Greater use of the service areas as centres for conference facilities or park ride and car sharing are among proposals the HA – an executive agency of the Department for Transport that manages England’s motorways and trunk roads – is considering, but the “new ideas” should protect the countryside, and therefore the areas should not “become destinations in their own right”.
“Road users, operating companies and other interested parties” wanting to express views on the draft policy, entitled Roadside Facilities Policy Review – Public Consultation, can access it via www.highways.gov.uk/business/133.aspx. Comments on the draft policy should be returned to the Highways Agency’s Spatial Planning Team by 11 December 2007.
The Highways Agency believes that alcohol should remain unavailable in motorway service restaurants, shops or accomodation. It also adopts a hands off approach to pricing, which will remain within the remit of individual operators and there are no plans to relax controls on roadside advertising.
There are 68 motorway service areas in England and although the Government owns the freehold on 21 sites all the facilities at these locations are privately operated.
