Motorway Services Online

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The idea of an independent rating system which has its results advertised on signs has been suggested many times, but it was [[MSA Policy#Circular 01.2F2008|Circular 01/2008]] which eventually prompted the system to be introduced.
The idea of an independent rating system which has its results advertised on signs has been suggested many times, but it was [[MSA Policy#Circular 01.2F2008|Circular 01/2008]] which eventually prompted the system to be introduced.


The ratings, which can be between one and five stars but are usually no less than three, are displayed on plaques at the front of the services.
The ratings, which can be between one and five stars but are usually no less than three, were displayed on plaques at the front of the services.


Assessments are part of VisitEngland's national [https://www.visitenglandassessmentservices.com/ quality assessments], a project which is contracted to the [[AA Survey|AA]].
Assessments were part of VisitEngland's national [https://www.visitenglandassessmentservices.com/ quality assessments], a project which is contracted to the [[AA Survey|AA]]. The responsibility moved to [[Transport Focus]] in 2017. They use percentages rather than stars, which slightly reduces the number of full marks awarded.
 
The results of the three main surveys are shown here:
 
{| class="wikitable sortable"
! Service Area !! August 2011 !! May 2012 !! Spring 2015
|-
| [[Baldock]] || 4 || 4 || 4
|-
| [[Beaconsfield]] || 4 || 4 || 5
|-
| [[Birch]] || 3 || 3 || 3
|-
| [[Birchanger Green]] || 3 || 4 || 4
|-
| [[Blackburn with Darwen]] || 3 || 3 || 5
|-
| [[Bridgwater]] || 4 || 3 || 3
|-
| [[Burton-in-Kendal]] || 3 || 3 || 3
|-
| [[Burtonwood]] || 2 || 2 || 3
|-
| [[Charnock Richard|Charnock Richard northbound]] || 3 || 3 || 5
|-
| [[Charnock Richard|Charnock Richard southbound]] || 3 || 3 || 3
|-
| [[Cherwell Valley]] || 3 || 4 || 4
|-
| [[Chester]] || 2 || 2 || 4
|-
| [[Chieveley]] || 3 || 3 || 3
|-
| [[Clacket Lane]] || 3 || 3 || 4
|-
| [[Cobham]] || -- || -- || 5
|-
| [[Corley]] || 3 || 3 || 3
|-
| [[Cullompton]] || 2 || 3 || 3
|-
| [[Doncaster (North)]] || 3 || 3 || ??
|-
| [[Donington]] || 3 || 3 || 4
|-
| [[Durham]] || 3 || 3 || 3
|-
| [[Exeter]] || 4 || 4 || 3
|-
| [[Ferrybridge]] || 3 || 4 || 4
|-
| [[Fleet|Fleet north-eastbound]] || 3 || 3 || 4
|-
| [[Fleet|Fleet south-westbound]] || 4 || 4 || 4
|-
| [[Frankley|Frankley northbound]] || 3 || 4 || 4
|-
| [[Frankley|Frankley southbound]] || 3 || 3 || 3
|-
| [[Gloucester]] || -- || -- || 5
|-
| [[Gordano]] || 4 || 4 || 4
|-
| [[Hartshead Moor|Hartshead Moor westbound]] || 3 || 3 || 3
|-
| [[Hartshead Moor|Hartshead Moor eastbound]] || 3 || 2 || 3
|-
| [[Heston]] || 2 || 3 || 3
|-
| [[Hilton Park]] || 3 || 3 || 3
|-
| [[Hopwood Park]] || 3 || 3 || 4
|-
| [[Keele|Keele northbound]] || 3 || 3 || 3
|-
| [[Keele|Keele southbound]] || 3 || 3 || 4
|-
| [[Killington Lake]] || 3 || 2 || 3
|-
| [[Knutsford]] || 3 || 3 || 4
|-
| [[Lancaster|Lancaster northbound]] || 3 || 3 || 4
|-
| [[Lancaster|Lancaster southbound]] || 3 || 2 || 4
|-
| [[Leicester Forest East]] || 3 || 3 || 3
|-
| [[Leigh Delamere|Leigh Delamere eastbound]] || 4 || 4 || 4
|-
| [[Leigh Delamere|Leigh Delamere westbound]] || 3 || 3 || 4
|-
| [[London Gateway]] || 3 || 4 || 4
|-
| [[Maidstone]] || 3 || 3 || 4
|-
| [[Medway]] || 2 || 3 || 3
|-
