Maxol invests £3.6M in expansion of Shaw's Bridge service station

Forecourt retail Maxol is investing £3.6 million in an expansion of its service station at Shaw’s Bridge in Belfast.

The group, which has a network of 244 service stations throughout the island of Ireland, is increasing the footprint of the building by over 300 square metres and will install an electric vehicle charging hub in the second stage of the development.

The move is part of an £84 million capital investment programme of its service stations over five years, part of which is flexing to meet the demands of the growing number of electric vehicles, as well as growth of convenience-led forecourt services.

A number of sustainable developments will be introduced to the newly expanded store including the installation of solar panels and an energy management system while the forecourt will be see car parking spaces more than double to 48.

The service station and SPAR store, operated under license by Maxol’s retail partner, the Henderson Group will see a doubling of frozen food provision and the number of grocery and chilled bays increasing significantly.

The site will be closed for the duration of the development which is due to be completed by late summer.

“At Maxol Belvoir we are building on the blueprint of what modern day roadside retail is going to look like to meet the needs of our growing base of customers,” Brian Donaldson, Chief Executive Officer of The Maxol Group said. "Our customers can expect to see a completely new forecourt design and a brand-new SPAR store with a convenience-led offer that has the latest fresh food concepts.

"This development marks the continued rollout of our innovative and sustainable forecourt design and demonstrates our commitment to being a more sustainable forecourt retailer. I look forward to the business opening in late summer and ensuring we continue to meet the everyday needs of our customers in a modern, vibrant, sustainable and welcoming environment."