Truckstop faces bulldozer

A truckstop near Cannock is facing the bulldozer after council officials backed a plan to replace it with industrial units, leaving drivers devastated.

The Nightowl truckstop in Featherstone now looks set to shut within months if the proposals are approved by South Staffordshire District Council tonight.

Officials say the plans for the site at the Hilton Main Industrial Estate, on the A460 Cannock Road, will be more economically viable for the area, creating more jobs and making better use of a brownfield site.

Site owners Kilmartin Properties said the truckstop was not making enough money but drivers say its closure would be a blow.

Letters objecting to the move have been lodged with the council by truckers, Staffordshire Police, the Drivers Union and the Professional Drivers Association.

Police say shutting the facility could lead to more lorry hi-jackings as the drivers will have nowhere safe to park and rest.

A statement to South Staffordshire District Council says: "The number of vehicles using the facility has not been sufficient to yield the levels of profit required to make the continued operation of the site viable."