motorway service areas

[FrintonMike]

Comming back from the New Forest yesterday I stopped at the South Mimms service are on the M25 as usual only to find that the caravan parking area had been taken over for a car rally or meeting of some sort.

I had to drive out and re-enter the service area to park in the area reserved for coaches, ignoring the signs saying coaches only.

So much for the motorway signs saying "tiredness can kill" or

" take a break" if there is no where to take a break

A letter is on its way to Welcome Break who run the area but has anyone else come accross this problem ?

 

[Oldsalt49]

Hi Michael,

I stopped at the Winchester services on the M3. They have parking facilities for only 3 caravan units. I wrote to the owners (can't remember who) asking why a service area on a main route to the New Forest was so underwhelmed with caravan facilities. 4 years on I am still waiting for a reply. I wouldn't waste your time writing to Welcome Break, they won't be interested.

 

[Heethers]

We stopped at the first service station on the M5 going south, not stopped on one for a considerable time and won't be stopping on one again.

While the OH sat in the car with the dogs l paid visit, called at Smiths for some wine gums wasn't till l got back to the car and checked the receipt l noticed they had charged

 

[ValA.]

I was very impressed, last week, by the Cartgate Picnic Area on the A303 near(ish) to Yeovil in Somerset. Just like one of those French 'Aires' with parking spaces for everyone, a toilet block, picnic tables, and an information bureau. There should be more places like this.

Thank you to Somerset (Mendip???) Council for a great location.

 

[ValA.]

I was very impressed, last week, by the Cartgate Picnic Area on the A303 near(ish) to Yeovil in Somerset. Just like one of those French 'Aires' with parking spaces for everyone, a toilet block, picnic tables, and an information bureau. There should be more places like this.

Thank you to Somerset (Mendip???) Council for a great location.

 

[ValA.]

I was very impressed, last week, by the Cartgate Picnic Area on the A303 near(ish) to Yeovil in Somerset. Just like one of those French 'Aires' with parking spaces for everyone, a toilet block, picnic tables, and an information bureau. There should be more places like this.

Thank you to Somerset (Mendip???) Council for a great location.

 

[S-MaxJon]

We usually find that the "caravan" areas are between the HGV's and coach parking. I am loathe to park in the HGV area as they are usually full of craters,bottles of p*** and risk of being pranged not to mention lack of pedestrian access for my 2 young children.

If the coach area's are empty I park in there - they are alot safer and secure.It tends to be the newer Services that have better facilities for caravans although we have been to Hopwood Services on M42 where the caravan area was closed due to coach party arriving!!I know these companies are there to make money but under law they have to provide 2 hours free parking to ALL road users.

I read in PC that N.D is requesting views from us about Service stations so these companies can be asked to respond to our concerns- perhaps now is the time for a concerted effort to change things.

 

[JohnnyV]

Hi,

At the risk of bringing down a lot of criticism on my head, I think we have to be a little bit reasonable - after all in comparison with either solo cars or commercial vehicles we are a very small minority and seasonal to boot - is it reasonable for a commercial enterprise to supply dedicated spaces that for most of the year will remain empty ?

My own outfit including tow car is 40' long = a big rigid truck, an artic trailer, or a coach so really I need the same amount of space.

Inevitably from time to time we all have to use service areas, and I agree that they could be better laid out - personally would suggest that Caravans should be in with Coaches ?

I used one on the M4 at the weekend that had dedicated spaces on the left of the service road - however you had to drive in on the diagonal & even with my front wheels up to the kerb the back end of the van was sticking out about 2' onto the road + you then had to back out onto the road, fortunately I had a 'banksman' in the shape of my wife otherwise I would have been reversing into traffic completely blind !

If I could have used the coach park it would have been a 'drive through'.

Lets hope that some of the service chains can be persuaded to adopt a more realistic attitude to our problem - provided proposals dont cost them

 

[hgv dave]

hi all

the motorway service industry in this country is part of the rip-off culture that has been growing in the the past few years....if you go into the service area shop,you will pay well above the normal retail price (the only thing i buy from a services is a newspaper because that has the price marked on it, and that is the only thing you will find in a services that has the price on it)

a few years ago a magazine asked why the prices were higher,the answer from the owner was that because of overheads like keeping the toilets clean 24hrs and having to employ staff to do this,that was why the prices were higher.......excuse me just what planet was that idiot who said that on?.......do you think he has seen the state of the toilets on services?....i dont really think so

as long as people are daft enough to pay the prices.....they will be more that willing to let you

as for parking on coach areas....i would not advise it.....you are bound to get clamped one day.......you aint a coach! and im sure a clamping firm will only be too happy to stick a clamp on you...they dont give a damm.....if it says coaches only......anything else will be clamped

 

[Robert_374332575]

adly this is a common occurence on Service areas. When we stop at Gretna on the M74 we find the dedicated Caravan area is used by lorries and vans while the lorry park and car park's are quiet but a big queue of towcars building trying to get in.

 

[LadyMo]

Robert,

I complained to the services manager at Gretna about lorries using the caravan parking facilities.As he obviously wasn't interested I decided to write to Welcome Break.I didn't even have the courtesy of a reply!!!

 

[Rita1]

We use the Asda just off junction 44 of M6 much nicer

http://www.5minutesaway.co.uk/

 

[LadyMo]

Rita,

Thanks for that info.Now got it filed away for future reference.

 

[602]

Hi,

Does a 12 seat LWB Land Rover estate count as a coach? I think they can use bus-lanes (but wouldn't want to try).

We went to pull into a lay-by cum car park on the Brecon Beacons. Full of mini-buses and ramblers. Couldn't get into the car park, as the contents of the minibuses had been decanted onto the car park, completely blocking access.

602

 

[RayS]

I was very impressed, last week, by the Cartgate Picnic Area on the A303 near(ish) to Yeovil in Somerset. Just like one of those French 'Aires' with parking spaces for everyone, a toilet block, picnic tables, and an information bureau. There should be more places like this.

Thank you to Somerset (Mendip???) Council for a great location.

Hi Val, thanks for the kind words about Cartgate. it will be down to either South Somerset District Council - their offices are about 3 miles away on the edge of Yeovil - or somerset County Council. As a nearby resident and ratepayer, i'm very pleased that at least some of my Council Tax is being well spent

Ray S