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Hereford Parking Review Survey


Bill Thomas

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The Herefordshire Council have an online survey about the parking in Hereford. In my opinion, there are far too many disabled bays along broad street and in King Street and Bridge Street they they could increase the maximum parking time to 2 hours, at least this way you have a little more time to shop etc.. The traffic wardens are too keen to issue tickets too, all of this does not encourage people into our city.

This of course is just my view but there is an online survey which I think is worth completing, see below.

 

 

We are undertaking a review of on street parking arrangements in the historic core of Hereford city centre. National good practice indicates that we should review on-street parking restrictions periodically in order to check that they continue to meet the needs of all road users. In addition the review will aim to support current schemes in the historic core including street de-cluttering through rationalising existing signage, 20mph zones and more cycling facilities.

We are consulting with businesses, residents and visitors who use on street parking in the historic core of Hereford. Questionnaires for residents and businesses will be delivered to properties within the city centre area. In addition our survey staff will be out in the city centre talking to people who are using on street parking and providing them with questionnaires. Surveys can be returned via the Freepost address supplied.

Alternatively you can complete the questionnaire online.

The closing date for responses is 17 March 2014.

 

 

 
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 there are far too many disabled bays along broad street

 

 

 

Absolutely!

 

Mind you, I usually park in Tescos so I don't have to pay or if I need to get IN in town somewhere, I'll find a van and park in a loading bay.

 

However, I do think that it's wrong that people should be forced to park in a private companies carpark (Tesco) without buying things just so that they can whip to the bank and back.

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Since HCC stopped the 2 hour parking concession for the over 65 some 2 years ago I am proud to say that I have never paid HCC to park in one of their car parks . I usually park in one of the Supermarket car parks - do my shopping at the store then , if required walk into town for banking , coffee at Ascari etc. When I have to park all day I use the pub car park in Eign St ( name escapes me at the moment) £2 for 4 hours or £3 for all day.

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Would that be The Horse and Groom, Ubique?

Sometimes referred to as "The Doom and Gloom"......can't think why......!!!

Yep that's the one , it's good that they have turned the pub car park into a Pay and Display with very fair charges , I presume that it subserdises keeping the pub open .

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Just completed the parking questioner ...........left the last page with the most questions on blank , one of the first questions is a list of nationalities including Welsh Scottish , Irish etc the explanation is that it's to ensure that they receive answers from the complete cross section of society , I do wonder what happens if they do not.

 

I am sure that wiser grown ups than me will put me right

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I don't think I've ever paid to park in Hereford. Other than a quid to park for 2 hours at Morrison's and then getting my money straight back by making a purchase. Everyone does that as it's always pretty full in the car park when the shop itself isn't.

 

There is no direct question about 'on street' parking charges/meters on the survey because the Council knew the answer they would get. 

 

Although I sympathise with less able drivers I think there are too many disabled spaces. Plus they can also park for up to 3 hours on double yellow lines. By their very nature these lines are usually painted because the road needs to be kept clear for a reason but they just seem to be a magnet for blue badge holders. 

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A few of us have discussed this on Biomechs thread about the Panasonic shop closing in Cheltenham.

Having also filled out the survey, we agreed it was a pretty pointless exercise. Seems to be just ticking the box that says, "Have we asked the Great Unwashed what they think? We have? Good. Now,moving swiftly on....."

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A few of us have discussed this on Biomechs thread about the Panasonic shop closing in Cheltenham.

Having also filled out the survey, we agreed it was a pretty pointless exercise. Seems to be just ticking the box that says, "Have we asked the Great Unwashed what they think? We have? Good. Now,moving swiftly on....."

 

Parking meters will come in I've no doubt. The Council is skint. But you will always find someone to feed the meter with coins and the ones that don't will get a ticket. Just another desperate attempt to claw cash from anything motorised that needs to park for a few seconds ... 

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Evening Roger!

Yes, I think you're right. I'm sure the decision to bring in parking meters has already been made.

This "survey" ,and I'm not even sure it qualifies as one, is a fairly poinless one....just hope it hasn't cost us much money!

