Who do you believe?, NTC or Sainsbury's Options

[Darren]

http://www.newburytoday.co.uk/2012/free-pa...rs-town-council

NTC say no one from Sainsbury's had the courtesy to send a representative.

Sainsbury's say no one told them it was to be discussed at that meeting so couldn't send any one.

Given the examples of NTC mismanagement we keep seeing, I have to say Sainsbury's have by far the most credible reply.

[Jayjay]

Agree. It was in Sainsbury's interest to be represented and it was NTC's interest that Sainsbury did not attend.

[On the edge]

Given the Leader of the Council's (Julian Swift-Hook) uninformative response to a very direct question by outgoing Mayor Jeff Beck and Sainsbury's reply its fairly clear.

There is something very arrogant about this administration of what is simply a parish council. We've seen it before.

There is nothing wrong in someone seeking to re negotiate an agreement when circumstances change.

[Andy Capp]

Yes, recent changes in parking costs in the town are, in my view, a good reason to renegotiate. As for the Newbury Town Council, the sooner some of those arrogant members are out the better.

[prl]

As a Sainsbury's employee I can confirm that our store manager did not know that this meeting was taking place. The reason for requesting a change in parking times is to ensure that store customers can park during busy times, as the local parking charges have increased so have the number of people using the car park solely to go in to town

[blackdog]

As a Sainsbury's employee I can confirm that our store manager did not know that this meeting was taking place. The reason for requesting a change in parking times is to ensure that store customers can park during busy times, as the local parking charges have increased so have the number of people using the car park solely to go in to town

So WBC will be quite happy to grant their request - after all it is to their advantage to get more people paying to park in town.

[Simon Kirby]

We are disappointed that we weren’t advised the application was to be discussed at the meeting as we would have welcomed the opportunity to attend to discuss the council’s concerns and provide the detailed information requested.

Certainly discourteous of the Town Council not to invite Sainsbury's, and arrogant of them to decide the issue without making an effort to understand the issues from Sainsbury's point of view. I'm afraid it's just another reason why planning decisions should be left to the professional planners at WBC and not be devolved onto the town council.

[JeffG]

The reason for requesting a change in parking times is to ensure that store customers can park during busy times, as the local parking charges have increased so have the number of people using the car park solely to go in to town

Sounds entirely reasonable to me. I use Sainsbury's car park for both purposes (mainly for in-store grocery shopping), and I have not found that trips into town take me anything like two hours, let alone three.

If most town shoppers, as I suspect, are like me and need to park for less than two hours, is a time reduction really going to make any difference to the availability of spaces?

[Andy Capp]

As an occasional user of Sainsbury's, I find it sometimes can be difficult to park, especially at the beginning of the month.

[Newbelly]

I can remember a few years back, one could pay (about £7?) and park there all day. The cost of the ticket could then be deducted if over a certain amount was spent in store. Why did this stop? London commuters using the station?

[Shabba]

It was in Sainsbury's interest to be represented and it was NTC's interest that Sainsbury did not attend.

How do you work that out? It would have been much better for NTC if Sainsburys had been there, they would have been able to ask them why they wanted the reduction. As it is, it seems NTC had to decide what they thought without any input from Sainsburys.

Certainly discourteous of the Town Council not to invite Sainsbury's

Maybe - but Sainsburys know how planning works in Newbury, they've done it enough times. NTC agendas are always published a week before the meeting, so Sainsburys slipped up by not looking out for it after submitting the application.

Pots and kettles.

[JeffG]

As an occasional user of Sainsbury's, I find it sometimes can be difficult to park, especially at the beginning of the month.

Yes, I find it difficult to park there sometimes - it's mainly when bank holidays are approaching and people feel the need to stock up because the country is about to run out of food. Then you can be driving round and round the roof waiting for someone to leave. (Bad planning on my part when that happens!)

But the point I was trying to make in the post before yours was that I doubt if reducing the time from three to two hours is going to achieve the desired effect, because most people using it as a free town car park will have come and gone within two hours anyway.

[Andy Capp]

But the point I was trying to make in the post before yours was that I doubt if reducing the time from three to two hours is going to achieve the desired effect, because most people using it as a free town car park will have come and gone within two hours anyway.

Yes, although I don't know why you have quoted me. I haven't supported or contradicted your point.



IT seems a bit unfair that Sainbury's business should be adversely affected by the council's parking policy, yet the other council will bend over backwards to accommodate the town's newest arrival.

[Simon Kirby]

Maybe - but Sainsburys know how planning works in Newbury, they've done it enough times. NTC agendas are always published a week before the meeting, so Sainsburys slipped up by not looking out for it after submitting the application.

It is one of the committee chaiman's duties to ensure that all the information the committee will need to make an informed decision is before the committee. It would appear that Phil Barnett didn't ask his officers to invite Sainsburys, so it's a bit rich Jeff Beck calling Sainsburys discourteous when the lack of courtesy would appear to be NTC's.

Planning matters are decided by WBC, NTC is just a statutory consultee - WBC has to ask them when that think but is under no obligation whatsoever to listen to their opinion. There are quite a number of statutory consultees and I wouldn't expect Sainsburys to troll round them all, not for a simple application where the sense of it can be readily understood.

[Simon Kirby]

IT seems a bit unfair that Sainbury's business should be adversely affected by the council's parking policy, yet the other council will bend over backwards to accommodate the town's newest arrival.

I have some recollection of a town councillor writing a hysterical letter to the NWN wailing about Sainsburys cutting down some trees in the car park when they installed the upper parking deck. Maybe it's related.

[GMR]

http://www.newburytoday.co.uk/2012/free-pa...rs-town-council

NTC say no one from Sainsbury's had the courtesy to send a representative.

Sainsbury's say no one told them it was to be discussed at that meeting so couldn't send any one.

Given the examples of NTC mismanagement we keep seeing, I have to say Sainsbury's have by far the most credible reply.

I believe Sainsbury's.

[Newbelly]

The NWN report goes on to say that Sainsbury's stated "“We are now in discussions with the town council, with the aim of speaking to members at the next town council meeting in early June.”

Seems a bit of a non-story to me.

[Cognosco]

Yes, I find it difficult to park there sometimes - it's mainly when bank holidays are approaching and people feel the need to stock up because the country is about to run out of food. Then you can be driving round and round the roof waiting for someone to leave. (Bad planning on my part when that happens!)

But the point I was trying to make in the post before yours was that I doubt if reducing the time from three to two hours is going to achieve the desired effect, because most people using it as a free town car park will have come and gone within two hours anyway.

Two hours to shop in newbury? Unless you are doing a main grocery shop you should be able to get round what Newbury has to offer in about 30 minutes I would have thought?

[Newbelly]

Two hours to shop in newbury? Unless you are doing a main grocery shop you should be able to get round what Newbury has to offer in about 30 minutes I would have thought?

It is clear to me that you have never been shopping with my wife! She can spend 30 minutes in Superdrug.

[JeffG]

Yes, although I don't know why you have quoted me. I haven't supported or contradicted your point.

Well, I was sort of bouncing off what you said to expand on what I was saying. That's the only reason. Sorry if you were aggrieved by that.