Service station with 'abandoned tower' named among worst in uk

A WHICH? SURVEY HAS RANKED MOTORWAY SERVICE STATIONS ACROSS THE COUNTRY JON MACPHERSON Chief Reporter and STEVE GRAVES Executive Editor Digital 10:33, 23 May 2025 A Lancashire service

station has landed on the list of the UK's least favourite stops, following a Which? survey. The consumer champion compiled feedback from over 4,000 members who shared their thoughts on

nearly 9,000 visits, helping Which? to evaluate 90 service stations across various criteria including pricing at food and retail outlets, shop diversity, choices for food and drink,

amenities, cleanliness, ease of access, and outdoor areas. Moto's offering at Lancaster Services on the M6 didn't fare well, securing a place amongst the bottom three with a 34%

rating and just one star in four out of seven categories. As the ECHO has reported, Lancaster Services is famous for its abandoned tower, called the Pennine Tower, which rises 90ft above the

motorway. Meanwhile, Moto's Bridgwater Services on the M5 languished at the base of the leaderboard with a 23%, while in stark contrast, Gloucester services on the same motorway shone

brightly, taking the crown with an impressive 85% customer satisfaction rating, reports Lancs Live. Westmorland Family-owned Gloucester Services achieved near-perfect scores across the

board. A satisfied patron commented: "If all motorway service stations were like Gloucester I'd be delighted to spend time at any". Praise was also heaped upon them by another

customer who felt it was "head and shoulders above all the others that I've used". Known for their high standings in these surveys, Westmorland Family services consistently

impress; their Tebay M6 stop in Cumbria chased Gloucester's heels with a commendable 77 per cent, while Cairn Lodge on the M74 in Lanarkshire enjoyed a popularity score of 72 per cent.

Article continues below Both performed well across the board but lost points due to pricing. However, nine out of the 10 lowest-ranked sites were all Moto-branded. In other parts of

Lancashire, Charnock Richard Services along the M6 ranked as the second-lowest in the county, securing a score of 37 per cent. On the other hand, the Rivington services on the M61 emerged as

the top performer, achieving 44 per cent. Ken McMeikan, CEO of Moto, said: "During the past two years, we have invested over £50 million in refurbishing our service stations and

building a new motorway service area on the A1M at Sawtry." He added, "This substantial investment demonstrates our commitment to enhancing the experience for all our

customers." He added: "We value customer feedback and are resolutely committed to addressing any concerns. Article continues below "Four years ago, we also opened our Motorway

Service Area at Rugby, investing over £40 million. "We're delighted to see it ranked in the top three, affirming the impact of our investment and vision for this site."

Which? also discovered that many service stations were charging high prices for convenience, with only Westmorland's managing to achieve more than a two-star rating for prices in its

food and retail outlets out of the 90 service stations surveyed.