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Just a matter of time before the meters come to our streets courtesy of our financially clueless council cabinet. 

I filled the survey in with lots of Capitalised comments in the "Other" box.  I knew it was a waste of time and will never be collated and used but did it anyway.

 

(Quick bit of advice for cabinet, in case they read this - If you can't afford it - don't buy it until you have saved up for it). 

( Gem advice there  :Winky: ).

 

Back to my comment - Just renewed annual local parking permit and it is now £30 squid to park outside my house!!! (hahaha - you have to laugh).  Apparently, increased in October, unbeknown to me - 20% increase from £25. - (If I have the maths wrong I don't mind -it's close enough!)  Who had a salary increase of 20%? Even if it was over the last 5 years?

Oh yes, sorry, of course, answering my own question, it was the fat cat officers at the council, when they sacked the workers!!!  

I know £5 is petty but still - TWENTY percent increase!

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There are too many disabled spaces, I cannot believe that there are more disabled people around now than there were 20 years ago, maybe there are a few more scammers! Which is sad and unfair on the genuine disabled people. I think 2 hour parking is necessary in order to have a quick wonder in town.

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I have witnessed both non blue badge holders parking in disabled spots (you see this ALOT at Asda) but also able bodied people who take a relatives blue badge and use that in their Merc..

I've seen apparent disabled people park up in cars lower than an F1 car and jump out while a man with Phocomelia* (little T Rex arms) be told to get out of a disabled spot because he didn't have a badge by a parking warden. There were 5 empty disabled spots around his car. He wasn't from Hereford and I doubt he ever came back.

 

It's worth noting that disabled (and parent and child) spaces in private carparks such as Asda, Tesco etc, are provided as a courtesy. It is not unlawful to park in them and I certainly don't begrudge people with temporary disabilities - such as a broken leg - parking in them. I do object to able bodied people using the spaces and filling them up. I've used disabled bays before, but I only do so when I have a reason (I often park a van in the disabled spots at Asda at 2am) and even then I park in the furthest disabled spot and ensure there are plenty still available. I wouldn't, for example, take the last spot because I had a sprained ankle etc

 

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On the subject of vans....

 

How about we have some larger parking spaces? It's all well and good to give special treatment to disabled people and parents with kids who want more room to open their doors, but this is a town full of trades people, most of the vans won't even fit in a car park space let alone get the doors open.

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On the subject of vans....

 

How about we have some larger parking spaces? It's all well and good to give special treatment to disabled people and parents with kids who want more room to open their doors, but this is a town full of trades people, most of the vans won't even fit in a car park space let alone get the doors open.

 

You have hit the nail on the head, most parking spaces are only suitable for the average family car, but in reality you would struggle to get any estate car in them. Some people who have spend a huge amount of their money on a nice 4x4 or expensive truck try to avoid parking in these spaces in fear of their vehicles being damaged, which is totally understandable in my opinion, so as well as spaces dedicated for disabled and mother and baby how about large vehicle spaces, it would not matter if they were further away from the stores, but I can see why people in larger vehicles choose to use the larger spaces such as mother and baby, either that or make spaces bigger! I have no problem with people using disabled or mother and bay spaces 30 mins before the stores close when there are usually loads available either.

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Ledbury Reporter: 4:47pm Thursday 13th March 2014 in News
 

Ledbury town councillor calls for revolt against parking charges

 
AN ASTONISHING call to deface parking signs and glue coin slots in a revolt against parking charges has been made by a town councillor.
 
Martin Eager called for action against proposals to cut free parking in Ledbury after 6pm.
 
However, his stance was condemned by town mayor Terry Widdows.
 
Councillor Eager said at the town council meeting: “I think we should deface the signs and glue the coin slots. I think a campaign should be started.â€
 
Parking after 6pm is free on St Katherine’s, Bye Street, Bridge Street and Lawnside Road car parks in the town.
 
However, cash-strapped Herefordshire Counci will introduce charges up to 10pm from May despite the town council urging the county council to think again.
 
Cllr Eager’s demand for action followed a call for civil disobedience from Councillor Clive Jupp.
 
