Beating junction 8, M6. (1 Viewer)

[Tootles]

Some time ago, I was lamenting the fact that if you were traveling South down the M6, you got stuck for ages in the huge daily traffic jam that forms at junction 8, the start of the M5.
I hate it with a passion. In fact, I was ready to castrate myself with a broken bottle, such was the frustration. I searched Google Earth for hours, looking for somewhere safe to stop South of Birmingham in the early hours. Didn't fancy a motorway services, and all the lay-by's I found looked a bit seedy.......Dogging spots I think.
Anyway, the solution is in my hands! Er......Will re-phase that. I have the answer.
Malvern has a 24 hour car park, with no barriers, designed as a 24 hour stop over for motorhomes. Book in advance, wait for it, £3.20.........For a full 24 hours. Arrive after midnight, no problems. Set in a nice area as well.
Priory Road Car Park (South), WR143DS. You pre-book and pay by phone 0345 5207007.
Setting off next Friday to give it a bash. Will leave Lancaster at around 22.00, arrive Malvern some time after 23.59, heads down, go for a breakfast next morning, and set off to enjoy the trip.
Will let you know how I go on.............

 

[DuxDeluxe]

Will let you know how I go on.............

I bet you will..........in your own inimitable style.

Looking forward to it, Dave

 

[big bertha]

We'll be in touching distance, I'll be in Whitchurch next Friday night.

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[Tootles]

I bet you will..........in your own inimitable style.

Bitch........

 

[Tootles]

We'll be in touching distance, I'll be in Whitchurch next Friday night.

If you can touch me in Malvern from Whitchurch, I bet you could steal cream cakes From Greggs in Preston whilst being in Manchester having a G&T...........

 

[big bertha]

If you can touch me in Malvern from Whitchurch, I bet you could steal cream cakes From Greggs in Preston whilst being in Manchester having a G&T...........

There both in Shropshire so I'm sure i'll feel your presence. Never go near Greggs but been known to have occasional G and T.

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[Tootles]

so I'm sure i'll feel your presence.

Thats possible. Just leave your hab door open..........

 

[GJH]

Malvern has a 24 hour car park, with no barriers, designed as a 24 hour stop over for motorhomes.

I'm not sure that is true Dave. Whilst 24 hour parking is available for motorhomes, overnight camping was only ever tolerated rather than being officially allowed, and that changed with a change of management. See this article on UK Motorhomes.
Sorry if that makes a mess of your plans.

 

[olley]

Can't see a problem arriving that late, not likely to be a traffic warden about.

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[Minxy]

Hey-up Tootsy ... where have you been? Missed you!

 

[chaser]

M6 is fine that time of night, not even to bad in the middle of the day unless something untoward has happened.
Used to go up and down it every day when I was on the vans, used to wait till rush hour was over though

 

[tonka]

The roadworks that created a lot of the tailbacks from the M5 junction northwards are now gone so not as bad as it was some time ago.. It's still busy and can tailback to jn10 at peak times but a lot better now...

Malvern, as a stop over along the M5 seems a long way off route..

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[GJH]

Hey-up Tootsy ... where have you been? Missed you!

The answers in the OP. @Tootles has been conducting a research project into the comparative numbers of dogging spots in the Birmingham and Lancaster areas

 

[Janine]

There both in Shropshire

Close but no cigar - Malvern's in Worcestershire

 

[big bertha]

Close but no cigar - Malvern's in Worcestershire

Close enough for a Scottish lass at least I knew they were on the same side.

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[Tootles]

I'm not sure that is true Dave. Whilst 24 hour parking is available for motorhomes, overnight camping was only ever tolerated rather than being officially allowed, and that changed with a change of management. See this article on UK Motorhomes.
Sorry if that makes a mess of your plans.

I did ask that very thing Graham. In fact, they even suggest you buying two tickets if your truck is longer then one bay.

Drivers of motorhomes and caravans are only allowed to park in Priory Road (South) Car Park, Malvern (WR14 3DS) and Hanley Road Car Park, Upton Upon Severn (WR8 0HY), as spaces in all the other Malvern Hills District Council's car parks are only suitable for vehicles up to 4.8 metres long.

Drivers are advised to purchase multiple tickets to cover the number of spaces that the vehicle occupies.

Here's a list of contraventions.

[QUOTE
PCN Code Contravention Description PCN Amount Contravention
81 Parked in a restricted area in a car park £70 Parking on a yellow hatched area which is not designed to accommodate vehicles
82 Parked after the expiry of time paid for in a pay and display car park £50 Remaining parked in a car park after a pay & display ticket has expired
83 Parked in a pay and display car park without clearly displaying a valid pay and display ticket £50 Not clearly displaying a valid ticket on the dashboard
85 Parked in a permit bay without clearly displaying a valid permit £70 Parking in the Council House or Brunel House car parks between 8am and 7.30pm, Monday to Friday (excluding Bank Holidays) without a staff/members permit
86 Parked beyond the bay markings £50 Parking over the white lines of a bay
87 Parked in a disabled person's parking space without clearly displaying a valid disabled person's badge £70 Parking in a disabled bay with an expired blue badge on display
91 Parked in an area not designated for that class of vehicle £70 Parking a car in a motorcycle bay
92 Parked causing an obstruction £70 Parking in front of a pay & display machine
96 Parked with engine running where prohibited £50 Leaving a coach engine running whilst parked in Priory Road South car park

][/QUOTE]

Nothing about no overnighting. And anyway, who the hell is going to be checking up at gone midnight??

