Have your say on Motorway Service Areas

 (EDIT - Forgot to quote Brue's last post. Oops.)

So it seems that rather enforcing the restricted parking regulations, and make non caravan/mh parkers like white van man move to their own spaces, the management have decided to redirect the caravans away from the designated area. Brilliant. No wonder we shake our heads. I don't mind them putting up an overflow sign but...

What they need is a few ex wardens to enforce the existing rules.

Hi everyone, 

Just to let you know we haven't yet had the results back yet from Highways England. The next meeting of the National Towing Working Group is in September so we hope to have some feedback to share with you then. 

Useful

Just to let everyone know, this has not been forgotten about.  I bought up this again at the April CAMC Council Meeting.  The Club will be following this up again with the National Towing Working Group and Highways England.

David

Update:  The latest information on this survey is that, unfortunately, the National Towing Working Group has not met since the onset of the pandemic, so the Club has, as yet,  been unable to get the result of the motorway survey.  It is anticipate that things will normalise as things get better and the Club will raise the issue as a reminder when the National Towing Working Group eventually meet.

It remains a serious issue, and people still ask me about this.  Apart from comments made to me directly, there was a Facebook discussion recently about the motorway service station parking problems, and another by a person asking about which service stations to avoid when towing a caravan.

It is still on the Club's list to follow up..... and mine too. I will continue to follow this up.

David

This is what the caravan parking area looked like at Donnington Services a few days ago.

peeddee

Did you send that photo to the services provider, asking for an explanation as to why those trailers were parked up, and I guess blocking, the caravan parking area?

No I parked in the coach area and waited for someone to come and tell me I couldn't!  Even if I had thought of complaining to the owners I had no idea whose service area it was and still don't. The HGV area was full which was another reason I ended up in the coach area.. We had lunch and a coffee and left. One of the reasons for taking the photo was to use if I subsequently received a fine due to being spotted by ANPR cameras parked in an area where I shouldn't.

peedee

The whole thing is a bit of a nightmare, to be honest - the Highways Agency do not appear to be taking notice and at least don't appear to be talking to service station owners   At Stenshem Services on Saturday it just appeared to be a free for all...  even single cars parked in caravan spaces and cars travelling the 'wrong way' (i.e. entering the caravan parking area via the exit etc).  I didn't spot any member of staff, let alone anyone trying to make sense of it all.  

Apart from the inconvenience, what worries me more is the danger of drivers needing to pull over because they are tired and need a break, or even folk who are desperate for a toilet stop.  The least it needs are members of staff controlling and making sense of it all.  I just think the only thing service stations are interested in is taking the cash! This is why we really need an effective Highways Agency who can, at the very least, negotiate a plan with service stations......  and we still no word of the result of the survey in 2018....

David

Having done a UK tour this year, July/August, we had first hand, and recent experience.

The ability to be able to stop in a 'caravan space' is a lottery and often impossible. We pulled in to Tebay-one space all others occupied by HGVs and cars.

Scotch Corner-directed to coach parking area but only if you said you were buying food.

Hopwood Sevices on M42-one space only and made difficult by a MH with trailer parked at an angle. As we got back to the car an AA recovery driver asked my wife if we were leaving-she said "yes, but this is the caravan area".

His reply was that they always use it and as we left he pulled in.

I would say though that the we have traveled in Europe and found, especially at weekends, that it was impossible to park at any autoroute service areas