Have your say on Motorway Service Areas

Late at the party here, sorry, and the survey's closed.

Coming back up from Southampton, we found some useful caravan space on the M40 j10 Services, the one where the A43 goes off to Brackley. But it's a good-ish walk to the buildings, so maybe not best in foul weather.

And not really on the M-way, but the "Family Farm" services between Oxford and M40 on the A34 didn't appear even to pretend to offer caravan space, so we drove through & out.

I would like to report a "first."

For the first time ever, at Wetherby Services the two gentleman who were visibly keeping an eye on all the busy parking areas (and cleaning up litter left by unmentionable lazy people) were also tackling lorry drivers attempting to use the caravan area.

Well done Wetherby and also the increasing use of "caravan only" warning signs on other M1 services.

We have used Wetherby Services a couple of times recently on our trip to the North East and both times there were marshals in the car park organising the caravan/motorhome parking with motorhomes usually being sent to the lorry park just next door which being the weekend there was plenty of room. I had no objection to that as they were trying to keep the longer bays for towed caravans. Shame that other service areas didn't pay the same amount of attention.

David

The new caravan spaces at Sedgemoor South are indeed a great improvement, however, on our recent trip down to Dorset only two spaces were available the rest being taken up by articulated lorrys, despite the old caravan parking now a resurfaced and marked lorry park being less than half full. Still a long walk to the facilities though. North bound services still need to be improved but are better than previously.

Motorway services and parking facilities were, I believe a government condition in their getting planning permission.  Some services do have designated caravan/motorhome areas, although drivers of other vehicle types often treat them as 'overflow' 'parking.  If other caravaners are anything like us, the services get no, or sparse, income from caravaners.  We carry our own food and drink, and plan refuelling so as to avoid their abortive pump prices.

for example, on a long haul to west Cornwall, we do a one-night stop over at Cadeside in Somerset.  And I refill at Sainsbury's whilst caravan is unhitched on site.  Works out no dearer, and the stop over is far more pleasant than a couple of motorway services stops.

Oh, and yes, we have noticed the urine odour on the HGV parking areas. I understand many lorry drivers use containers (e.g., used milk cartons) and simply empty them when parked up - too lazy to take them to the toilets and wash them out!

Are we any closer to finding out the results of the survey? Anybody home?

Rowena put the post up so Rowena should give us the results. She works for the club.

I reckon the survey will show that caravans are just a tiny fraction (way below 1%) of the immense number of vehicles on the road, and therefore not very important in the great scheme of things. And that providing double size motorway parking spaces especially for caravans and patrolling and policing and guarding them - just in case a caravan turns up - is never going to be a top priority. 

Thank you for your comments.  As we speak, the Club Executive Secretary is attempting to get the results of the survey from Highways England and the National Towing Working Group.  As soon as there is any further news, we will post it up.

David

Well, where are the results? I won't bother filling in any more surveys if this is the way we are treated.

ps There used to be a designated caravan parking area at the Chester M56 services. No longer. They have given it over to just Coaches. LVs must use the lorry parking area, further away from the service block. Typical. Obviously the survey hasn't exactly helped us has it?