Gloucester Services is based in the Cotswold countryside, on the edge of an area of outstanding natural beauty

ASSA ABLOY UK is supplying products to an environmentally-friendly freeway service station that has been designed to reflect the local landscape.

Gloucester Services is based in the Cotswold countryside, on the edge of an area of outstanding natural beauty and great care has been taken to minimize the environmental impact of the development and to preserve the views from the surrounding area. The buildings and gas station are covered in grass and local stone has been extensively used, it is hoped the project will achieve BREEAM Excellent rating.

The project, opened in the summer of 2014, was initiated by a local Gloucester charity, Gloucestershire Gateway Trust and is based between junctions 11a and 12 of the M5.

Research from BOSS reported that crime costs the service station industry £20million per year. To combat this problem ASSA ABLOY, Security Solutions designed the complete specification solution providing ASSA ABLOY, ASSA and UNION products.

Joshua Jackson, Facilities Special Projects Manager for Westmorland, the company who own and operate the services said: “The Gloucester Services project has created something you wouldn't expect to find on a motorway. No franchises, no big brands, but instead a sense of where you are - a sense of place, homemade food and farm shops that work with the local area.

“It is a green project, so it was fundamental that we worked with manufacturers who make sustainability part of their business philosophy and as a company that manufacture in the UK with an active CSR program, ASSA ABLOY proved to be one of these companies.”

UNION’s emergency exit devices and Codehandle have been installed throughout the project, allowing simple, effective keyless locking and unlocking of interior doors, enabling authorized staff to effectively access restricted areas. Codehandle can provide a separate code for different shift patterns, which can be easily changed, so the administrator can prevent access to a single group at any time.

Alongside ASSA’s robust modular locks, its P600 patented six-pin cylinders have been installed, which have the capability to handle complex master key systems on one key profile, crucial for the 24 hour nature of the services where different key holders will require access to predesigned doors at all times of day. Based on patented new pin technology, the P600 affords unrivalled protection against bumping and picking, which reduces the risk of theft.

Stainless steel pull handles, cylinder rings, signage, and lever handles from the ASSA Scanflex range were also installed throughout the environmentally sound service station.

Completing the comprehensive specification, ASSA ABLOY supplied fully finished timber doorsets, with DC300A rack and pinion closers and 4200 series floor springs. With up to 60 minutes of fire resistance the doorsets were installed throughout the buildings’ main access routes.

Allan Thomson, Commercial Manager for ASSA ABLOY, Security Solutions, said: “It is brilliant to be part of such an innovative project, where a business is working closely with a charity to understand how the locals want the new service station to appear, as well as feeding some profits back in to the community.

“The sustainability aspect of this project fits in with our ethos at ASSA ABLOY, as we are committed to providing products and services that are environmentally sound throughout the entire production process and the product lifecycle.”