Bill Thomas Posted April 27, 2014 Report Share Posted April 27, 2014 It's the evening / Sunday parking rate which I find very irksome. I do think folks going to the cinema will find this steep - certainly compared to the bus station prices! Anyone know what the food outlet opening hours will be?? Knowing Hereford they will be closed at 11pm. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biomech Posted April 27, 2014 Report Share Posted April 27, 2014 It is city centre and in every other city you have to pay. I see what you are saying, but normally when you go somewhere shopping you have a much bigger choice - like Cardiff or Worcester, for example. These are just the same shops that we've already had but now with addition of expensive parking. I suppose if you're not from Hereford it may be different, but as someone who lives in Hereford, the closeness to the city is a convenience, this parking takes away that convenience. I don't want to have to pay for parking just to see if they MIGHT have something that I want to buy. Like I say, I don't tend to shop in Hereford anymore, when I do go in it's literally 10 minutes to grab something or do the banking, I don't want to be paying £1.20 for 3 minutes in Next picking up a jumper. When you go to Cardiff or Cheltenham, you generally go for more than just a look, you might have dinner as well - which, of course, you can do at the OLM, but as a local, going into town isn't a day out or a trip (sitting in traffic aside). As I've mentioned before, go to the Metro Centre in Newcastle and all of the parking is free. I'm lead to believe that the council will take the money from parking. Perhaps then the issue is that they want the money not the shops. Because it's quite clear that offering free parking would be hugely beneficial to the shops and surrounding areas. If you listen to the radio, you often here of the Crown Gate in Worcester offering parking for £1 all day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Thomas Posted April 27, 2014 Report Share Posted April 27, 2014 Quite often you can park in Cabot Circus for £2 all day on a Sunday too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dippyhippy Posted April 27, 2014 Report Share Posted April 27, 2014 I agree Biomech - parking charges are the councils favoured method of raising money! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dippyhippy Posted April 27, 2014 Report Share Posted April 27, 2014 Afternoon Bill! I was wondering if the food outlets would be open after the late night film screening, so that folks could grab a bite to eat after?? I suppose we would need the cinema opening times as well!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biomech Posted April 27, 2014 Report Share Posted April 27, 2014 Let's not forget what we have seen in the past.The hospital is ridiculously expensive for parking - so people park in Morrissons or that new cheap on. The same thing will happen here, people will opt to park elsewhere, the streets, courtyard(?) maybe, Merton Meadow before it goes. And Tesco. And as anyone who has been in Tesco when it's at capacity will know, that causes huge problems with traffic, gridlocked in the small one way system and often backed up out of the entrance and onto the roundabout.I think as Roger said above, the streets are going to be fuller in the surrounding areas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dippyhippy Posted April 27, 2014 Report Share Posted April 27, 2014 Well, St James end of town is largely residents only/permit parking, and a lot of Whitecross side streets seem to be occupied by Plough Lane workers, since the council introduced parking charges there!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Thomas Posted April 27, 2014 Report Share Posted April 27, 2014 Afternoon Bill! I was wondering if the food outlets would be open after the late night film screening, so that folks could grab a bite to eat after?? I suppose we would need the cinema opening times as well!! I hope so my friend, this village we live in shuts down at 11pm unfortunately but lets wait and see what's going to be on offer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gdj Posted April 27, 2014 Report Share Posted April 27, 2014 Irrespective of the price, I always prefer car parks where you get a ticket on entry and pay when you leave - it takes away at least one stress - of having to get back before you get fined - if you are delayed for some reason before you can return to the car then you just get charged for the extra time you're there rather than being fined. You don't need to guess how long you need either. This method also means you don't need to employ people to check pay and display stickers and issue fines and you also don't end up with highly stressful arguments between the shopper/motorist and the parking warden. What method is the OLM - pay and display or pay as you leave? Also, do the machines give change or is that another little earner designed into the system? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cloudberry Posted April 28, 2014 Report Share Posted April 28, 2014 It does seem badly-thought-through, or maybe just plain greedy, to open with expensive parking which will restrict both the time and the money people will spend in the OLM. We may not like what it looks like, or the process that has delivered it, but we will all lose out yet again if there are too few visitors and it fails. I don't believe there can ever be any Park and Ride in Hereford to help the parking problem either, because that is very expensive to run. Even if the parking is cheaper and it reduces congestion, people will only use it if they don't have to wait too long for a bus. That means funding buses departing every 10-15 minutes all day. In Swindon and Telford I have seen abandoned Park and Ride car parks with weeds and bushes growing through the tarmac. If big towns with big populations cannot make it work, whatever the promises in the Core Strategy plan I don't think there is any chance that impoverished Hereford can do it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roger Posted April 28, 2014 Report Share Posted April 28, 2014 Afternoon Bill! I was wondering if the food outlets would be open after the late night film screening, so that folks could grab a bite to eat after?? I suppose we would need the cinema opening times as well!! Nothing showing yet about closing times for the various food places yet: Old Market Food & Drink Nando's in Liverpool City Centre (Liverpool One) is near to a massive new multi-screen cinema and it closes 22.30 hrs in the week and 23.00 Fri/Sat. The Worcester one closes 23.00 hrs as well at the weekend. So I imagine Hereford opening times would be similar to that. On the Council website there are no applications pending for any premises wishing to sell hot food after 11 PM. Current Licensing Applications Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biomech Posted April 28, 2014 Report Share Posted April 28, 2014 We may not like what it looks like, As a whole, I think it's MUCH better than what was there before. Not ideal, sure, but a much better look and use of the space. It's just a shame that it was ruined by filling it with shops we already have, expensive parking and bad traffic management Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cloudberry Posted April 29, 2014 Report Share Posted April 29, 2014 Biomech, of course it looks better than a half-derelict site waiting to be developed! It jolly well should do considering what's been spent on it! The point is, whether you think it pretty or not, reasonable parking fees will probably be a key factor in making sure the OLM is successful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ragwert Posted April 29, 2014 Report Share Posted April 29, 2014 I see what you are saying, but normally when you go somewhere shopping you have a much bigger choice - like Cardiff or Worcester, for example. These are just the same shops that we've already had but now with addition of expensive parking. I suppose if you're not from Hereford it may be different, but as someone who lives in Hereford, the closeness to the city is a convenience, this parking takes away that convenience. I don't want to have to pay for parking just to see if they MIGHT have something that I want to buy. Like I say, I don't tend to shop in Hereford anymore, when I do go in it's literally 10 minutes to grab something or do the banking, I don't want to be paying £1.20 for 3 minutes in Next picking up a jumper. When you go to Cardiff or Cheltenham, you generally go for more than just a look, you might have dinner as well - which, of course, you can do at the OLM, but as a local, going into town isn't a day out or a trip (sitting in traffic aside). As I've mentioned before, go to the Metro Centre in Newcastle and all of the parking is free. I'm lead to believe that the council will take the money from parking. Perhaps then the issue is that they want the money not the shops. Because it's quite clear that offering free parking would be hugely beneficial to the shops and surrounding areas. If you listen to the radio, you often here of the Crown Gate in Worcester offering parking for £1 all day. If it was free parking every tom dick n harry would park there leaving no spaces for people who want to shop Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biomech Posted April 29, 2014 Report Share Posted April 29, 2014 If it was free parking every tom **** n harry would park there leaving no spaces for people who want to shop I don't know about you, but I've never found a problem parking in any free spaces in Hereford (Tesco, B&M, B&Q, Dunelm, Broad Street) or in any large city. The point is, whether you think it pretty or not, reasonable parking fees will probably be a key factor in making sure the OLM is successful. I completely agree. In all honesty, I don't shop in Hereford and I don't pay for parking so I'm fine. But, of course, that doesn't mean that I can't air my concerns on the effect this will have. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ragwert Posted April 30, 2014 Report Share Posted April 30, 2014 To be honest I rarely pay to park in Hereford.I park in St Owens St for half hr or go to Tesco's.If the weather is good I'll bike it or walk. