winkie Posted July 31, 2011 Author Share Posted July 31, 2011 Seems like a lot of fuss over very little. What we are talking about is a charge being imposed on Sundays on a small area around Oxford Street (not exactly 'your local high street') - an area served by dozens of buses and tube services etc. There really is no need or sense or logic to have to drive there and park on the surrounding streets adjacent to one of the busiest shopping areas in the world in the heart of a congested city centre area. So sorry - no sympathy here. Get the tube or the bus - it ain't that difficult - and if you really must drive then pay for it! I am not talking about Oxford street.....I am talking about the British high street in general that is being decimated by local councils that are more interested in their coffers than the survival of local small businesses....Oxford street and Westminster council have the tourists to fall back on and a semi decent tube system...people want to use their car in London at the weekend to avoid the congestion charge that costs £10 a day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crash2006 Posted July 31, 2011 Share Posted July 31, 2011 Yes. Full of London tw@ts coming here for the weekends. Gave up my car, saving loads, there is no point having a car in London anymore. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Ayatollah Buggeri Posted July 31, 2011 Share Posted July 31, 2011 If Labour win the mayoral election next year I suspect we'll see the congestion charge go 24/7 pretty shortly afterwards. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
porca misèria Posted July 31, 2011 Share Posted July 31, 2011 Plimuff has been charging until 11pm for many years: must be coming up for a decade since free after 18:00 became free after 23:00. And guess what? Business improved! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
porca misèria Posted July 31, 2011 Share Posted July 31, 2011 Gave up my car, saving loads, there is no point having a car in LondonEngland anymore. Corrected for you. Though to be fair, the case is even clearer in London than in areas like here in West Devon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
libspero Posted July 31, 2011 Share Posted July 31, 2011 You may as well start charging people to enter the shopping centre. I only shop in our local town centre on Sundays because of the free parking. Partly because I'm a cheap skate, but mostly because of the hassle of actually having change, guessing how long you might want to be there etc. Town councils have been driving people out of high street shops for years by making them as inaccessible as possible. This is just another nail. Out-of-town shopping is the way to go.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Democorruptcy Posted July 31, 2011 Share Posted July 31, 2011 (edited) Those council pensions aren't cheap and as public sector wages have increased so much under Labour when that is reflected in pensions and they take even more than 30% of council tax, parking charges will rocket. I was in Barmouth, Wales a couple of weeks ago where there were parking meters on the promenade. It crossed my mind that public sector workers must rub their hands together when they pass them. Maybe they could them keys to take our money directly? Edited July 31, 2011 by Redhat Sly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeepLurker Posted July 31, 2011 Share Posted July 31, 2011 Ha ha! Aren't you always saying Cheshire is full of twats! TheBoltonFury is a true HPCer, so by definition everyone is a tw at. Apart maybe from other HPCers. NOTE: that's nice, the forum software automatically translates 'tw at' into 'twit'. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
winkie Posted July 31, 2011 Author Share Posted July 31, 2011 I only shop in our local town centre on Sundays because of the free parking. Partly because I'm a cheap skate, but mostly because of the hassle of actually having change, guessing how long you might want to be there etc. Town councils have been driving people out of high street shops for years by making them as inaccessible as possible. This is just another nail. Out-of-town shopping is the way to go.. At the local town centre, the car park is a supermarket car park that you have to pay to use and get no refund if you shop in the store like some do.....the hassle of having the right change, then worrying you might get a ticket while you go to find change to feed the meter, it all makes for an unpleasant time in the high street....the next decision is how long do you want?....how long is a piece of string?....I might want an hour but if I meet a friend or want a bite to eat I might want longer....it is like the parking meter is controlling your time, nothing worse when you suddenly realise you are ten minutes over the time you paid for and have to rush back...more often than not to drive away cutting short your time when you wouldn't have done so if you didn't have that blasted meter to worry about. Next time will take the trailway into town on the bike, but won't buy so much....they better not try and charge me for parking that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Democorruptcy Posted July 31, 2011 Share Posted July 31, 2011 the next decision is how long do you want?....how long is a piece of string?....I might want an hour but if I meet a friend They don't want you and your friends standing about chatting. They want you to spend your limited time in shops buying things. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
