News

The owner of the land occupied by the Nightowl truckstop at Junction 1 of the M54 near Wolverhampton confirmed last week that it intends to redevelop the site as warehousing. Kilmartin Property Group is about to put in a planning application to South Staffordshire Council.  Director Simon Bowder says that whether the truckstop is able to continue operating depends both on planning permission being obtained and the size of any subsequent scheme.

It is possible, even if planning permission is granted, that the truckstop could continue to operate for some time if the development scheme is a phased series of smaller warehouses. But a big development would probably mean the truckstop's closure, admits Bowder. He adds that the type of development will be governed by market conditions as well as planning permission. The unpredictability of the planning process means the timescale is uncertain.

"It could take two months, it could take two years," says Bowder. Last week saw the closure of another Nightowl truckstop at Alconbury and all truckstop closures are unwelcome to hauliers because there is a national shortage of secure overnight parking space for trucks. Murdo MacDonald, Nightowl's managing director, was unavailable for comment this week,  but in the run-up to Alconbury's closure he admitted that it was difficult for truckstops to find land that could be profitably used for parking.

He said: "Every year several truckstops close because they are uneconomical." South Staffordshire Council will not comment on Kilmartin's application to redevelop the M54 truckstop until it has formally received the application.