Driver Advice for Creamfields Weekender

THE Highways Agency is advising drivers that traffic is likely to be busy around the M56 and M6 over the bank holiday weekend with up to 40,000 music lovers a day heading to the annual Creamfields festival.

Anyone thinking of driving to Creamfields next week is advised to plan their journey and leave plenty of time to get to the festival site on Daresbury Estate near Runcorn, just off Junction 11 of the M56.

Visitors approaching from the M6 should exit from the westbound M56 at Junction 11 and then follow the pre-signed directions to access to site with the minimum of delay and inconvenience.

Traffic Officers at the North West Regional Control Centre at Newton-le-Willows, nerve centre of the regional Highways Agency Traffic Officer Service, will use their electronic motorway signs across the local network to guide festival goers to the site.

Meanwhile, other road users are being advised that the M56 around Junctions 10, 11 and 12 around Runcorn is likely to be busy at key times of the weekend. The M56 interchange with the M6 is also likely to experience higher volumes of traffic. Electronic signs along the M6, M56 and M62 are being used to give advance warning about the event. Highways Agency contractors will also be deploying portable variable message signs near the venue to give advice to drivers.

The Highways Agency is advising motorists to check the latest travel information before setting out as well as listening for radio traffic alerts and heeding electronic signs once they are on the move.

Creamfields 2010 is a full two day event taking place on Saturday and Sunday, 28 August and 29 August, so there is likely to be traffic around the site well into Bank Holiday Monday, 30 August 2010, with campers leaving then. The North West Traffic Officer Service has been working closely with Cheshire Police and festival organisers to manage the impact on the local motorway network.

Highways Agency Traffic Officers at Knutsford will have particular responsibility for monitoring traffic conditions on the M56 around the festival but will be supplemented by an extra patrol from the Rob Lane outstation at Newton-Le-Willows.

Greg Taylor, acting Regional Operations Manager in charge of the North West Traffic Officer Service, said:- "We will be doing all we can to manage traffic around the event and keep drivers on the move - festival goers and other drivers can help themselves by planning their journeys and keeping themselves up to date with traffic information. Previous festivals have passed off fairly successfully although we have had one or two issues with people from the site walking on the motorway network. We would like to remind everyone that the motorway is no place for pedestrians - it is dangerous and illegal and having pedestrians on the network can cause delays for legitimate road users."

LAST CHANCE TO PUT THE UK’S MOST BONA FIDE DOG FRIENDLY BUSINESS ON THE MAP

THE race is on to find Britain’s most dog-friendly business at the Open for Dogs Awards 2010. And with less than a month to go before the winners are announced, there is still just enough time for you to nominate the places you like to eat, drink, sleep, holiday and visit with your canine companions.

Low Nest Farm B&B in Keswick, winners of the Open for Dogs Awards ‘Somewhere to Sleep’ category in 2009, agree that being kind to their doggie customers creates a great atmosphere, as well as helping them to achieve good business results.

John and Alison True, from Low Nest Farm, said:- “These aren’t the kindest of times for any business but ours is definitely booming as a result of being dog friendly. We have seen an increase in total bookings, the number of return guests and in length of stay which makes our work easier and much more enjoyable - it's more like having friends to stay.”

And it is not just Low Nest Farm B&B that is benefitting from welcoming dogs through their doors. With the credit crunch putting more and more pressure on struggling businesses, and the dog owning public accounting for approximately 25 percent of the UK population, hundreds of shops and services are starting to see the advantages of implementing a dog friendly policy.

Since the launch of the Open for Dogs 2010 competition in May, the Kennel Club has heard from dog owners who have been impressed by companies – including hotels, coffee shops, office spaces, holiday cottages, visitor attractions and restaurants – that are pulling out all the stops to accommodate our four-legged friends.

Caroline Kisko, spokesperson for the Kennel Club, said:- “We are delighted that more and more businesses are starting to offer first class facilities for dogs and their owners. There are more than 8 million dog owners in the UK, many of whom are holidaying at home instead of abroad in order to save money, and it is great that their dogs can now be included in their activities. Shops and services are also clearly reaping the rewards, both in terms of financial gain and a better all round atmosphere, so it’s a win-win situation.”

Customers of all businesses are encouraged to take this final chance to nominate those places that they think go the extra mile to accommodate our doggie friends, with innovative services or simply a bowl of clean water and the promise of a friendly smile. The categories are: Somewhere to SLEEP; Somewhere to DRINK; Somewhere to EAT; Somewhere to VISIT; Somewhere you WORK; Somewhere you HOLIDAY and OTHER.

By nominating a business, customers will gain automatic entry into a free prize draw to win pairs of tickets to Discover Dogs (13 November to 14 November 2010, Earls Court One, London) and a DogFriendly guide book.

The winners of the competition will receive national recognition and be announced in September, when they will receive winners’ certificates and an engraved champion plaque, and all recommended venues will receive an Open for Dogs certificate and sticker.

To nominate a dog friendly business in your area visit:- openfordogs.org.uk and complete the nomination form.