Freeths advises motorway services giant on 75-year lease extension across eight sites

Leading law firm Freeths has advised leading motorway services operator Welcome Break on a major lease agreement with National Highways and the Department for Transport (DfT), securing the future of eight key service areas for the next 75 years.

Welcome Break is one of the UK’s largest motorway service operators, running 60 service areas, 31 hotels, and serving over 85 million customers annually. Its sites offer food, fuel, rest facilities, and increasingly, electric vehicle charging infrastructure. The company employs more than 6,000 people and is currently undertaking a £400 million capital investment programme to upgrade and expand its network.

Government-owned National Highways is responsible for operating, maintaining, and improving England’s Strategic Road Network (motorways and major A roads). DfT oversees transport policy and infrastructure across the UK, working to ensure safe, sustainable and efficient travel.

Together, they manage public assets and facilitate long-term partnerships with private operators like Welcome Break to enhance services for road users.

The newly agreed lease extension covers sites located on land owned by National Highways, including Newport Pagnell (M1), Corley (M6), Woodall (M1), Birchanger (M11), Warwick (M40), Membury (M4), Keele (M6), and Leicester Forest East (M1).

This deal will give Welcome Break the certainty to continue investing in its network, which currently employs around 2,000 people across these eight locations. The lease extension will also enable Welcome Break to energise 32 new ultra-rapid electric vehicle charging points at Leicester Forest East - its only site currently without such facilities.

As a long-standing client, the Freeths team supporting Welcome Break on this transaction was led by Real Estate Partner Atiyya Khaliq. 

Speaking of the deal, she said: “We are proud to have advised Welcome Break on this landmark agreement, which supports the future of key service areas and enables vital investment in EV infrastructure. As the UK’s largest B Corp law firm, Freeths is committed to driving positive environmental and social impact, so it’s especially rewarding to advise on a deal that supports the UK’s transition to cleaner transport and a more sustainable future.”

John Diviney, Chief Executive of Welcome Break, added: “This lease extension is a major step forward for Welcome Break, enabling us to continue improving our network for millions of road users while significantly enhancing the EV charging experience. We’re grateful to Freeths for their support throughout this process - their guidance was key in helping us secure this long-term agreement with National Highways and the Department for Transport.”