Building work has started on Tatton Services, the new £65 million Tebay-style motorway service area on the M56 near the Bowdon Roundabout.
The services, located between Junctions 7 and 8 of the M56 near Millington and Rostherne, is an 80-20 partnership between Westmorland - the family firm behind Tebay Services on the M6 and Gloucester Services on the M5 - and the Tatton Estate.
It is now expected to open in spring 2028, later than the "late 2026" date mooted when the scheme was given the green light by the government in March last year.
The plans had a long journey through the planning system. Cheshire East Council voted in favour back in October 2023, but the decision was called in by then government minister Michael Gove and referred to the Planning Inspectorate, before finally being approved on behalf of Secretary of State Angela Rayner in March 2025. Trafford Council and Bowdon Conservation Group had both objected to the development on green belt land.
Westmorland, which began on the Dunning family farm in Cumbria in 1972, says the Cheshire site will follow its "Proper Food" philosophy, championing locally sourced, homemade food. The company has committed to working with at least 70 food and drink producers within 30 miles of the site.
The development is now expected to create more than 400 skilled jobs for local people - up from the 325 forecast at the planning stage - alongside apprenticeships and training programmes.
Westmorland chair Sarah Dunning said: "We're very excited to bring our proper food offer and ethos to Cheshire. From day one, this is about creating something rooted in the local landscape and community. We have committed to working with at least 70 producers within 30 miles of the site - and we hope that number will grow as relationships flourish.
"We're also creating over 400 skilled jobs for local people, alongside apprenticeships and training programmes designed to build meaningful, long-term careers in the food industry. Our ambition is not only to serve travellers but to create opportunities and lasting value for the communities around us."
The services will be built around a longstanding farmstead, with the existing farmhouse and barns retained and new buildings - centred on a kitchen, kitchen garden and fuel barn - designed to complement the historic setting. A farmshop will celebrate locally produced food from the Cheshire countryside.
The developers say the site will set a new benchmark for sustainability, powered entirely by renewable electricity, with no fossil fuels used in day-to-day operations aside from vehicle fuel sold at the forecourt. There will be 40 electric vehicle charging bays at opening, with plans to expand capacity significantly.
A community grant programme will distribute at least £100,000 a year to local initiatives.
The scheme has been designed by Howells, the architects behind the RIBA award-winning Gloucester Services, with construction delivered by Eric Wright Group, groundworks by Yates Building & Civil Engineering and project management by Mott MacDonald.
Pete Crowther, Tatton Estate CEO, said: "This unique sustainable motorway service area is exactly the sort of high-quality development the Tatton Estate is proud to partner with - combining a strong family-run ethos with excellent architecture, landscaping and environmental credentials.
"Tatton Services will bring lasting benefits to local businesses and the wider community, creating jobs and supporting the regional economy."
