Fuel and food on the go as new Darlaston service station opens

A new 24-hour petrol station and convenience store has opened at the Darlaston Roundabout, transforming the site of the former Darlaston Inn into a modern pit-stop with food, fuel and future EV charging.

The new “EG On the Move” forecourt officially opened its doors on 7th May 2025, following years of back-and-forth planning and public concern over the fate of the long-vacant pub site. The opening follows a successful appeal after earlier planning refusals, with flooding concerns and access safety flagged as key issues throughout the process.

Fuel prices and future plans

The site is already turning heads locally with petrol priced at 129.7p per litre and diesel at 135.7p, undercutting Morrisons in town, who have since dropped their prices to match. There are eight pumps available for unleaded and diesel, with ten electric vehicle charging points due to be installed in the near future.

The entire forecourt area has been raised and levelled during construction to help manage flood risk and make the site more accessible to vehicles and pedestrians alike.

A clear “No HGVs” sign is displayed at the entrance, and the site layout reflects this – it’s best suited to cars and vans. Drivers exiting the site will need to take particular care as the give-way point meets the roundabout directly. Visibility was a little tricky on our visit due to temporary signage, hopefully, this will improve once final landscaping and sign removal is complete.

Shoppers and snackers catered for

The forecourt shop is a full SPAR convenience store, offering chilled and frozen groceries (with well-known brands like Greggs, Iceland and COOK), fresh bread and snacks, and car care essentials. There’s also a coffee machine and a self-serve orange juice press.

For many residents, the highlight may well be the new Greggs inside, once again providing a handy bacon roll or vegan sausage breakfast option on the north side of town. The in-store Greggs is fully stocked with sandwiches, pasties, hot and cold drinks, and bakery treats.

There are separate male and female toilets, as well as an accessible toilet on site, a welcome touch for a location that’s already proving popular with passing traffic.

Parking and access

Free parking is available for up to 90 minutes with no return within two hours. Signs around the site make it clear that the car park operates under private land enforcement with fines of up to £100 for non-compliance. There’s plenty of parking, with more overflow parking coming to the lower area.

A controversial transformation

This site has long been a talking point in Stone. Once home to the Darlaston Inn, which fell into disrepair after closure, the plot remained derelict for several years. Locals were divided over the proposed petrol station, with some expressing concern about road safety, environmental impact and the loss of a historic building, while others welcomed regeneration of the neglected corner.

The planning journey began in early 2022, was refused in late 2022, and was eventually approved on appeal in mid-2023. You can follow the full story through the original application, the refusal, and the appeal result on our website.

As for what comes next, the station is open, the fuel is flowing, and the sausage rolls are warming.