Motorway Service Areas Impress

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31207, 3 November 1966, Page 18

Motorway Service Areas Impress

Service areas alongside motorways did not seem to appeal to the National Roads Board but, after seeing five in England, she was positive that they must come, said Miss Nancy Northcroft, a town-planning consultant and formerly Christchurch regional planning officer, on her return yesterday.

“It is burying your head in the sand to believe that motorists, once on a high-speed highway, will dive off into the 30 m.p.h. limits of a nearby town to hunt for some simple service they need,” she said. Miss Northcroft said the English service areas were owned by the Ministry of Transport, occupied up to 20 acres, and (in one unit) provided food, petrol and oil, small repairs, and often a restaurant. Some of these restaurants were quite elaborate and provided high-quality full meals. Besides these there were snack bars and truckers’ cafes. There was no access to the service areas except from the motorway. They were spaced about 25 miles apart and also

between turn-offs to avoid congestion. The motorway was now being taken in to Hendon, which was well into the builtup area of London, yet there would be a service area there. Miss Northcroft said a good deal of a service area was taken for the parking of cars, buses, and trucks. Some officials thought caravans also should be provided for. “The theory is that many drivers of all kinds tend to push on too far too fast and tha they should be encouraged to turn off into the service areas for short rests while they attend to their needs,” she said. Miss Northcroft said that one service area near Leicester had a bridge-type restaurant straddling the motorway. Others had the restaurant on one side with a footbridge to the other. One had service facilities on both sides. Petrol was available on both sides at every one.