Didn't want to pay for parking - went home.

Bowling_4_Gold

butler_helen wrote: »

True, or aldi, the range or mothercare carpark? Albeit I'm not sure on their parking times. It's about 10 mins from there to the oracle.

because the TGI Fridays is there, the car park is open well into the night. Think it's 2 hours 'free'... used it a few months ago for town and got a (unenforceable) ticket for 'leaving the site' :rotfl:

Great Knollys Street is about 3 mins walk from the centre and is good if you're just popping in during the day - 1 hour free on-road parking, and there are usually spaces

PasturesNew

This is why I buy stuff mostly from supermarkets. I begrudge paying for overpriced parking, especially if a day involves parking in 4-5 different places. It limits my time in towns/villages, so I don't go into the local shops and discover what's in the area.

ukjoel

paddyrg wrote: »

aka supply and demand!

This is why high streets are being killed off. They say its supply and demand but in reality they haven't invested in road infrastructure or parking with that money.

Charging people that money means they wont go in for as often or as long and this is causing empty shops and ghost high streets. This will impact business rates, shop rentals, and house prices as people move out.

rockiedog

Thanks to Boris, On reaching 60 I was entitled to a buspass, so I pop into my local town centre, pick up a few items, without me having to keep looking at my watch to work out how much the car park is going to cost me. I only use the car if I know I can get free parking, I think parking should be free for residents of that town, or reduced for buying in those shops, God we pay enough in council tax don't we? But of course the councils keep putting up their parking charges, they cant see how much it keeps shoppers like me (Or used to) away from town centres.

LMH67

In Bromsgrove, Worcs, we have to pay for car parking from 0800 - 2200, 365 days a year. The council 'graciously' give us 3 weekends before xmas every year free - and that's it. All for a crap high street full of charity, mobile phone and £1 shops. You even have to pay to shop at Asda as the council run their car park. Needless to say, I don't shop at Asda. I'm a huge advocate of shopping local but it's near on impossible here.

angelil

In some places parking fees do not affect the amount of business a shopping town gets, so they are not going to care if you do not wish to stay.

The town where I live (albeit not in the UK) is very popular due to its shops and restaurants. You have to pay for on-street parking and there are underground car parks as well that you have to pay to use. The place is always absolutely rammed. I wouldn't mind, but we have no residents' parking scheme and we frequently have to park over a kilometre from where we live (sometimes more like 2) and walk home - not the most practical thing when, say, you've done the food shopping. It's also one of the reasons I will be moving before I have children as such an arrangement is already impractical for adults, let alone for little ones.

Unfortunately, there's still a lot that towns need to do to balance out the situation for visitors and residents. I'd recommend the implementation of more park and ride schemes. I know Reading well and think it could do with one desperately, as could the town in France where I live currently. Funnily enough, you are even tested on park and rides as part of the French driving theory test, but hardly any actually exist - to the point that my driving instructor actually had to ask me, "What's a park and ride?"!

prowla

Kite2010 wrote: »

As for Reading, there is a couple retail parks [and yesterday the car-parks were pretty much empty], about 5 minutes walk from the train station.

The Toys R Us car-park gives 2 hours "free". Might be worth considering if your only going to be spending 30 minutes in the town.

They have the UKCPS parking wardens who send you PCN tickets for going off-site.

SailorSam

It's not just parking, it was on our local radio a couple of days ago that the Mersey tunnel toll for cars is to go up to £1.60
To save paying the toll and depending upon where you live it's possible to cross the river for free on the Runcorn bridge but there are plans for a second bridge when both will have tolls expected to be about £2.
Many people especially in the Widnes/ Runcorn area have no choice but to cross the river several times a day 'cos of work and even school.

prowla

Bowling_4_Gold wrote: »

because the TGI Fridays is there, the car park is open well into the night. Think it's 2 hours 'free'... used it a few months ago for town and got a (unenforceable) ticket for 'leaving the site' :rotfl:

Great Knollys Street is about 3 mins walk from the centre and is good if you're just popping in during the day - 1 hour free on-road parking, and there are usually spaces

Where I tried was Kings Road, and it has charges posted 8 am - 8 pm.

I'll remember Great Knollys Street for next time - thanks.

Kite2010

prowla wrote: »

They have the UKCPS parking wardens who send you PCN tickets for going off-site.

If UKCPS send you an unenforceable invoice, you've parked in the wrong part, Toys R Us is "managed" by G4. I think there is 3/4 car-parks in that area.