winkie Posted July 31, 2011 Author Share Posted July 31, 2011 They don't want you and your friends standing about chatting. They want you to spend your limited time in shops buying things. it takes time to work out what is worth buying....swapping buying tips. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
winkie Posted July 31, 2011 Author Share Posted July 31, 2011 that, is a woman thing! You don't know what you are missing... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Democorruptcy Posted July 31, 2011 Share Posted July 31, 2011 it takes time to work out what is worth buying....swapping buying tips. Actually the thought of you chatting to friends has given me an idea for councils to raise more money. Chat Parks!! They could ban talking on the high street enforced by on the spot fines. Chatting is only allowed in designated enclosures that have a chat meter on the entrance. When it comes in keep your head down and avoid any friends who waffle on a lot, they could cost you a fortune Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Bear Posted July 31, 2011 Share Posted July 31, 2011 Well, since Ken's congestion tax arrived I've spent as little as possible in London. I haven't set foot in Foyle's since it started. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swanz Posted July 31, 2011 Share Posted July 31, 2011 I only shop in our local town centre on Sundays because of the free parking. Partly because I'm a cheap skate, but mostly because of the hassle of actually having change, guessing how long you might want to be there etc. Town councils have been driving people out of high street shops for years by making them as inaccessible as possible. This is just another nail. Out-of-town shopping is the way to go.. Swansea City Council wants to introduce fees to park at out of town retail parks! http://www.thisissouthwales.co.uk/Holley-calls-fees-town-retail-parks/story-12447909-detail/story.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iamdamosuzuki Posted July 31, 2011 Share Posted July 31, 2011 This issue has been rumbling on in York since shortly after I moved here in 2000. The Lib Dems unexpectedly won the following council election in 2002, albeit with a tiny majority, largely as a result of the scandal surrounding this intriguing chap. The LDs proceeded to act out a greenie wet dream despite howls of protestation from virtually the entire city. Among their innovations were massive hikes in the cost of residents' parking permits, and, crucially, huge increases in city centre parking charges and the extension of charging at metered and car park spaces to 24/7. Businesses in the city centre that operated in the evening and which catered to residents as distinct from tourists were absolutely hammered. Even now, you'll mainly find boutique type shops and restaurants that cater to tourists (who come in by some method of public transport and stay in hotels within walking distance) in the city centre. You won't, for example, find any of the big supermarket chains within easy walking distance of the Minster (there's a Sainsbury's just under a mile away, but for anything else you'll need to go to the ring road shopping centres), apart from corner shops that they've taken over and turned into mini versions. York now has a reputation in the region as somewhere you don't go for the day if you need or want to drive. To a certain extent it's exempt from normal market economics because of the tourist trade, as is London, but the lefties' anti-motorist jihad has still inflicted serious problems. Yup. You should see Paisley. No tourists, so the result of the one way parking fine trap is a wasteland. I've given up, twice, trying to park there. The orthodoxy of traffic management is so utterly skewed and based on a few fallacious assumptions (if you build more roads traffic will just increase to fill them, etc.) that to visit even the least interesting small town requires you to rely on public transport. So you go to an out of town centre instead. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swanz Posted July 31, 2011 Share Posted July 31, 2011 Yup. You should see Paisley. No tourists, so the result of the one way parking fine trap is a wasteland. I've given up, twice, trying to park there. The orthodoxy of traffic management is so utterly skewed and based on a few fallacious assumptions (if you build more roads traffic will just increase to fill them, etc.) that to visit even the least interesting small town requires you to rely on public transport. So you go to an out of town centre instead. Would you go to an out of town centre if they started charging? http://www.thisissouthwales.co.uk/Holley-calls-fees-town-retail-parks/story-12447909-detail/story.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
