Amber Valley Council Car Park Rant!

Padz_2

I attended a meeting tonight which began at 6pm. I arrived in the car park at 5.45pm purchased a ticket for an hour for 60p and the ticket popped out.

It said expiry time 6pm. !!!!!!? So my hour ticket actually lasts for 15 minutes?

Right - now this week in that car park a new charging system has been started. If you want to park there after 6 you have to be there in person at 6.01pm and buy your ticket.

Great so I'm ALWAYS going to be late for my 6pm meeting because I can't buy a ticket before 6.01!!!

So anyone in that town - who happens to have an appointment which begins before 6pm and ends after 6pm cannot use that car park unless they leave their meal/doctor's appointment/dentist treatment/gym session etc just before 6, return to the machine and buy another ticket at 6.01 for the remainder of the time!!!

This is a Council who have also recently upped their parking charges.

Outrageous. I've emailed the local paper and the Council.

Maybe it is like this in the rest of Britain but I've never come across it before.Not impressed.

RichGold

Which town is this then?

daveyjp

6pm expiry suggests it is free after this time. I suspect the rest of your post is a rant as you didn't take time to read the charging info.

Cash-Strapped.T32

RichGold wrote: »

Which town is this then?

I'd imagine Heanor, Codnor, Belper, that kinda area.

wealdroam

Looks like Amber Valley now charge 50p between 6pm and midnight in most of their carparks.

http://www.ambervalley.gov.uk/council-and-democracy/council-news/press-releases-2011/october/motorists-advised-of-revised-parking-charges.aspx

OP, are you an Amber Valley resident?
If so, apply for the free permit mentioned in that link.

dacouch

60p an hour...I wish, it's £4.40 outside my house

forgotmyname

You could have waited 15 minutes and not paid at all, Free after 6pm.

If it charges 50p after 6pm you put £1.10 in and get upto 1hr and then it automatically pays for
the night fee.

Read the instructions on the machine or the info board.

You dont have to be there in person after 6:01 you just have to put in enough to cover the cost.

Try it and watch the display, 60p says 6pm then add 50p and the time will jump to the next charging period
say 8am. When the daytime charges start again.

Padz_2

RichGold wrote: »

Which town is this then?

Alfreton.Derbyshire.

Padz_2

daveyjp wrote: »

6pm expiry suggests it is free after this time. I suspect the rest of your post is a rant as you didn't take time to read the charging info.

No it isn't free after 6pm. It used to be a while ago but now it isn't.

Padz_2

wealdroam wrote: »

Looks like Amber Valley now charge 50p between 6pm and midnight in most of their carparks.

http://www.ambervalley.gov.uk/council-and-democracy/council-news/press-releases-2011/october/motorists-advised-of-revised-parking-charges.aspx

OP, are you an Amber Valley resident?
If so, apply for the free permit mentioned in that link.

Thanks for the link but I don't live in Amber Valley thankfully. Nice name - dodgy area.

Padz_2

forgotmyname wrote: »

You could have waited 15 minutes and not paid at all, Free after 6pm. You're wrong it isn't free after 6 any more.

If it charges 50p after 6pm you put £1.10 in and get upto 1hr and then it automatically pays for
the night fee.

Read the instructions on the machine or the info board.

You dont have to be there in person after 6:01 you just have to put in enough to cover the cost.

Try it and watch the display, 60p says 6pm then add 50p and the time will jump to the next charging period
say 8am. When the daytime charges start again.

Why should I pay more than double the night fee?

I will do what everyone else will most likely do and park in Tescos for 3 hours for free and walk a bit further to my meeting. I will not aid and abet Amber Valley in this blatant money-making scheme!

Or ride my motorcycle there as bikes are free - or they used to be. Trouble is the Alfreton low-life scum would probably trash it so maybe that's not a good idea.