| [[Membury|Membury eastbound]] || 3 || 3 || 3
|-
| [[Membury|Membury westbound]] || 4 || 4 || 4
|-
| [[Michaelwood]] || 3 || 3 || 4
|-
| [[Newport Pagnell|Newport Pagnell northbound]] || 2 || 3 || 3
|-
| [[Newport Pagnell|Newport Pagnell southbound]] || 3 || 3 || 3
|-
| [[Northampton]] || 3 || 3 || 3
|-
| [[Norton Canes]] || 4 || 4 || 4
|-
| [[Oxford]] || 4 || 4 || 4
|-
| [[Pease Pottage]] || 3 || 3 || 3
|-
| [[Peterborough]] || 4 || 4 || 4
|-
| [[Reading|Reading westbound]] || 4 || 4 || 4
|-
| [[Reading|Reading eastbound]] || 4 || 3 || 3
|-
| [[Rivington]] || ?? || 3 || ??
|-
| [[Rownhams|Rownhams north-eastbound]] || 2 || 2 || 3
|-
| [[Rownhams|Rownhams south-westbound]] || 2 || 3 || 3
|-
| [[Sandbach|Sandbach northbound]] || 3 || 2 || 3
|-
| [[Sandbach|Sandbach southbound]] || 3 || 2 || 3
|-
| [[Sedgemoor (North)|Sedgemoor northbound]] || 3 || 3 || 3
|-
| [[Sedgemoor (South)|Sedgemoor southbound]] || 3 || 3 || 3
|-
| [[Severn View]] || 2 || 2 || 3
|-
| [[South Mimms]] || 4 || 4 || 4
|-
| [[Southwaite|Southwaite northbound]] || 3 || 3 || 4
|-
| [[Southwaite|Southwaite southbound]] || 3 || 3 || 3
|-
| [[Stafford (North)|Stafford northbound]] || 4 || ?? || 4
|-
| [[Stafford (South)|Stafford southbound]] || 3 || 3 || 3
|-
| [[Strensham|Strensham northbound]] || 3 || 4 || 3
|-
| [[Strensham|Strensham southbound]] || 4 || 3 || 3
|-
| [[Tamworth]] || 3 || 3 || 3
|-
| [[Taunton Deane|Taunton Deane northbound]] || 2 || 2 || 3
|-
| [[Taunton Deane|Taunton Deane southbound]] || 2 || 3 || 3
|-
| [[Tebay|Tebay northbound]] || ?? || 4 || 5
|-
| [[Tebay|Tebay southbound]] || 4 || 5 || 5
|-
| [[Telford]] || 3 || 3 || 3
|-
| [[Thurrock]] || 3 || 3 || 4
|-
| [[Tibshelf]] || 3 || 3 || 3
|-
| [[Toddington]] || 3 || 3 || 4
|-
| [[Trowell]] || 3 || 3 || 3
|-
| [[Warwick|Warwick northbound]] || 3 || 3 || 3
|-
| [[Warwick|Warwick southbound]] || 3 || 3 || 4
|-
| [[Washington|Washington northbound]] || 2 || 3 || 3
|-
| [[Washington|Washington southbound]] || 3 || 3 || 3
|-
| [[Watford Gap|Watford Gap northbound]] || 3 || 3 || 3
|-
| [[Watford Gap|Watford Gap southbound]] || 3 || 2 || 3
|-
| [[Wetherby]] || 4 || 4 || 4
|-
| [[Winchester]] || 4 || 3 || 4
|-
| [[Woodall|Woodall northbound]] || 3 || 2 || 3
|-
| [[Woodall|Woodall southbound]] || 3 || 3 || 3
|-
| [[Woolley Edge|Woolley Edge northbound]] || 3 || 3 || 4
|-
| [[Woolley Edge|Woolley Edge southbound]] || 4 || 4 || 4
|}
 
[[Cherwell Valley]] and [[Tebay]] received 5 star awards in 2013. The new Cherwell Valley was praised for its good design, while in 2012 Tebay southbound had set a record by being the first service area to get the full five stars.
 
A number of categories and comments were made during the first award season, in 2011:
 
* [[Beaconsfield]] came top in the internal comforts, picnic and dog walking categories.
* [[Donington|Donington Park]] was praised for having plug sockets and a good rural environment.
* [[Exeter]] had good environmental credentials
* [[Leigh Delamere|Leigh Delamere eastbound]] had the best family changing rooms.
* They liked the landscaping at [[Stafford (North)|Stafford northbound]] and [[Killington Lake]].
* [[Strensham]] northbound was said to be good for business travellers, and southbound had a good choice of seating.
* [[Tebay|Tebay southbound]] had the best outside play area, best landscaping and was the best for families.
* [[Warwick]] had the best toilets.
* [[Woolley Edge]] had a good coffee shop.
 
