M3 services to be demolished after fire.
It is a stopping off point for anyone that has ever driven from Surrey into Hampshire on their way to the coast. But in December last year, the Welcome Break services at Fleet in Hampshire were destroyed in a fire.
Now, somewhat belatedly, the Welcome Break company has submitted plans to demolish the charred remains ahead of a reconstruction of the popular service area.
The firm hopes to start demolition work on 24 April and complete it by 2 June. A new one will then be built in its place, with a planned Easter 2018 opening.
It follows a huge fire that ripped through the service station (see below). Fire crews from across Surrey and Hampshire rushed to the blaze on December 14 at around 10.30pm which left part of the service station in ruins. It took firefighters until 2.30am the following morning to control the flames. The M3 was closed in both directions overnight as smoke billowed across the road.
A large temporary building opened on March 23 and houses a Starbucks, a small Waitrose, Burger King, Harry Ramsdens, WH Smith, Chopstix and a Starbucks Drive Thru.
It will remain in place until the new building is up.
