A30 between Launceston and Bodmin
(also accessible to traffic on the B3257)
Signposted from the road? Westbound only
PL15 7RR
map and directions
Single site located at a junction (no turning allowed).
A small service area at Plusha. It is accessible in both directions but only signposted westbound as the right turn is hazardous.
Facilities
Catering: Subway Outdoor Space: Small grass verge only Forecourt: Esso, Budgens, Costa Express, f'real Milkshakes, Tango Ice Blast
Parking Prices
First 2 hours free for all vehicles. After which, all vehicles must pay £3 for up to 4 hours, £5 for up to 6 hours, £8 for up to 8 hours, £11 for up to 12 hours or £14 for up to 24 hours.
Prices can be paid via the RingGo app using location code 21507.
These fees are strictly enforced by Smart Parking.
This information is provided to us by third parties. You should always check with staff on site.
Contact Details
🏢 Address:
Bodmin Moor Garage
Altarnun
Launceston
Cornwall
PL15 7RR
Trivia and Design
The road through the service area is the old alignment of the A30, which was cut off at the end by the new road. There used to be an exit to the A30 at the far western end of the car park, but this was closed when the dual carriageway was extended.
This service area started out as a couple of garages and a small petrol station next to Moor End bungalow in the mid-1950s. It was redeveloped in 1990 with a new forecourt being built to the far west of the site, in the position that it is today. This redevelopment introduced new parking areas for both cars and HGVs. There were also plans for the former garage building to become a restaurant, tourist information centre and hotel but that didn't happen.
New plans for a restaurant, tourist information centre and hotel were eventually granted planning permission 1995, but ultimately weren't built. The former garage building was finally converted to become Antheas Country Cafe in 1997. This was sold in 2008, when it became a Subway store, which is operated by Symbro.
Throughout the 2000s, the filling was branded BP with a SPAR store and operated by Chartman Retail. The filling station was rebranded to Esso in the early 2010s.
The filling station was acquired by MFG in 2019. They changed the shop to Budgens in the following year.
Junction Issue
A gap was provided in the central reservation to allow traffic to access the B3257 (and therefore the service area) in both directions, but the highway authority did not encourage people to use this to access the service area, as it had a very poor safety record.
The right turns were temporarily banned as part of an experimental road layout in 2022. They then reopened it, but announced that the exit to the A30 eastbound would be permanently closed in late 2025. They had said that the entry from the A30 eastbound would remain open, meaning eastbound traffic would be able to visit the service area but not leave. In the end, another fatality led to both right turns being banned indefinitely in November 2024.
Expansion
MFG hold planning permission to demolish the existing shop building and build a larger one in February 2020. The works would include the installation of four electric vehicle charging points and new parking bays located around the building.
There is also a protracted case to add fast food units to the site: one suggestion was to build two drive thru restaurants on the current HGV parking area, and another was to build a Greggs offer next to the forecourt. National Highways have objected to both proposals on the basis that they would encourage eastbound traffic to make the dangerous right turn across the A30. They have also raised concerns about any impact on the parking arrangements, noting that the current parking is split between two landowners.
Alternatives
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| Sourton Cross (21 miles) | Services on the A30 | Trewint (eastbound, 2 miles) Penlan (11 miles) |