Group sets sights on lorry sites
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• Immediately following the statement to the House of Commons on December 15 by Minister for Transport Industries, Mr John Peyton, that the Government is to locate and buy sites to establish a national network of security lorry parks (CM December 17), a consortium of property and finance interests, with the British Legion's car park organization, British Legion Attendants Ltd, announced the formation of a multi-million pound company to operate them.
The new company, Vanguard lnterstop Parking Ltd, aims to be a leading contender for lease of the 50 sites envisaged by the Government. Managing director Mr Arthur Markham, who is also chairman of British Legion Attendants, states: "We would hope to have 25 security parks with their own hotels, catering and drivers' clubs in operation by 1980."
Mr Markham adds that British Legion Attendants, which already operates 216 car parks and multi-storey parks round the country, had been studying this problem for five years. had already put into operation at its own expense. a pilot commercial vehicle security park in Preston, and intended that all staff for future security parks would be trained at this maximum security centre.
Vanguard Interstop Parking has been formed specifically to lease, build and operate a chain of security parks. Finance and property developing groups involved include Euroway Estates Ltd, British Legion Attendants Ltd, Medina-Worth Ltd and Lynton Holdings Ltd, In addition to the pilot park at Preston, it is understood that the consortium is interested in parks at Carlisle, Bradford and Exeter.
As reported in CM October 29, a new company. Transport Inns Ltd, comprising the NFC, the TGWU and Trust Houses Forte, already has plans for a chain of "lotels", the first of which is intended to be sited at Felixstowe Mr Peyton's announcement in the Commons about the acquisition of sites was in reply to a written question. He said: "After consultation with the industry and the local authority associations the Government fully supports the strategy proposed in the recently published report of a DoE working group. It is now launching a programme to locate and buy a sufficient number of sites, for leasing to commercial operators, so as to provide a national network of lorry parks in England outside London. Regional study groups on the lines envisaged in the report are already being set 'up to establish the best sites.
"As far as financial arrangements are concerned, instead of making grants to local authorities for land acquisition, I intend that the land should be provided under the powers of Section 30 of the Highways Act 1971. It is the Government's intention that once the lorry parks are firmly established the land should be sold to the operators.
"The question of quality licensing of the lorry parks, which only becomes important when they come into operation, requires further study and possibly legislation at some future time."
As the Department would be taking full responsibility for the main network, local authorities would be expected to co-operate by providing smaller parking areas.
The working, party report said that accommodation would probably have to be provided in the main network for about 15,000 vehicles, which meant that 50 lorry parks of the largest size, or a larger number of smaller parks, would be necessary in England (excluding London).
Regional controllers, the Minister added, were at present forming study groups in their divisional areas, consisting of representatives of local authorities, the police and regional planning officers; and it was intended that the RHA and FTA should be consulted locally.
A DoE spokesman told CM on Monday that already, in the North West, a number of potential sites had been selected and "we are now approaching the point where we can consider acquisition and the seeking of planning consent. We hope that early in the New Year we will be able to go ahead with the scheme."
In general, it is intended that the sites will be advertised and those concerns interested in operating them will be invited to submit tenders, in much the same way as motorway service areas are leased.