MP wants proper 'rest areas' with toilets and showers for lorry drivers in Milton Keynes

City MP Iain Stewart is striving to improve life for HGV drivers visiting MK in his new role as chair of the government’s Transport Committee.

Mr Stewart says facilities in the city are “not as good as they could be” for truckers – despite the fact that Milton Keynes is home to many major logistics centres.

He is now encouraging trucks stops and service areas to apply for government funding to help build proper rest stations, complete with toilets, showers and CCTV.

This week the Department For Transport announced more than over £32.5 million would be available through a HGV Parking and Driver Welfare Match-Funding Grant Scheme to improve conditions in lorry parks across England.

M Stewart has welcome this announcement and is hoping to help hauliers and their drivers, who were crucial to keeping the whole country going during the global Coronavirus pandemic, have access to improved services and facilities in Milton Keynes.

He has already been in contact with Milton Keynes City Council and various businesses in Milton Keynes that use HGV drivers, including John Lewis and Amazon, to highlight this funding opportunity and to encourage them to put in an application.

He said: “Whilst it is no secret that Milton Keynes is an ideal location to have a logistics hub, I know that the facilities and parking in the city for HGV drivers are not as good as they could be.

“I have visited businesses at the Magna Park site and have heard first-hand of the issues that HGV drivers face on a regular basis. I am also fully aware that there are other distribution centres that would like to see better facilities and parking in Milton Keynes for their drivers.

“That is why I really welcome this funding opportunity from the Department for Transport to improve conditions in Lorry Parks and I hope that distribution/logistics businesses in Milton Keynes will apply to take up this opportunity.”

Applications for up to for up to £315,000 per site can be made by independent truck stops, motorway service areas, trunk road service areas and local authority truck stops