libspero Posted July 31, 2011 Share Posted July 31, 2011 Swansea City Council wants to introduce fees to park at out of town retail parks! If the government give them the power to do it, that'll be a sad day. Not content with screwing up town centres they want to inconvenience every other shopping experience as well. They can ****** right off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrPin Posted July 31, 2011 Share Posted July 31, 2011 Yup. You should see Paisley. No tourists Same goes for Doncaster, and Runcorn! Cambridge, and Bath are much better! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justthisbloke Posted July 31, 2011 Share Posted July 31, 2011 Excellent, go long ont the supermarkets short on ther inner towners shops. There's a new Tesco opening in Fareham town centre - I wonder how many free time limited spaces it will have. Who'll want to pay in the car park next door from now on? It's an interesting one that. A lot of councils seem to fight tooth and nail to keep Tesco out of town but these guys saw it as an important anchor store in the town centre offering. Furthermore, a town centre store helps with accessibility and sustainability issues (ie you can walk there - always strikes me as insane that we tend to build shops that cannot be accessed without a car). The shop will have very limited parking and/or will charge for it. Don't worry - I doubt the taxpayer's investment in town centre car parking land will end up too far out of pocket. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jadoube Posted August 1, 2011 Share Posted August 1, 2011 Actually the thought of you chatting to friends has given me an idea for councils to raise more money. Chat Parks!! They could ban talking on the high street enforced by on the spot fines. Chatting is only allowed in designated enclosures that have a chat meter on the entrance. When it comes in keep your head down and avoid any friends who waffle on a lot, they could cost you a fortune Damn fine idea sir. I get really fed up with tw ats blocking streets/shops simply chatting oblivious to how their kiddies, kids buggies and they themselves are blocking everyone else's route. Make the selfish sods pay. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
winkie Posted August 1, 2011 Author Share Posted August 1, 2011 Well, since Ken's congestion tax arrived I've spent as little as possible in London. I haven't set foot in Foyle's since it started. Lived five miles away and haven't ventured in for more than 10 years out of choice.... only out of necessity by bus, train, or car.....years ago you could park anywhere in Camden no probs....driving in was free, parking was free.....all the extra restrictions and fees has only forced to drive people out.....too many people, high density living, traffic so unable to cope....more people to take advantage of...if you allow them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonytramcar Posted August 1, 2011 Share Posted August 1, 2011 Last year we were charged £4 (any length of time up to 4 hours) for street parking on Weston Super Mare sea front. ( According to the North Somerset Council website it's now £5, an increase of 25 per cent since last year.) It's a lot of money to pay if you just want to stop for half an hour and have an ice cream. We won't go there again; it's a dump, anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justthisbloke Posted August 1, 2011 Share Posted August 1, 2011 Last year we were charged £4 (any length of time up to 4 hours) for street parking on Weston Super Mare sea front. ( According to the North Somerset Council website it's now £5, an increase of 25 per cent since last year.) It's a lot of money to pay if you just want to stop for half an hour and have an ice cream. We won't go there again; it's a dump, anyway. Presumably, if was ace you'd cough up the £4 and return. People (apart from the terminally skint and economically undesirable) don't stay away because of tiny parking charges such as that. They stay away because it's a dump. A good indicator of a dump town is one that advertises its sole attraction as "free parking". That just means that land is so cheap and surplus in town that it can be set aside "free". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
winkie Posted August 1, 2011 Author Share Posted August 1, 2011 Presumably, if was ace you'd cough up the £4 and return. People (apart from the terminally skint and economically undesirable) don't stay away because of tiny parking charges such as that. They stay away because it's a dump. A good indicator of a dump town is one that advertises its sole attraction as "free parking". That just means that land is so cheap and surplus in town that it can be set aside "free". I beg to differ.....living in a dump and shopping in a dump are two separate things.....some so called dumpy places offer many attractions apart from free parking.....poorer places often have a good community spirit, their shops are down to earth and reasonably priced......it is the snobbish areas that charge the higher prices only because they have a lifestyle to live up to....I find. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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