[[Gloucester]] was described as "fabulous" during the 2015 study.


[[Category:Reviews]][[Category:UK only]]
[[Category:Reviews]][[Category:UK only]]

Revision as of 21:49, 5 July 2022

VisitEngland three star services.
One of the ratings on display.

Tourist board VisitEngland were tasked with inspecting all of England's motorway services on an annual basis, starting in 2011.

The idea of an independent rating system which has its results advertised on signs has been suggested many times, but it was Circular 01/2008 which eventually prompted the system to be introduced.

The ratings, which can be between one and five stars but are usually no less than three, were displayed on plaques at the front of the services.

Assessments were part of VisitEngland's national quality assessments, a project which is contracted to the AA. The responsibility moved to Transport Focus in 2017. They use percentages rather than stars, which slightly reduces the number of full marks awarded.

The results of the three main surveys are shown here:

Service Area August 2011 May 2012 Spring 2015
Baldock 4 4 4
Beaconsfield 4 4 5
Birch 3 3 3
Birchanger Green 3 4 4
Blackburn with Darwen 3 3 5
Bridgwater 4 3 3
Burton-in-Kendal 3 3 3
Burtonwood 2 2 3
Charnock Richard northbound 3 3 5
Charnock Richard southbound 3 3 3
Cherwell Valley 3 4 4
Chester 2 2 4
Chieveley 3 3 3
Clacket Lane 3 3 4
Cobham -- -- 5
Corley 3 3 3
Cullompton 2 3 3
Doncaster (North) 3 3 ??
Donington 3 3 4
Durham 3 3 3
Exeter 4 4 3
Ferrybridge 3 4 4
Fleet north-eastbound 3 3 4
Fleet south-westbound 4 4 4
Frankley northbound 3 4 4
Frankley southbound 3 3 3
Gloucester -- -- 5
Gordano 4 4 4
Hartshead Moor westbound 3 3 3
Hartshead Moor eastbound 3 2 3
Heston 2 3 3
Hilton Park 3 3 3
Hopwood Park 3 3 4
Keele northbound 3 3 3
Keele southbound 3 3 4
Killington Lake 3 2 3
Knutsford 3 3 4
Lancaster northbound 3 3 4
Lancaster southbound 3 2 4
Leicester Forest East 3 3 3
Leigh Delamere eastbound 4 4 4
Leigh Delamere westbound 3 3 4
London Gateway 3 4 4
Maidstone 3 3 4
Medway 2 3 3
Membury eastbound 3 3 3
Membury westbound 4 4 4
Michaelwood 3 3 4
Newport Pagnell northbound 2 3 3
Newport Pagnell southbound 3 3 3
Northampton 3 3 3
Norton Canes 4 4 4
Oxford 4 4 4
Pease Pottage 3 3 3
Peterborough 4 4 4
Reading westbound 4 4 4
Reading eastbound 4 3 3
Rivington ?? 3 ??
Rownhams north-eastbound 2 2 3
Rownhams south-westbound 2 3 3
Sandbach northbound 3 2 3
Sandbach southbound 3 2 3
Sedgemoor northbound 3 3 3
Sedgemoor southbound 3 3 3
Severn View 2 2 3
South Mimms 4 4 4
Southwaite northbound 3 3 4
Southwaite southbound 3 3 3
Stafford northbound 4 ?? 4
Stafford southbound 3 3 3
Strensham northbound 3 4 3
Strensham southbound 4 3 3
Tamworth 3 3 3
Taunton Deane northbound 2 2 3
Taunton Deane southbound 2 3 3
Tebay northbound ?? 4 5
Tebay southbound 4 5 5
Telford 3 3 3
Thurrock 3 3 4
Tibshelf 3 3 3
Toddington 3 3 4
Trowell 3 3 3
Warwick northbound 3 3 3
Warwick southbound 3 3 4
Washington northbound 2 3 3
Washington southbound 3 3 3
Watford Gap northbound 3 3 3
Watford Gap southbound 3 2 3
Wetherby 4 4 4
Winchester 4 3 4
Woodall northbound 3 2 3
Woodall southbound 3 3 3
Woolley Edge northbound 3 3 4
Woolley Edge southbound 4 4 4

Cherwell Valley and Tebay received 5 star awards in 2013. The new Cherwell Valley was praised for its good design, while in 2012 Tebay southbound had set a record by being the first service area to get the full five stars.

A number of categories and comments were made during the first award season, in 2011:

Gloucester was described as "fabulous" during the 2015 study.