Sorry if that makes a mess of your plans.

Not a chance! And anyway, paid now, for a 24 hour stay.

 

[Tootles]

The roadworks that created a lot of the tailbacks from the M5 junction northwards are now gone so not as bad as it was some time ago.. It's still busy and can tailback to jn10 at peak times but a lot better now...

Malvern, as a stop over along the M5 seems a long way off route..

Not really Tonk, off at junction 7, back on at 8. A few minuets at best.
Last time we did the 6, one hour crawl at junction 19, then another hour 10 to 8. A fiver for the toll road, but more stuck traffic on the M42.

 

[GJH]

I did ask that very thing Graham. In fact, they even suggest you buying two tickets if your truck is longer then one bay.

Here's a list of contraventions.

PCN Code Contravention Description PCN Amount Contravention
81 Parked in a restricted area in a car park £70 Parking on a yellow hatched area which is not designed to accommodate vehicles
82 Parked after the expiry of time paid for in a pay and display car park £50 Remaining parked in a car park after a pay & display ticket has expired
83 Parked in a pay and display car park without clearly displaying a valid pay and display ticket £50 Not clearly displaying a valid ticket on the dashboard
85 Parked in a permit bay without clearly displaying a valid permit £70 Parking in the Council House or Brunel House car parks between 8am and 7.30pm, Monday to Friday (excluding Bank Holidays) without a staff/members permit
86 Parked beyond the bay markings £50 Parking over the white lines of a bay
87 Parked in a disabled person's parking space without clearly displaying a valid disabled person's badge £70 Parking in a disabled bay with an expired blue badge on display
91 Parked in an area not designated for that class of vehicle £70 Parking a car in a motorcycle bay
92 Parked causing an obstruction £70 Parking in front of a pay & display machine
96 Parked with engine running where prohibited £50 Leaving a coach engine running whilst parked in Priory Road South car park

Nothing about no overnighting. And anyway, who the hell is going to be checking up at gone midnight??

Not a chance! And anyway, paid now, for a 24 hour stay.

Thanks Dave. I wish they would make their minds up.

Overnight camping used to be allowed at both Priory Road South and Hanley Road in Upton upon Severn until a few years ago when disabled motorhome drivers (who could park without payment) started to take the Mickey and clog up Hanley Road in the run up to events at Three Counties Showground. That was one of the factors which prompted the 2013 parking order (which is still current). That order includes clause 64 which says:

Domestic purposes
64. Any person who uses any part of the parking place or any vehicle parked in a parking place
(i) for sleeping or camping or cooking, or
(ii) for the purpose of servicing or washing any vehicle or part thereof other than is reasonably necessary to enable the vehicle to depart from the parking place,
shall be liable to prosecution.

However, as mentioned in the UK Motorhomes article, the management at the time took a relaxed view but that was then overturned a few months later.
From what you have been told the management approach must have changed again. I hope so, sleep well

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[Emmit]

Son No.1 works south of Jn 8 M5 and lives at Stafford.

He tells me that on an evening he turns SOUTH at Jn8 M5 and then doubles back on himself to the N. Bound M6 @ Jn7 M6.

The queue north on the M5 to get onto the M6 N.Bound is thus avoided

 

[Peter JohnsCross MH]

Blue Badge........................... NO PAY?

 

[GJH]

And anyway, paid now, for a 24 hour stay.

What everyone is really bursting to know are the full results of your dogging survey and whether Birmingham dogs are better or worse than Lancaster dogs

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[magicsurfbus]

Half the problem with M6 J8 southbound when it's busy is that a lot of people don't use the 'smart' hard shoulder lane when they're allowed to.

Another option is come off at J10, go round Walsall, re-join at J7 northbound and make the short hop to J8 M5. Before the toll road we used to use that as a way of dodging the queues.

 

[Minxy]

What everyone is really bursting to know are the full results of your dogging survey and whether Birmingham dogs are better or worse than Lancaster dogs

Nope, appears to just be you Graham from the number of times YOU'VE mentioned it!

 

[Tootles]

Half the problem with M6 J8 southbound when it's busy is that a lot of people don't use the 'smart' hard shoulder lane when they're allowed to.

The main problem seems to be that the M6 goes into two lanes at junction 8, which causes the tailbacks.

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[DuxDeluxe]

What everyone is really bursting to know are the full results of your dogging survey and whether Birmingham dogs are better or worse than Lancaster dogs

Nope, appears to just be you Graham from the number of times YOU'VE mentioned it!

They based this on @GJH ........

 

[GJH]

They based this on @GJH ........

It's @Minxy Girl who has the Smart car isn't it?

 

[Minxy]

It's @Minxy Girl who has the Smart car isn't it?

OMG ... I've just realised why hubby was SOOOOOOOO keen to keep the cabriolet one and sell the coupe!!!

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[Doctor Dave]

Blue Badge........................... NO PAY?

Some councils allow free parking for Blue Badge holders and some do not. My wife - who has a Blue Badge (just renewed) has always queried this, saying being disabled doesn't make us paupers. We can even cross the Severn Bridge into Wales free of charge with the Blue Badge.

I know one thing, all Blue badge holders would prefer to be fit and able enough not to need one.


Dave

 

[Tootles]

What everyone is really bursting to know are the full results of your dogging survey and whether Birmingham dogs are better or worse than Lancaster dogs

I will have to conduct a discussion with the survey instigator before I comment G, but for some strange reason, Mr Vaz's phone is still engaged, as is that of his good friend The Bishop of Grantham.