A new draft policy for providing and operating motorway services and other roadside facilities on England’s strategic roads has been published by the Highways Agency for a six-week public consultation.

Road users are invited to consider the draft policy and give the agency their views.

The draft sets out how the agency will regulate the provision of motorway service areas and rest areas, trunk road service areas and lay-bys to ensure they provide safe, suitable facilities.

It says the Highways Agency is now prepared to consider a number of new ideas that could lead to motorway service areas being used for conference facilities, coach interchanges or to provide a base for park and ride or park and share.

However, any development planned for service areas would be considered using a system of impact assessments in order to “protect the countryside and ensure that service areas do not become destinations in their own right”.