Parking in Stafford.

Pooryorick

Well-Known Forumite
Surprised no-one has mentioned the council's "No walking on the cracks in the pavement" scheme, enforced by 24/7 cameras issuing instant £100 fine notices.
 

Steve_b

Well-Known Forumite
Councillor Helen Fisher, cabinet member for highways, said: “We’re introducing a strategy designed to improve the turnover of on-street parking spaces in town centres, market towns and village high streets which will help local businesses and make enforcement easier.

Just make the parking free for upto 1hr and enforce that - simples...

...and stop the pretence of 'helping local businesses'
 

Gramaisc

Forum O. G.
Surprised no-one has mentioned the council's "No walking on the cracks in the pavement" scheme, enforced by 24/7 cameras issuing instant £100 fine notices.
To be fair to them, if they do something about all those people "Walking about with an offensive wife", then I'll happily go along with it..

 

Glam

Mad Cat Woman
They should send the parking gnomes round here after 6pm.
We pay £46 a year for a permit, A lot of the time if I finish at 20.30, I have to drive for yonks try n find a parking space. They're all taken up by non permit holders, or patrons of Simply Bilash. And don't get me started on their parking!
The youngest and I witnessed them parked on a double yellow and over a dropped kerb. The council official that was giving out the tickets, walked round and ''had a word''. If that had been anyone else we'd have got a ticket. Probably gets free curry, not that i'm insinuating owt.
 

proactive

Enjoying a drop of red.
They should send the parking gnomes round here after 6pm.
We pay £46 a year for a permit, A lot of the time if I finish at 20.30, I have to drive for yonks try n find a parking space. They're all taken up by non permit holders, or patrons of Simply Bilash. And don't get me started on their parking!
The youngest and I witnessed them parked on a double yellow and over a dropped kerb. The council official that was giving out the tickets, walked round and ''had a word''. If that had been anyone else we'd have got a ticket. Probably gets free curry, not that i'm insinuating owt.
I thought it was only permit holder parking before 6pm round there?
 

kyoto49

Well-Known Forumite
Why would patrons of simply bilash and non permit holders not use the massive free* car park opposite?

*free after 6!
 

The Hawk

Well-Known Forumite
This process has been in the pipeline for 4 years.

Unless the council have moved the goal posts the idea is-

- the 30 min free parking stays as it is
- the current policy is beyond 30 mins you have to leave with no return within 2 hours in some cases. This will be replaced with the option of people staying longer but paying beyond the 30 free mins.

That makes sense for the town centre streets, but not sure.of the policy for roads like Brunswick terrace, maybe to stop commuters leaving the vehicle all day
If that first bit is correct, "This process has been in the pipeline for 4 years", then there lies the problem.

Since 4 years ago, things have changed significantly, with the addition of a number large car parks, in the town centre, that offer 2 hours free parking. Off the top of my head, that includes Kingsmead, Asda, Tesco and, if you are prepared to spend a fiver in Sainsbury's, Chell Road. You can also add Greyfriars to that list.

Between them, they pretty much cover the whole town centre, so anyone who just needs to visit one or two places, in the town centre, already has a good choice of free parking.

It seems to me, that the stated reasons, for the introduction of on-street parking charges, may have been arguable 4 years ago, but are no longer valid today. Helen Fisher and the County Council are 4 years too late, a Council unable to keep up with the changing times. Next thing they'll be employing lamplighters.
 

kyoto49

Well-Known Forumite
And their takeaway might get cold in the 2 minute walk it takes from the restaurant.
The employees are the worst, Some evenings there's 3 or 4 of their cars in the bays.

The thing is I don't think it takes longer really if you park immediately opposite the take away. It's probably the same distance to parking on the street...weird people!! My take away is always fine and I park on Sainsbury's.

