If you mean signs to the A3 Ripley services, the reason is likely to be
that you cannot easily get back to the M25 without a long deviation.

Surely other easy option for a "quick fix" at M25 J10 would be to route to
"local services" like Cobham, which has, amongst other things, a large
Sainsbury's, complete with Restaurant and Petrol Station, just off the A3?

In message , Bob Martin
writes

If you mean signs to the A3 Ripley services, the reason is likely to be
that you cannot easily get back to the M25 without a long deviation.

Surely other easy option for a "quick fix" at M25 J10 would be to route to
"local services" like Cobham, which has, amongst other things, a large
Sainsbury's, complete with Restaurant and Petrol Station, just off the A3?

It would certainly be reasonably near, but it is not 24-hour opening and
I suspect that the locals might well raise planning objections.

I don't know what the official policy is for signs to off-motorway
services, but all those I can recall have been very close-by on major
roads, rather than on local side roads, and tend to point to service
areas that offer the full range of motorway-style facilities.

In the case of Cobham, I suspect it is likely that work will begin on
the official M25 service area there within less than a year, so I doubt
that any quick-fix will be applied, however viable it might be.

(Wasn't it John Major who thought that the answer to all transport
problems was a Cones Hotline and many more Motorway Service Stations,
doubtless with his much-loved caffs selling delicious peas?)

--
Paul Terry

"Paul Terry" wrote in message
...
In message , Bob Martin
writes


I don't know what the official policy is for signs to off-motorway
services, but all those I can recall have been very close-by on major
roads, rather than on local side roads, and tend to point to service
areas that offer the full range of motorway-style facilities.

There are very strict rules for motorway service areas. Much of which are
designed to prevent the service area becoming a destination for local
travellers. i.e. They don't want locals using the motorway more just to get
to the service station. Which is why the type of things they can sell is
limited, you won't see a furniture shop at a M/way services for example.

Some of the rules I've seen suggest that services should not be accessible
from outside the motorway, however I can think of numerous examples where
this is not the case.

On Wed, 30 Jun 2004 at 11:52:05, Mark Hewitt
wrote:

There are very strict rules for motorway service areas. Much of which are
designed to prevent the service area becoming a destination for local
travellers. i.e. They don't want locals using the motorway more just to get
to the service station. Which is why the type of things they can sell is
limited, you won't see a furniture shop at a M/way services for example.

I thought one of the most modern service areas - forget which, or where
it is - was positioning itself as just that, somewhere to go. I gather
it had a load of shops that you wouldn't normally find in a service
area. But as I can't tell you which one it was, I suppose it's possible
that I was dreaming. But I don't think so!
--
Annabel Smyth
http://www.amsmyth.demon.co.uk/index.html
Website updated 6 June 2004

On Wed, 30 Jun 2004 11:52:05 +0100, "Mark Hewitt"
wrote:

Some of the rules I've seen suggest that services should not be accessible
from outside the motorway, however I can think of numerous examples where
this is not the case.

Most do not allow access by normal drivers from outside the motorway,
but one presumes that access must be available for staff in case any
live locally and wish to walk or cycle to work. In most cases, such
access seems to be available, but is marked with a no-entry sign.

If it's off the motorway, of course, as many are, outside access
generally is available for all.

Neil

--
Neil Williams in Milton Keynes, UK
To e-mail use neil at the above domain

"Neil Williams" wrote in message
...

Most do not allow access by normal drivers from
outside the motorway, but one presumes that
access must be available for staff in case any
live locally and wish to walk or cycle to work.
In most cases, such access seems to be available,
but is marked with a no-entry sign.

In the case of Clacket Lane clockwise services, anyone is allowed to access
via the local road (which not surprisigly is called Clacket Lane) so long as
they are booked into the hotel in the service station. I don't know if
similar rules apply for the hotel at Scratchwood or any other services.

--
John Rowland - Spamtrapped
Transport Plans for the London Area, updated 2001
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Acro...69/tpftla.html
A man's vehicle is a symbol of his manhood.
That's why my vehicle's the Piccadilly Line -
It's the size of a county and it comes every two and a half minutes

In the case of Clacket Lane clockwise services, anyone is allowed to
access
via the local road (which not surprisigly is called Clacket Lane) so long
as
they are booked into the hotel in the service station. I don't know if
similar rules apply for the hotel at Scratchwood or any other services.

It's a similar situation at Heston services on the M4. If you're coming
from the West you have to exit onto a series of local roads (including some
******* speed humps) and then enter the services the other side, where
there's an intercom to let you in. Don't know what's stopping people from
saying they're going to book in when they arrive, but if you regularly do it
then you'd probably get done (signs mention the word 'prosecution') so not
really worth it, as J3 is only a few minutes away, and if you're heading
into town from there you're much better off on the A4 anyway at any time of
day or night.

It's a handy exit point if the queues are particularly bad heading into
London though - a while back I was heading into London late in the
afternoon, and thought I'd turn off for the services and re-join, to avoid
the bunching around the services, and just as I got to the top of the
slip-road the traffic news came on and anonunced that the A4 into town is
closed at the Sutton Court Road traffic lights (at the end of the M4). So I
cut through Heston onto the A4, and I could see it all grinding to a halt
after Gilette Corner, so I turned right there and went in on the A315, where
the main flow there is out of town (just for local traffic,
Isleworth/Brentford, some bits of Hounslow), got to Kew Bridge no probs, and
then cut through the South Circular (against the main flow that time of
day), through Mortlake, Barnes and over Putney Bridge (all against the main
flow) - did Slough to Chelsea in about 40 minutes, not bad considering the
main arterial route into town was closed!! That's why they don't want
everyone doing it - all the other routes would clog up to buggery.

Peter

John Rowland wrote:
"Neil Williams" wrote...

Most do not allow access by normal drivers from
outside the motorway, but one presumes that
access must be available for staff in case any
live locally and wish to walk or cycle to work.
In most cases, such access seems to be available,
but is marked with a no-entry sign.

In the case of Clacket Lane clockwise services, anyone is allowed to access
via the local road (which not surprisigly is called Clacket Lane) so long as
they are booked into the hotel in the service station.

How does they manage that? The map shows the access road crossing
Clacket Lane on the level. Is the map wrong?

I don't know if
similar rules apply for the hotel at Scratchwood or any other services.

I've seen something similar somewhere on the M1 (Newport Pagnell, IIRC)
where the hotel was beyond the barrier, and they had to book in at the
service station in order to get through... except that the barrier
didn't actually work, so anyone could get through.