Cllr Jupp said: “Charging till 10pm every night is crazy. I can’t believe it. Let’s have a programme of civil disobedience. Let’s all park on the streets.â€
 
On-street parking, to avoid parking charges, has become an issue in Ledbury, especially since the town lost its last free car park at Bridge Street, in November 2012.
 
But in response to Cllr Eager’s comments about the signs and coin machines, Cllr Jupp said: “I was saying we should park legally on the roads.â€
 
Cllr Eager replied: “I wasn’t joking.â€
 
Cllr Widdows, who chaired the meeting, said Cllr Eager’s comments did not represent the policy and views of the town council.
 
He said: “I think the remarks are totally wrong and I would never condone vandalising property of any sort. Cllr Eager expressed his own views when he talked about doing that and it is certainly not the view of myself as mayor or of Ledbury Town Council.
 
“Whilst we may not agree on the choices that have been made there is a way to voice opinions and defacing property is not one of those.â€
 
He added: “The idea to charge until 10pm is a ridiculous idea that in the market towns cannot draw extra income because any income gained will be lost against the offset of having to use enforcement officers for longer periods of time. “ Cllr Widdows called for a period of public consultation before the changes are introduced.
 
He said: “As was stated at the meeting there are residents that use the car parks in the evening and this will only add to parking issues in the street. This has never been consulted on I believe by Herefordshire Council and I would like to see the charges consulted on before it’s implemented in a democratic way so people have the opportunity to voice their views and common sense can then prevail.â€

 

The natives are getting restless!

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4yqs.jpg

 

CPS guidance

 

If Mr. Eager was my Councillor I would hope that he would take a more constructive approach to his opposition other than to encourage people to wreck the place. 

 

Boycotting the car parks and clogging up the streets seems a reasonable idea from Councillor Jupp. This is exactly what's happened outside Hereford Leisure Centre! I know it's a short term solution to save yerself some cash as yellow lines will then get painted (as it happening on Aylestone Hill) but these things take time to meander through the system. 

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Absolutely need yellow lines and ticketing outside the leisure centre, it's worse than when the parents are out there.
And the tickets need to be issued after 6pm as well.

 

I mentioned this before, but halo monthly membership holders should have parking included in their subscriptions. The cards have barcodes on, it would be trivial to install a barcode scanner to open a barrier - they do this in John Lewis in Cardiff for pickups.

 

Either that or issued with a sticker with their membership number on to put in the car window

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Re Homer Rd , the Highways Agency have a Public Notice in the HT today relating to Proposed Parking Restriction in the area.

It was expected after they started charging for parking in the Leisure Centre Car Park.

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I will never understand the thinking behind double yellows.

They insist on putting them - and have even extended them - on the road right outside my house, where they are just not needed. This is enforced vigorously. Yet down the road outside the chippy, there are always cars parked on double yellows, obscuring the view if you are turning out of Rye land Street, every single day.....nothing is done!

Drives me nuts!

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Well they need whatever they use for no parking and it needs to be enforced, it's getting beyond a joke,. We all drive right side which means to get in / out of their vehicles they have to stand even further into the road. Soon someone is going to be hit because of these ******* dickheads who have nothing but blatant disregard for everyone else

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I was speaking to my old man earlier, he lives in Worcester. Hows this for a story...

 

So he parks on double yellows to run into a shop to ask them something. When he came out (he said about 3 minutes later...) there was a traffic warden standing, arms crossed by his car.

 

So he ran down the driveway from the shop, shouting at the guy "wait wait, don't write a ticket yet".

 

When he got up to the traffic warden, the warden said "I wasn't going to, I sent a lady in to the shop to try and find you, I was just waiting for her to come back"

 

Blown away, he thanked the warden, who told him "my job is to keep the traffic flowing, if I give you a ticket, you might leave the car here for the rest of the day, blocking traffic, Now I've found you, you'll be on your way and the traffic will return to normal."

 

He said he wanted to write a letter to the council about how surprised he was and how pleasant the warden was, but he feared that the warden might get into trouble for not issuing a ticket.

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  • 3 months later...