With regard to the staff...get on their social media and forcefully point out the trouble they cause. They won't like the bad publicity!
 

kyoto49

Well-Known Forumite
Im all for all parking being chargeable. Its a step towards promoting walking and cycling, but only in Stafford would they have hundreds of free car parking spaces in massive car parks immediately adjacent to the shops and then charge for on road parking? Who thought that hairbrained plan up :(
 
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proactive

Enjoying a drop of red.
The thing is I don't think it takes longer really if you park immediately opposite the take away. It's probably the same distance to parking on the street...weird people!! My take away is always fine and I park on Sainsbury's.
Yes but it looks longer, which is all that matters to some.
 

Noah

Well-Known Forumite
These spaces are often used by the Blue Badge brigade, to reduce the distances on foot, and seem likely to become rather less available for them under these proposals.

Depends on the actual regulations. Blue badge holders often get a 2hrs for free limit instead.
 

Gareth

Well-Known Forumite
If that first bit is correct, "This process has been in the pipeline for 4 years", then there lies the problem.

Since 4 years ago, things have changed significantly, with the addition of a number large car parks, in the town centre, that offer 2 hours free parking. Off the top of my head, that includes Kingsmead, Asda, Tesco and, if you are prepared to spend a fiver in Sainsbury's, Chell Road. You can also add Greyfriars to that list.

Between them, they pretty much cover the whole town centre, so anyone who just needs to visit one or two places, in the town centre, already has a good choice of free parking.

It seems to me, that the stated reasons, for the introduction of on-street parking charges, may have been arguable 4 years ago, but are no longer valid today. Helen Fisher and the County Council are 4 years too late, a Council unable to keep up with the changing times. Next thing they'll be employing lamplighters.

Cannot argue with anything you said.

However, many people use the new multi storey car park, it would be of interest to many of them (myself included) who maybe want any hour and cam find a space in town and for cheaper, it would certainly appeal for parents and oaps.

Will it have an impact, probably not as there are not enough on road spaces anyway in my opinion. But at least they are trying something.

But they need to be wary to ensure that the time people are allowed to stay is limited.

Being able to stay for longer needs to be more than 30 or 45 mins, so they have got that right. Maybe an hour max is enough, turnover is important.

I think there was some consultation on this a few years ago. I would like to see that revisited.

The issues at Asda have put people off. I know folk who will not park there to walk into town as people got done for it. I know there has been some relaxation of that policy (I don't use the car park), but folk are still unsure about the place.
 
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Gareth

Well-Known Forumite
And at the end of the day what is the issue? If the 30 mins free parking stays ( which was the initial plan), nobody is worse off.

Anyone who wants to stay and pay is entitled to do so. There is not any real no issue to be fair.
 

cj1

Well-Known Forumite
there is no mention of the free 30 minutes parking remaining. if is dose and you only pay for staying longer then that isn't going to increase car turnover it will decrease it, so their argument falls over. also if people want to pay to stay longer then there is plenty of off-street SBC and private parking to cater for that. let's be honest the only reason they have proposed this is to increase there income with a new tax on wheels that will only achieve to put more pressure on an already struggling high street.
 

Steve_b

Well-Known Forumite
And at the end of the day what is the issue? If the 30 mins free parking stays ( which was the initial plan), nobody is worse off. Anyone who wants to stay and pay is entitled to do so. There is not any real no issue to be fair.

If the idea is to increase town centre parking turnover, then simply allow 1hr free parking, it really isn't that difficult. Many more spaces could be created with better road management around the town centre. With so many free 2hr parking spaces available, why pay to park?

If SCC really want to help local businesses then create the additional spaces, make them all free. But of course it's all about raising revenue, revenue that probebly will not be spent improving Staffords road infrastructure, but will go instead on the A500, A50 or i54 upgrades.

As for encouraging cycling into town, providing safe cycle routes may increase cycling, charging motorists to park won't, and as for public transport, SCC funding Cuts has resulted in a reduced service.

This was proposed/discussed a few years ago, it' was a bad idea then and is still a bad idea now!
 
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proactive

Enjoying a drop of red.
Staffordshire County Council have never had the slightest interest in the county town. Quite the opposite, in fact.
 
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