Car parking at Nailsea & Backwell station

[whole diary]

[Chris from Nailsea]

http://www.northsomersettimes.co.uk/content/nst/news/story.aspx?brand=westonmercury&category=newsNorthSomerset&tBrand=westonmercury&tCategory=znews&itemid=WeED07%20May%202008%2010%3A44%3A49%3A010

"Commuters coping with car parking chaos at Nailsea and Backwell Station may soon face charges and an even tougher fight for a spot.

North Somerset Council officer Jonathan Gall said there were four options to consider - leave the car park oversubscribed, introduce charges to put people off driving to the station, expand the car park and keep it a free service or extend it and bring in charges.

He said: "The car park currently has 112 spaces which are filled before 9am most mornings. The overflow is found in residential streets and there is also a problem with people parking at Backwell Lake."

The car park costs ^17,000 to maintain each year and an extension will lead to even higher costs."

My only query over this is: what is actually done in the present car park, that 'costs ^17,000' each year? 

[Ollie]

The salary for the person who checks to see if it's full by 9am? 

[Chris from Nailsea]

Probably best not to tell John R that: for ^17,000 each year, he could have told them, it's usually full from 8am, when he gets the 08:11! 

[Ollie]

Well if that's true 9am incorrect statement to make

But in all seriousness, i'm not sure, is the car park area maintained by the council?

[Chris from Nailsea]

Well, it's owned by the council, rather than FGW^▸ (First Great Western), so the council are responsible for maintaining it.

It depends, however, what you mean by 'maintain'.  Cutting back a few bushes, sweeping up a bit of broken glass after a visit by lively teenagers on a Friday night?  I'm not convinced it's costing ^17,000.

 

[John R]

Good idea, I'll offer my services to the council for ^16k pa. Might as well get an auto-text set up for 0805 each day to say "It's full". (Maybe not Fridays though.)

I presume lighting will cost a bit, but other than that I'm struggling to understand what it costs. I'm not aware anyone checks up on it to check everyone's parked in a bay, because obviously people don't.

[devon_metro]

Probably an average considering when retarmacing occurs. Car parks cost over ^100,000 to refurbish for an area holding 100 cars or so.

[John R]

And now they've effectively reduced the available space by around 20% by warning people off parking outside marked bays with the threat of a ^70 fine. With season ticket sales up 33% in 2 years from Nailsea, no wonder the car park is heaving.

And the coffee cart lady has given up too. At least I don't need to avoid catching her eye as I fail again to buy a coffee from her in the morning.   

[Chris from Nailsea]

Yes, that's an interesting point, John.  Who is actually going to enforce this new 'ban' on parking outside the marked bays in the station car park?  Perhaps the crew of the unattended police personnel carrier, which was parked on the double yellow lines opposite the turning bay at the station one morning last week??

 

[Chris from Nailsea]

Interestingly, despite the appearance of a cheery notice informing drivers that they will incur a ^70 fine if they park outside the marked bays (or park an 'unauthorised vehicle' - not defined!), I noted eighteen cars in the car park at 08:58 this morning, all 'illegally' parked.

Now, my schoolboy maths is a bit rusty, but: assuming 260 weekdays in a year, and 18 cars fined ^70 each per day - wow! that's ^327,600.  That will pay for quite a few layers of new tarmac, eh? 

[John R]

Yet yesterday there was only one, and the Lake Car Park was overcrowded.

I think there's a slight but obvious flaw in your argument - you wouldn't park there once you've been "done", unless you've cloned your numberplate. 

[Chris from Nailsea]

Ah!  I had considered that, John! 

My case is that it wouldn't be the same local drivers each day that get 'stung'!  And there are still lots of drivers from Yatton who drive and park at Nailsea - to avoid FGW^▸ (First Great Western)'s charges at Yatton station!

However, I do accept your point that, over time, North Somerset Council will see some sort of 'law of diminishing returns' on their decision to fine people for parking outside the marked bays.

However, as you also say - there's still the lake car park ... ! 

[Chris from Nailsea]

The story has now appeared in the local press: see http://www.thisisclevedon.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=223432&command=displayContent&sourceNode=241560&home=yes&more_nodeId1=224152&contentPK=20907456

[Chris from Nailsea]

More controversy over commuters parking outside the station car park, due to lack of spaces: see http://www.thisisclevedon.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=223432&command=displayContent&sourceNode=224133&contentPK=21058249&folderPk=104742&pNodeId=224152

[Chris from Nailsea]

Another quick update from me:

I understand that the lines around the 'authorised' parking spaces in the station car park are to be repainted (and apparently, some spaces which were not 'officially' recognised in the past, but where commuters have now established the precendent of parking there, will now be included)!

And just as an aside ... is anyone aware of any fines actually being imposed, for anyone parking outside the current 'official' bays?  (This includes the Network Rail vans that persistently park on the double yellow lines in the turning bay, by the way!)  If not, what was the point of putting up all those cheery notices about ^70 fines being imposed???