M20 Stop24 service area loses EAT

The "EAT" outlet at the troubled Stop24 service area at J11 of the M20 closed on Friday 4th July, causing a number of redundancies. The outlet's loss comes after the closure of "Muffinbreak" shortly after the opening of the service area, and is being blamed on lack of trade and poor users numbers to the service area.

Shepway Lib Dem Group Leader Lynne Beaumont has been calling on Shepway Council to help promote the Stop24 service area.

Lynne commented:

"Any number of ways could have been found to help give the new service station a boost - from an official opening ceremony with the public invited, to holding public meetings there, or giving it a higher profile on the Shepway Council web site or more.

"A new service area was always likely to be slow at first, but closures like this approaching what should be its peak season are really worrying, and there is real concern at the future of other shops there."