Station car park

shoes

Well-Known Forumite
zebidee said:
I never understand the current obsession for covering metal structures with wooden cladding and painting the concrete parts random pastel colours (besides the car park, has anyone seen any new schools built lately?) It looks hideous to me.
Yup, I work in the construction industry, see loads of these. They're all built as cheaply as possible, as quickly as possible. Especially those in the last three years - everyone knew labour was done for and as such they were rushing through projects at a rate of knots to secure public service funding for the projects before the condems came into power and cut it. Most of these projects look hideous!

Some look good though, although no schools. Newcastle under Lyme college is a fantastic looking building:

789.jpeg


Also this, I can't hotlink to it sadly:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rwbthatisme/4935483434/lightbox/

Like most buildings it started off looking like the station car park or tipping street's new offices -

NUL_b.jpg
 

Jade-clothing

Well-Known Forumite
zebidee said:
I never understand the current obsession for covering metal structures with wooden cladding and painting the concrete parts random pastel colours (besides the car park, has anyone seen any new schools built lately?) It looks hideous to me.
I agree it is hideous and I foresee a problem - they have done such a good job of camouflaging it to 'blend in' with Victoria park that no one will be able to find it to pay the overinflated parking price anyway :)
 

zakkwylde87

Well-Known Forumite
Sounds like its going to 'whisk' up a bit of profit maybe?

Oh god - wish my fingers hadn't of typed that now...!
 

zebidee

Well-Known Forumite
basil said:
zebidee said:
I never understand the current obsession for covering metal structures with wooden cladding and painting the concrete parts random pastel colours (besides the car park, has anyone seen any new schools built lately?) It looks hideous to me.
That school on the old littleton colliery site? it could have been built using the same fabric as the new car-park...
Yes, yuck! hehe
 

zebidee

Well-Known Forumite
shoes said:
Most of these projects look hideous!

Some look good though, although no schools. Newcastle under Lyme college is a fantastic looking building

Like most buildings it started off looking like the station car park or tipping street's new offices -
It does look mighty swish, I'd be proud to go there, at least some architects haven't gone blind!
 

zebidee

Well-Known Forumite
Jade-clothing said:
I agree it is hideous and I foresee a problem - they have done such a good job of camouflaging it to 'blend in' with Victoria park that no one will be able to find it to pay the overinflated parking price anyway :)
haha :D Are the prices going to be rediculous then? I haven't heard much about it, but I'd assume they would be with it being at the station
 

Jade-clothing

Well-Known Forumite
zebidee said:
Jade-clothing said:
I agree it is hideous and I foresee a problem - they have done such a good job of camouflaging it to 'blend in' with Victoria park that no one will be able to find it to pay the overinflated parking price anyway :)
haha :D Are the prices going to be rediculous then? I haven't heard much about it, but I'd assume they would be with it being at the station
I think someone mentioned £4.90 a day! x
 

Thehooperman

Well-Known Forumite
acpoynton said:
And from Network Rail
.....The special off-peak rates should also appeal to shoppers and weekend travellers.”
Who is going to park at the station to go shopping? Are we really that short of parking spaces near the shops that people will pay a fortune for the privilage of carting their shopping miles back to their cars assuming they can find the camouflaged monstrosity through the trees :)

It's ironic that this new car park is on the site that was once the bus terminus. So much for integrated transport and encouraging people to use public transport, eh?
 

Paul88

Active Member
Is there a reduced rate at the weekend for all day parking?

Only asking as planning on going Birmingham for a night out in a couple of weeks and want to leave the car from Sat night to Sun night there.

Cheers
 

United57

Well-Known Forumite
Thehooperman said:
It's ironic that this new car park is on the site that was once the bus terminus. So much for integrated transport and encouraging people to use public transport, eh?
British Rail actually wanted a multi storey carpark over 30 years ago. I agree it would be nice to have a bus terminus nearby. The mercedes garage and the office block would make an excellent site for a bus terminus!

More people may now use rail because they can park next to the station. At weekends its often cheaper and easier to get on the train than travel by car. Remember most places you visit charge for parking and its a lot dearer than Stafford
 

basil

don't mention the blinds
It's advertised as 'secure parking' from what i can see it's open to anyone who cares to enter on car-park business or not......
 

shoes

Well-Known Forumite
zakkwylde87 said:
I'd rather eat my own leg than pay for parking. This place will never see me or my car..!
You must be hopping mad....... ;)


I don't mind paying for parking, after all it's someone else's land you're on and they have to maintain and enforce parking restrictions on it. What I do object to is blatant extortion, such as car parks offering ONLY all day parking at a fiver, or something similar to that.
 

shoes

Well-Known Forumite
zebidee said:
It does look mighty swish, I'd be proud to go there, at least some architects haven't gone blind!
Absolutely! The inside is quite spectacular too, finished with some very high quality materials, and to a high standard. All beautifully lit by one of my <script=shameless_plug> CP Automated Lighting control systems ;) </script>
 

shoes

Well-Known Forumite
Only when you're in there, when you're not it's not lit - gotta think of the polar bears basil!
 

Gramaisc

Forum O. G.
shoes said:
Only when you're in there, when you're not it's not lit - gotta think of the polar bears basil!
I understand that bears normally use wooded areas, and not multi-storey car-parks..
 

henryscat

Well-Known Forumite
United57 said:
More people may now use rail because they can park next to the station. At weekends its often cheaper and easier to get on the train than travel by car. Remember most places you visit charge for parking and its a lot dearer than Stafford
Penkridge has a nice new(ish) car park by the station which is free, and the train fare to Birmingham is cheaper!

Having a lower charge for the multi-storey at the weekend is quite good. Means that its feasible to leave your car there for the weekend then catch the train somewhere to go away. On a Sunday night when buses are few it means not having to hand over money for a taxi, which is particularly pleasing if you hate taxis as much as I do.
 
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