Miscellaneous Section 55: Trunk Road picnic areas
199.This section amends section 112 of the Highways Act 1980 to enable the Secretary of State to provide picnic sites on land adjoining, or in the vicinity of motorways, to enter into arrangements with a council for the provision of facilities at such sites and to provide public sanitary conveniences on land adjoining the motorway. Currently, the power to provide picnic sites and conveniences is limited to trunk roads that are not motorways.
200.The Secretary of State also has an existing power to manage trunk road picnic sites. That power is extended to the new picnic sites adjoining motorways, and will be strengthened by allowing the enforcement of parking controls at all picnic sites (i.e. those on motorways and ordinary trunk roads) and recovering the costs of doing so.
201.The provisions apply to England and Wales. The Secretary of State's functions regarding motorways and other trunk roads, including the provision of picnic areas, are devolved matters exercisable in Wales by the National Assembly for Wales.