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Posted by: Grumpy May 14 2012, 11:00 AM

"...an overall increase in parking charges to bring them more into line with charges at the new Parkway car park."

http://www.newbury.net/forum/m-1336938996/

Does Parkway have to dictate everything we do here in Newbury?

Posted by: dannyboy May 14 2012, 12:33 PM

Why not - if PW are getting away with those rates, why shouldn't the rest of the town's car parks.

Or are you saying that because of PW the increase is less than expected?

Posted by: Andy Capp May 14 2012, 12:38 PM

PW must work, but currently their car park is the least popular, if capacity figurers are to be believed. Also, I think the revenue from the car parks has been screwed up so the council have a deficit to make up.

My view is that PW has wrecked what I liked about Newbury town.

Posted by: dannyboy May 14 2012, 12:40 PM

Parking up at 1pm on a friday night in your Corsa?

Posted by: Andy Capp May 14 2012, 12:42 PM

Never have to any of those.

Posted by: Grumpy May 14 2012, 01:48 PM

So you think that increasing town car park rates to the similar extortionate charges being levied in Parkway will not deter visitors to the town?

Posted by: dannyboy May 14 2012, 02:06 PM

Do you really think that the prospect of having to pay £1.10 extra to park for upto 4hrs in Newbury over say, Festival Place in Basingstoke, is the only consideration that people think about before deciding where to go?

If £1.10 is such a deal maker, then they are unlikely to be spending much in whatever town they drive to.

Posted by: Andy Capp May 14 2012, 02:20 PM

Who said anything about going to Festival Place?

Posted by: dannyboy May 14 2012, 02:26 PM

Me.

I took So you think that increasing town car park rates to the similar extortionate charges being levied in Parkway will not deter visitors to the town? To mean visitors might go somewhere else, so I took BS as a comparison. Unless grumpy meant people would just stay indoors instead.

Posted by: Cognosco May 14 2012, 03:59 PM

I can understand why visitors to Newbury would be reluctant to pay the exorbitant prices to park in Park Way, which is still more than half empty, and would therefore be reluctant to pay the same exorbitant prices for the rest of Newury car parks if they are raised to match Park Way. Why pay to park at exorbitant prices when the shops are not there that you want? It is like paying for a top hotel rates and getting fleapit rooms I suppose? Still less visitors will mean less traffic in Newbury so there is always a gain. But shame to drive away the few visitors we have to Newbury at present? But then again I can never get my head around the reasoning for a lot of strange things the WBC do?

What do the shop owners and tenants think of this?

I suppose Basingstoke, Reading, Swindon, Oxford will not be complaining too much though? Ones towns loss is another gains I suppose?

Posted by: Andy Capp May 14 2012, 04:03 PM

There's Internet and retail parks for starters. Like it or not, it would seem people are funny about paying 50p more than elsewhere. PW parking figures are testament to that.

Posted by: dannyboy May 14 2012, 04:11 PM

Naturally people will park elsewhere in Newbury if it is chaeper to do so. ( but this kind of goes a gainst the old argument often used on the other forum that people in Newbury will not walk around the town - but that is another thread ) What I don't agree with is that they'd drive somewhere else to save a quid or two.

Posted by: dannyboy May 14 2012, 04:12 PM

Costco, it wouldn't matter if parking was free - if the shops you want to visit are not there, you won't be going.

Posted by: HeatherW May 14 2012, 04:27 PM

I watched Britain's got Talent and really enjoyed it. The last three were very talented. In fact they all were talented. Very Entertaining and enjoyable.

Posted by: Andy Capp May 14 2012, 04:28 PM

Before PW, parking was discounted at certain times and it seems footfall (cars parked) went up in town.

Posted by: Andy Capp May 14 2012, 04:29 PM

I'm pleased for you!

Posted by: dannyboy May 14 2012, 04:38 PM

I sure a well advertised concession on car parking charges ( such as in the run up to Xmas ) would indeed increase footfall. Whether or not a long term strategy would produce the same results is another matter.

Maybe it should be tried.

I'm guessing the KC 'park for free' will continue.

Posted by: Jayjay May 14 2012, 05:51 PM

Not too pleased I should think. They refund your parking if you purchase from them so it will cost them more. Is this something that would have been agreed or had an input by the BID?

Posted by: Cognosco May 14 2012, 06:02 PM

What has it got to do with the BID? It is probably down to SLI demanding WBC raise theire prices as the Park Way car parks are so under used. Remember SLI now say what happens in Newbury town centre they say jump and WBC say how high?

Posted by: Roger T May 14 2012, 06:38 PM

Friday night at 1pm, must be fun. I guess a hole in the time-space continuum, would be torn. Maybe you'd be speaking backwards to compensate.

Posted by: NWNREADER May 14 2012, 08:25 PM

I find it odd that the Sunday charges keep coming back to the agenda. It has been withdrawn as a proposal so often.
Is this a Councillor-led proposal, or Officer-led? The costs will be high and I'm not sure the returns will make it worthwhile....

Posted by: dannyboy May 14 2012, 11:53 PM

Nothing to do with the BID as PW is outside the BID area.

So underused? whatever.........

Why not just call them Sly & be done with it?

Posted by: Andy Capp May 15 2012, 12:20 AM

West Berkshire Council we need some dosh-led

Posted by: Grumpy May 15 2012, 01:05 PM

Parkway is not outside the BID area. All shops in Parkway voted in favour of the BID. They were offered a special deal, which meant that they would get the deal half price.

Posted by: dannyboy May 15 2012, 01:12 PM

BID website would seem to disagree with that statement.

SLI, Superdry, Lakeland, Debenhams do not appear in the long list of BID supporters & the BID map clearly marks PW as excluded.

Posted by: Grumpy May 15 2012, 01:25 PM

Then their website is out of date. All Parkway shops are in the BID area, because they got a 50% reduction in the BID levy.

You don't have to believe me, but I can assure you that I am correct.

"ALL SHOPKEEPERS ARE EQUAL BUT SOME SHOPKEEPERS ARE MORE EQUAL THAN OTHERS"

With apologies to George Orwell.

Posted by: John C May 15 2012, 01:29 PM

Its odd that everything around PW is in the BID area but PW is not

Posted by: dannyboy May 15 2012, 01:42 PM

Wasn't a reason for this mentioned in another thread on the BID?

Posted by: Andy Capp May 15 2012, 03:14 PM

Businesses in a managed shopping centre, e.g. Kennet Shopping and Parkway, have a discount. The idea being they already pay more for services, which include marketing, than those not in a managed area.

Posted by: Baffers100 May 15 2012, 03:16 PM

I for one will be going elsewhere if the parking charges increase. There's not enough in Newbury to justify the premium parking charge because of Parkway. I'll go to Basingstoke, have more shops, more places to eat and pay the same. Yes it will cost me fuel there and back, but generally a shopping trip in Newbury (for me anyway) end with "I'll have to look in Basingstoke tomorrow."

Posted by: Newbelly May 15 2012, 03:58 PM

I think the parking charges at Parkway are a bit on the high side, but it's also worth remembering that not everyone who shops there has to make a special trip by car. That is the advantage it has over an out-of-town retail park.