800 homes planned for M1 sites". Insider Media Ltd. Retrieved 9 September 2020.
- ^ a b Morby, Aaron (11 May 2016). "Plans in for £50m Leeds motorway service station". Construction Enquirer News. Retrieved 9 September 2020.
- ^ Schouten, Charlie (4 January 2017). "Extra MSA's £50m Skelton Lake M1 motorway services approved". Construction News. Retrieved 9 September 2020.
- ^ Everett -, Steve (1 April 2020). "Leeds Skelton Lake Services opens at Junction 45 of the M1". Yorkshire Business Daily. Retrieved 9 September 2020.
- ^ a b "Appointed for the first phase of the £60m Leeds Skelton Lake Services". Henry Boot. 24 August 2018. Retrieved 9 September 2020.
- ^ a b Casci, Mark (9 March 2020). "300 jobs created at new Leeds motorway service area". Yorkshire Evening Post. Retrieved 9 September 2020.
- ^ Gosling, Charlotte (23 July 2020). "First look inside £64m world-class services with its own wildlife centre". Leicestershire Live. Retrieved 9 September 2020.
- ^ Eccleston, Sally (7 September 2018). "Morgan Sindall appointed to deliver £60 million Leeds Skelton Lake services". Planning, BIM & Construction Today. Retrieved 9 September 2020.
- ^ Jones, Craig (31 March 2020). "New £64m Leeds service station opens in middle of coronavirus crisis". Leeds Live. Retrieved 9 September 2020.
- ^ Newton, Grace (24 July 2020). "See inside new Extra motorway service station at Skelton Lake off M1 near Leeds". The Yorkshire Post. Retrieved 9 September 2020.
- ^ "Old pits transformed into new country park". 18 July 2005. Retrieved 9 September 2020 – via infoweb.newsbank.com.
- ^ Ginns, Bernard (22 January 2009). "Developer unveils bid for AGBP500m 'model village'". Retrieved 9 September 2020 – via infoweb.newsbank.com.
External links
edit
Media related to Skelton Lake Services at Wikimedia Commons- Official website
