§ Viscount Simonasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they will list the stretches of motorway (including stretches of linked motorways) where the spacing between motorway services areas significantly exceeds the recommended 30 mile gap; whether they consider that spacings in excess of 30 miles are excessive in view of current and anticipated volumes of traffic; and whether they have plans to encourage services to be built in identified gaps. [HL116]
§ Lord WhittyI regret that my reply of 11 November (WA99–100) omitted a group of motorway journeys during which it is possible to travel more than 30 miles between motorway services areas (MSAs). In addition to those involving the western side of the M.25 and the eastern end of the M.20 that I identified then, it is also possible to travel more than 30 miles between services on the M.18/M.180/M.62.
There are a number of current planning applications for MSAs on the M.25(W) which could potentially fill the gap which exists there. For the M.20, planning permission has been granted for a site at Junction 11, construction of which would fill that gap. Similarly, the remaining M.18/M.180/M.62 gaps would be filled by construction of the MSA for which planning permission has been granted.