Maidenhead station - car parking issues - ongoing discussion

[whole diary]

[johoare]

Well.. Network rail did respond quite quickly on this one.. to say that FGW^▸ (First Great Western) look after the car park (so they have forwarded the information re no street lights on to them)

It's not hard to be confused tho..Since...from the main road (which RBWM look after) the roadway and traffic lights (which haven't worked for several years) are maintained by Network Rail but the car park itself is the responsibility of FGW..(which Apcoa manage!!)

[johoare]

Some lights are working now (though mainly in the middle) which is better than total darkness. particularly as quite often someone going to their car after about 7pm might be totally on their own...and it is quite a way from the main road and civilisation

[johoare]

There is a sign up at the front station car park at Maidenhead saying that it will be closed from March 22nd until April (can't quite remember the date in April)... It's still open though.. I guess it will be used as a bus terminus again when the lines are closed over Easter but does anyone know when it will actually close?

[NickB]

Ah, a sign of the chaos to come for Maidenhead.  Its not long now until both Silco and the forecourt car parks close forever, and Shoppenhangers reduces capacity by 25%.  No drop-off lay-bys either.

[Chris from Nailsea]

Purely in the interests of continuity and ease of future reference, I've now merged five previously separate topics into this one here.

Hope this helps! 

[johoare]

NickB.. Silco drive car park is closing? They have kept that quiet

Back to my question  from yesterday...  The signs are still up.. the car park at the front of the station is getting smaller (but still had cars parking in it this morning)... Anyone in the know can help here?

[James]

I saw that poster of car park closing as well, walking by the other day.
My reckoning is that Crossrail may be beginning but very slowly indeed to upgrade the station area. If thats not happening it might be for the bus replacement services at the front of station as happened a few years back due to Reading Station Redevelopment.
However i dont remember if you could still drop off/pick up at the bottom bit of that front car park. A side from that it should be a proper bus interchange point on station approach all the time and stop taxis from occupying the whole dam station area which includes shoppenhangers road and not to mention (not by but near the station) the delight long queue of eager to go into action mode taxis when I pass by ludlow road! Anyway hopefully that gives you some info jo

[johoare]

It is finally closed today.. Although there are a few cars parked.. but could be staff I guess, or cars left overnight..

The small print on the sign says to check the First Great Western web-site for further details.. so I did just that... I couldn't find anything on there about the car park closure though.. 

[NickB]

NickB.. Silco drive car park is closing? They have kept that quiet

Indeed, there is some very interesting (scary?) reading about the whole issue if you know where to look.  

This is good for starters - Select Committee Minutes for Crossrail
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200607/cmselect/cmcross/235/6062716.htm

"To summarise, the Royal Borough contends that Crossrail's forecasting is too simplistic and does not really take account of current commuter levels and behaviours or long-term changes in demographics which a new rail service could bring; that the modal split of London-bound commuters is significantly more car-orientated and that Crossrail will inevitably increase this, as that is more attractive to them; and that the revised car-parking proposals by the Promoter are not acceptable as it is located even further from the station than the current car parks."

"The Royal Borough believes that the car parking provision should be significantly increased, with the need for a multi-storey car park on Shoppenhangers Road, catering for around 600 to 700 spaces, for current and future rail commuters;"

But the juicy stuff is here:

http://www.crossrail.co.uk/about-us/crossrail-bill-supporting-documents/environmental-statement?folder=/l0/120/asset/618

"In total Maidenhead station will lose 200 out of 352 car parking spaces (57%) (for the duration of construction works, estimated at 3 years)"

"There is one significant operational impact to note at Maidenhead station relating to parking and loading.  Maidenhead station will lose 66 spaces from the (forecourt) northern carpark and 48 from Silco Drive carpark.  The total loss of 114 out of 352 car parking spaces (32%) will constiture a permanent significant impact as it cannot be easily mitigated"

and all of this is built around a stated assumption that "No major changes in passenger flows are expected at Maidenhead station as a result of Crossrail".  Hahahahaha!  That kind of conflicts with the "1m extra movements" now predicted.

[Network SouthEast]

It is finally closed today.. Although there are a few cars parked.. but could be staff I guess, or cars left overnight..

The small print on the sign says to check the First Great Western web-site for further details.. so I did just that... I couldn't find anything on there about the car park closure though.. 

A reminder of what happens to people that ignore car park closure notices: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-21292873

 

[johoare]

The taxi situation was bedlam earlier..No obvious pointers as to where to queue for taxis..Very few taxis can appear at any one time as the area they have been given is so small compared to the amount of people that get taxis at Maidenhead particularly off of peak time fast trains..etc...

Chatting to my taxi driver they are not happy also.. The car park at the front of the station is still fairly empty.. And whilst he understands that when buses are running the taxis will have to be banished.. Right now that isn't the case..

[BBM]

http://www.maidenhead-advertiser.co.uk/News/Areas/Maidenhead/Shoppers-frustrated-by-commuters-hogging-parking-spaces-at-retail-park-27032013.htm

Shoppers frustrated by commuters hogging parking spaces at retail park

Opportunistic commuters are damaging trade and angering shoppers by hogging free parking at the Stafferton Way retail complex in Maidenhead, according to staff.

Store managers say the busy car park is nearly full by 9am as drivers leave their cars at the site before returning in the evening.

The majority are thought to be London-bound workers heading to the train station.

But the situation could be set to change, with rumours that landlord CBRE Global Investors is set to install a new parking management system on the privately-owned car park to combat the growing problem.

Staff at the shops on the site say customers regularly complain about the lack of spaces available at the complex, with the issue becoming worse in recent months.

The busy site is being used despite the long-stay Stafferton Way car park next door having about 50 unused spaces per day, according to the Royal Borough.

Pets at Home manager Heather Lockley said shoppers having to carry cat litter and food bags weighing as much as 20kg were forced to park on the far end of the car park while Nikki Kaur, manager at Maplin, said the store had about 10-15 customers a day come in and complain about the parking situation.

A spokeswoman for the Royal Borough said train commuters are directed to use the Stafferton Way car park and season tickets are available for Stafferton Way, Nicholsons and Hines Meadow car parks for people working in Maidenhead.

CBRE Global Investors was unavailable for comment.

[johoare]

When the retail complex first opened there was a two hour parking limit which was policed in an almost too strong a fashion (Eg you could buy things in one or more of the retail shops there, then, eg, pop to the station to renew your season ticket as there is no short term parking at the station, and potentially come back to a car park ticket (As they used to pounce immediately))..

I have no idea what has happened since.. and it seems to have gone the other way entirely,..but someone somewhere must have made the decision to let this happen...

[JayMac]

And whatever they decide in the future, thanks to recent legislation they can't clamp or tow you in/from a private car park and can only attempt  to charge you using legally dubious civil Penalty Charge Notices, that are contractual in nature and rarely, if ever, stand up to scrutiny in the County Court.

It may not be the case with this particular retail complex, but many such out of town complexes were granted planning permission which explicitly included free parking. Any charges for parking, be they up front or by way of a penalty could mean that the freeholder and/or its tenants/agents are in breach of the original planning consent.

[johoare]

But I guess if they are removing a fair chunk of Maidenhead parking spaces for crossrail preparations.. where will everyone park if not there? Not that it makes it right... just a question..