Welcome Break Roding Valley consultation extended

We’ve extended our consultation to give people additional time to have their say now our public information event has been cancelled.

It will now close at 11:59pm on Friday 22 November 2024.

If anyone has any questions about our proposals for a new service station between junctions 27 and 28 of the M25, they can contact us by email at [email protected] or by phone on 0800 138 5406.

People can continue to give us feedback online or by emailing us using the address above, or by writing to us at FREEPOST WELCOME BREAK R V (no stamp required).

Welcome Break Roding Valley information event cancelled

Due to threats made towards our staff, we have taken the decision to cancel our public information event at 5pm on Wednesday 30 October at Navestock Village Hall.

We apologise for the short notice, but we take any threats very seriously and our priority is the safety of the public and our team.

We are looking into alternative arrangements for a public event, and will update the local community if something can be arranged and delivered safely.

In the meantime, if anyone has any questions about our proposals for a new service station between junctions 27 and 28 of the M25, they can contact us by email at [email protected] or by phone on 0800 138 5406.

Our consultation on our proposals is open until 15 November. People can continue to give us feedback by emailing us using the address above, or by writing to us at FREEPOST WELCOME BREAK R V (no stamp required).

Welcome Break Roding Valley

The M25 is one of the busiest and most important motorways in the UK.  However, it is significantly under-served by places to rest, refresh, and refuel – especially across the eastern stretch for traffic feeding to and from the Channel ports.

Welcome Break is proposing to develop a new Motorway Service Area (MSA) to serve the busy eastern section of the M25 between junctions 27 (M11) and 28 (A12).

In line with current government guidance, Welcome Break Roding Valley will only serve existing traffic on one of the busiest motorways in the UK.

Our proposals respond to a need to reduce the existing distances on the M25 between MSAs.  National policy states that the maximum distance between motorway services should be 28 miles and, in certain circumstances, 14 miles for HGVs.

The existing distances on the M25 exceed this, with a 33-mile gap between South Mimms and Thurrock as well as the forthcoming 62-mile gap between South Mimms and Maidstone that will occur once the new Lower Thames Crossing has been developed.

We have designed an MSA for the future, with sustainability at its core.  That includes more than 100 EV (Electric Vehicle) ready charging spaces and the capability to increase this as demand rises.  It will benefit from solar power, create green spaces for drivers to enjoy on their visit and provide new spaces and habitats for wildlife, with some 24% of the site committed to improving biodiversity.

The project will be delivered and operated by Welcome Break, one of the UK’s leading motorway service operators, running 59 service areas and 31 hotels up and down the country. With 24-hour fuel courts, EV charging, and world-class food and retail brands including Waitrose, Starbucks, KFC, and Burger King, we welcome over 85 million customers every year.

The MSA represents a £155 million investment in the region and would result in significant job creation, with at least 300 new full-time jobs created.

Our commitment to motorists

Roding Valley will provide a calming experience for motorists, with green spaces for relaxing and walking.
We will provide motorists with a range of quality dining options, shops, toilets, and a place to freshen up, stretch their legs and relax. 700 car spaces will be provided, with an initial 57 being high powered EV charging points.  The number of EV charging points will increase as demand increases.
A drive-thru coffee shop wills serve motorists who may not need to use the amenity building.

Our commitment to HGV drivers

We will provide a separate area for 350 HGVs alongside a dedicated HGV Driver Welfare Building.

Our commitment to the community

There will be no vehicular access to or from the Motorway Service Area from local roads, as such there will be no impacts on local road users.
300 new jobs will be created locally, from management to skilled technicians. We encourage applications from local communities where possible.
We do not believe there will be any nuisance caused to neighbouring communities from light or noise.

Safety and security are at the heart of what we do, with 24-hour monitoring of secure perimeter fences to ensure there will be no illegal access.

Our commitment to the environment

Our proposals for Roding Valley have been developed with environmental stewardship and biodiversity in mind. This includes a soft landscaping scheme on the embankments that surround our parking facilities and buildings, creating a green space that will boost the well-being of our motorists.
A separate area inside the M25 will create a biodiverse habitat which will contribute to the Green Belt landscape.
As a business, Welcome Break is committed to help building a more sustainable future.
Energy-efficient LEDs will save energy, we will only use paints with lower amounts of volatile organic chemicals, and Smart Meters will monitor and reduce energy usage. Dyson Low Energy Dryers will be used that use only a sixth of the energy of conventional hand dryers.
Efficient recycling systems will be used to ensure we recycle responsibly, and we are committed to reduce waste, along with our partner brands. For example, Waitrose has led pioneering changes and implemented a robust reduction policy. This has helped achieve a year on year reduction in food waste equivalent to 655k items over the last two years. And Starbucks is working to solve cup recycling and has put in place a strategy to minimise the waste they generate inside and outside their stores and when customers buy re-usable cups, they receive 25p off their drink.
All food waste will be removed from the site and disposed anaerobically, not to landfill.

Your feedback

You can leave us feedback by filling in an online feedback form.

Contact us