3118166.jpg?type=articleLandscape

 

A HEREFORD trader believes that something has to be done to help motorists after it was revealed that Herefordshire Council makes around £50,000 from people 'overspending' in car parks.

Angela Siemieniuk, who owns independent fashion accessory store Hat Trick and Foot Note in East Street, says that motorists are 'constantly hammered' which has a detrimental effect on city centre trade.

The council has confirmed £2.96million was generated in its pay and display car parks during 2013/14.

That includes around £50,000 of 'overspent' charges because change is not given.

Ms Siemieniuk, who is behind a campaign to stop on-street parking charges being introduced, said the money raised should be used to benefit the city.

"I don't know why charges can't be rounded up to say £1.50 rather than £1.70 because not everyone has the right change," she said.

"Some cities have free parking after 3pm or before 11am, which work really well.

"We're always told that the council hasn't got any money, but they have got £50,000 in overspend charges, so this money should be taken into account.

"They should also put the Merton Meadow car park back down to £2 all day because that is a car park used by a lot of workers, so you end up hitting them.

"Money needs to be used to benefit shoppers."

The council states that the cost of replacing its 60 pay and display machines across the county would be 'significant' and notices are in place to inform people that change is not given.

In some car parks, motorists do have the option of paying via their mobile phone.

However, even that has caused problems for some people.

Hereford Times deputy editor Andrew Doyle was shocked when he was charged £1,409 for parking in Venns Close in Hereford.

“I asked for two hours of parking, which came to £1.70 – or so I thought,†he said.

Mr Doyle was shocked when he received a call 24 hours later checking whether he wanted 7,774 hours of parking – to May 2015.

“The money had already left my account," he said.

"I phoned the council and was told I’d have to contact the PayByPhone service for a refund.

“It was incredibly stressful – though they did sort it out quite swiftly.

“I was told by a customer services advisor that I most definitely requested that amount of parking according to their records and that the service would have confirmed that amount.

“That was not my experience – the first I knew about it was when I was contacted by the council.

“I won’t be using the service again.â€

PayByPhone maintains Mr Doyle requested 7,774 hours of parking and that there is no fault with the system.

Hereford Times

Angela Siemieniuk has previously been very vocal about this survey and the potential 'on street' parking charges ...

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Roger, your last post was the subject of a 'debate' on BBC Hereford and Worcester a few days ago. They had a Councillor on saying that the 'bonus' form overcharging was being used to 'assist with the council priority of supporting the vulnerable and disabled within the county', (illegal).

This council has closed down three facilities used by disabled persons in Hereford, and built a foot bridge from Hampton Dene to Rotherwas. My disabled son had an increase in his benefits of Â£5 per month to help with the increase to the cost of living. This council were obviously aware of this, and increased the cost to him of his monthly attendance at special units within the County, by £5. So, the fiver has gone to 'support the vulnerable and disabled within the  County' and my son has less to spend on essentials. (He doesn't smoke or drink, he can't afford to),

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I missed that H+W item Bambi ... And I quite frankly don't know what to say about your own personal situation which anyone would acknowledge is challenging.

 

The argument seems to revolve around the fact that no one is pocketing the overcharged money and this £50k is being used usefully as it's too expensive to change the machines. Whether it is being clawed back somewhere else is something else again.

 

How much would a new machine cost then? As £50k would buy 60 new machines if they all cost £833 each.

 

And do the machines in the Station Approach car park have the potential to overcharge? They were installed just weeks ago. Long after this situation would have been known about ... 

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Hi Bambi, I posted about something similar on the "Government Grants to Councils to Help the Needy" thread.

 

It's in the open forum, and the topic was started by Silent Bull.

 

My post relates to money from the Independent Living Fund being withdrawn. I can't post a handy link, so I hope you can find it.

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Thanks Dippy, but ILF doesn't apply, and it is being closed down anyway. My point is about the blatant lies by the Council. They seem to think that if they say 'all extra's go to the disabled or vulnerable', then the kind hearted people of Hereford will accept it. What they do with it then goes unnoticed, probably go towards the £90,000 post recently announced.

Thankfully, I am in a position where I can help my son out financially, but when I'm gone???

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