Twyford Station car parking - merged topic, ongoing discussion

[whole diary]

[Chris from Nailsea]

From GetReading:

Workmen 'hogging' Twyford station parking places


Construction workers have taken over more than 20 parking spaces at Twyford railway station

Angry passengers are tired of picking up fines for trying to park at Twyford station as construction workers have taken over more than 20 spaces.

The 400-space car park in Gas Lane is regularly full by 8am, meaning many commuters are being slapped with an ^80 fine for squeezing into unauthorised spaces.

Rob Smith, of Binfield, commutes to London from the village. He said: ^They have reduced the size of the car park by what looks a quarter, which is an absolute nightmare. What^s worse if they give you a ticket if you are slightly outside the lines. Luckily I have a smaller car.^

Cheryl Page, of Wokingham, said: ^By 8am there aren^t any spaces left and people try to park so not to block anybody. It isn^t doing anyone any harm and ticketing for that is very harsh.^

Station staff have told passengers ticket sales have shot up since work started on Wokingham^s new ^6 million station.

Commuter Rachel Partridge said: ^One of the ticket clerks told me the situation is being exacerbated by the works at Wokingham station, with commuters from Wokingham now using Twyford station.^ She added: ^ve commuted from Twyford for nearly 20 years and its never been as bad as it is now.^

Desperate commuters have even resorted to parking in the workmen^s compound to avoid penalties in peak hours.

Mohammed Siouri, 50, of Twyford, added: ^It^s completely ridiculous. It costs a fortune to pay and then you can^t park. People spending ages searching for spaces are probably missing their trains.^

A compound was set up in the lower side of the car park in August for workmen contracted to carry out essential works to strengthen the Seven Arch Viaduct. The work is expected to continue until mid-November.

A Network Rail spokeswoman said: ^Since the end of August, Network Rail has been carrying out bridge strengthening work to Seven Arch Bridge as part of the ^33 million railway improvement scheme on the western route. The work at this location is scheduled to be completed on Friday, November 15. During this work, and after gaining permission from First Great Western, Network Rail set up a work site close to Twyford station.

^This site is the property of Network Rail which First Great Western, the managers of Twyford station, utilise as a car park for their customers. This arrangement has been mutually agreed on an unofficial capacity for several years and following the completion of the bridge work, Network Rail plans to work with First Great Western to provide this space as an official station car park.^

[argg]

Can someone please confirm the current usage and status of the 'season ticket' car park or CP1 as APCOA^▸ (Car parking company used at GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) - controlled stations in the area) refer to it.

Does it mean rail season ticket or car park season ticket.

I am returning to travelling to London some days per week after a few months not having to do so. Financially I will be better off with a season ticket over daily for rail but not parking.

If I properly pay the daily charge by phone can I park in Station Road CP (or even the road spaces) or must I use the Gas Lane one?

I ask because when I was travelling regularly last year, the Station Road CP was only half full at around 7.30 when Gas Lane was almost already full. I also looked online today to check the season ticket charges and APCOA reckon there is a waiting list on that car park.

If the APCOA jobsworths slap a ticket on me. What would be the 'offence'? (I use that term loosely, I played the ignoring the threatening letters game once before for parking just on a white line. Don't really want to do it again.)

Cheers

[BBM]

Can someone please confirm the current usage and status of the 'season ticket' car park or CP1 as APCOA^▸ (Car parking company used at GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) - controlled stations in the area) refer to it.

Does it mean rail season ticket or car park season ticket.

I have an annual season ticket for the Station Road CP and I'm almost completely certain that it means car park season. Whenever I renew it I make sure that the APCOA person on the phone gives me one for the 'Permits' car park (i.e. CP1) and not the 'Main' one as I know that people have had PCNs for parking in the Station Road CP and along the road with Main (Gas Lane/CP2) season tickets. I didn't know that there was a waiting list until a couple of months ago when I was chatting with a couple of fellow commuters who like you were unhappy about Gas Lane being full while Station Road was half empty but they couldn't get tickets for the latter.

[argg]

Thanks BBM.  Useful to know.  Several years ago I had a car park season which did not specify the car park but I think it was pre APCOA^▸ (Car parking company used at GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) - controlled stations in the area).  Seems stupid that there are season tickets not being used or maybe APCOA can't count the number of available spaces.

And thanks bignosemac.  Didn't know it had changed.  By my thinking if I pay the daily rate APCOA would receive more than the theoretical daily equivalent of the season ticket and if the car park is never full...jobs a good 'un!

However, not sure I can go through with the aggro.  The longer walk will keep me fitter 

 

[BBM]

http://www.twyford-advertiser.co.uk/News/Areas/Twyford/Thumbs-up-for-Twyford-Station-multi-storey-car-park-01072015.htm

Thumbs up for Twyford Station multi-storey car park

A multi-million pound bid for a four-storey car park has been made by First Great Western (FGW^▸ (First Great Western)) to tackle parking problems in Twyford.



The ^9million plans, submitted to the Department for Transport, involve taking over a coal yard at the back of the railway station, as well as adding three storeys to the current car park.

This would result in an additional 300 spaces, and more than 600 spaces in total available to users of the car park.

Wokingham Borough Council (WBC) and Twyford Parish Council have both supported the idea, according to Cllr John Jarvis (Con, Twyford), who sits on both councils.

He said: ^I think it is a really good idea. We have been talking about this for a long time. Bearing in mind the station car park is at the back where the coal yard is, it is not something which is going to impact the usual amenities of Twyford.

^It is something which is needed in Twyford as it is being snarled up.^

Specific designs are yet to be made, and Cllr David Sleight (Con, Wokingham) said FGW will need to submit a planning application before work can go ahead.

He believes a four-storey car park is ^needless^ at the moment, and added a three-storey car park is likely to be more cost effective and ^less obtrusive^.

Cllr Sleight also questioned whether the proposals would provide enough spaces with electrification and Crossrail coming by 2019.

He said: ^Will this satisfy the demand in the long term? Personally, I do not think so.^

Twyford Parish Council has agreed to provide Stanlake Meadow as a temporary car park while works are completed at the station, which is due to take between three and five months, according to Cllr Jarvis.

While he supports the plans he does have some concerns about whether the car park would be used.

^The one worry I have is that it will be a large car park, but will people use it because of the cost of parking? I^m not sure,^ said Cllr Jarvis.

He says WBC is looking to use parking enforcement in Twyford, which would increase funds and also help solve commuter parking issues in residential roads.

A decision on the bid is expected to be made by September, with FGW obliged to complete the works by April 2018.

[Surrey 455]

Specific designs are yet to be made, and Cllr David Sleight (Con, Wokingham) said FGW^▸ (First Great Western) will need to submit a planning application before work can go ahead.

He believes a four-storey car park is ^needless^ at the moment, and added a three-storey car park is likely to be more cost effective and ^less obtrusive^.

Cllr Sleight also questioned whether the proposals would provide enough spaces with electrification and Crossrail coming by 2019.

He said: ^Will this satisfy the demand in the long term? Personally, I do not think so.^

Doesn't sound much like forward planning there - 4 storeys is too much and too little?