Truck stop wins praise for £225k revamp

Andrew Sargent said he was "over the moon" with the new facilities at his truck stop

A truck stop has won praise from drivers after it transformed its facilities for them through a £225,000 grant from the government.

ADS Truck Parking, in Longton, Stoke-on-Trent, used the investment to put in new toilets and showers for truckers, upgrade their CCTV system and install a large new cafe area with outdoor seating.

Director Andrew Sargent said he was "overwhelmed" and "over the moon" to have received the grant and open the new facilities.

"The greasy spoon truck stop, those days are disappearing," he said. "We want the public to come in, local businesses to come in."

The truck stop received the funding through the government’s HGV Parking and Driver Welfare Grant Scheme, which aims to boost welfare facilities, rest areas and restaurants for lorry drivers.

A large cafe area with outdoor seating and a social area was installed

Mr Sargent said he previously had a haulage business which he closed in 2019 before he saw "great opportunity" to open a truck stop after drivers told him about safety and security concerns.

"It's hard for drivers because when you stop in a lay-by, there's no toilet facilities, there's no wash facilities," he said.

"I feel like I know what drivers want but especially the security side and how valuable that is for companies to have the reassurance that the drivers are parked in the vehicles and goods parked in a safe [and] secure location."

Lorry driver Chris Bradford, who runs his own business in Northern Ireland but travels frequently through Staffordshire, said it was great to get truck stops and communal areas where people could "have a laugh and speak with each other."

"People will go out of their way to go there," he said of the revamped truck stop.

"You'll find that the people that are willing to go there are good drivers who will be respectful to the locals in the local area and be respectful to the facilities that the trucks stop might provide."