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roger Posted May 2, 2014 Report Share Posted May 2, 2014 Saw this contribution to the Hereford Times Facebook page today which is self explanatory ... Janet Walters What the heck is going on with Tescos car park,me thinks they are all going for free parking to walk across the road,it bonkers down there,traffic rage or what.I'm not suprised after the barriers kept breaking down in waitrose the first day,then you had to pay £1 20 for being over the hour,when it wasn't our fault but theirs with the barriers.needless to say won't be going there again,unless we walk that is,I can see Tescos charging for parking next if the bedlam is anything to go by. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alex Posted May 2, 2014 Author Report Share Posted May 2, 2014 Saw this contribution to the Hereford Times Facebook page today which is self explanatory ... Yes, I spoke with a friend of mine who said he could not pay to park in the new centre with his card and was advised by security to go across he road to the nearest cashpoint. So are there no ATM's in the new shopping centre then? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ragwert Posted May 2, 2014 Report Share Posted May 2, 2014 As a whole, I think it's MUCH better than what was there before. Not ideal, sure, but a much better look and use of the space. It's just a shame that it was ruined by filling it with shops we already have, expensive parking and bad traffic management It's just a shame that it was ruined by filling it with shops we already have, expensive parking and bad traffic management Outfit, L'Occitain, Paperchase, Office,Debenhams, River Island, Waitrose,Nando's, Frankie n Bennys, Zizi, Prezzo, Wagamamas, Miller & Carter etc never seen them in Hereford with the exception of River Island who have not been in the City for over four years and in the next three months nine other stores that are not in Hereford. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biomech Posted May 3, 2014 Report Share Posted May 3, 2014 I was referring to shops not food places. And the amount that we already have far outweigh what new ones there are. I see you write Paperchase - do you have a source for this? As I've seen a lot of names banding around with absolutely no supporting evidence at all. Hey, We're getting a GAP too and A Republic and a Harrod's! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ragwert Posted May 3, 2014 Report Share Posted May 3, 2014 I was referring to shops not food places. And the amount that we already have far outweigh what new ones there are. I see you write Paperchase - do you have a source for this? As I've seen a lot of names banding around with absolutely no supporting evidence at all. Hey, We're getting a GAP too and A Republic and a Harrod's! paperchase jos being advertised,http://www.retailchoice.com/JobSearch/JobDetails.aspx?JobId=59478739 They also have a planning application for signage on the olm. Also Joules are opening a store in July http://www.retailchoice.com/JobSearch/JobDetails.aspx?JobId=59328478 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biomech Posted May 3, 2014 Report Share Posted May 3, 2014 Thank you for providing the sources - it goes a long way.The more new shops Hereford gets the better it will be Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Major Posted May 4, 2014 Report Share Posted May 4, 2014 We visited the Old Market yesterday and although it's all new etc.. 80% of the stores are still empty or not open, so how can they still justify charging full price for the car parks? I was charged £2.40 for 70 mins parking and then the barrier would not let us out, not the best shopping experience we have ever had. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin James Posted May 5, 2014 Report Share Posted May 5, 2014 We visited the Old Market yesterday and although it's all new etc.. 80% of the stores are still empty or not open, so how can they still justify charging full price for the car parks? I was charged £2.40 for 70 mins parking and then the barrier would not let us out, not the best shopping experience we have ever had. I am with you on this Steve. We visited Saturday at just after 5.30pm, (thinking it was open until 8pm, I must of been half asleep thinking shops would be open later at the weekend...) we went into Next and within 10mins or so an announcement , shop will be closing shortly anyway, had a very quick look around, Debenhams had the sense to stay open until 7pm because it was still busy, but other than a few shops most are still empty, so how the hell can they justify still charging full price to park a car?? We were parked for an 1 hour and 6 mins and it cost me £2.40!! (See ticket below) The parking machine does not take card payments either and there was not a cash point anywhere to be seen, what's that all about? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biomech Posted May 5, 2014 Report Share Posted May 5, 2014 I don't get those last 2 lines.Are they supposed to be two separate statements? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gdj Posted May 5, 2014 Report Share Posted May 5, 2014 I know I'm a grumpy old pedant, but the random use of capital letters in the "Remember we have Dining Please pay Before Exiting" does irritate me. If this is a Herefordshire Council operation they should pay someone literate to do some checking of published materials. And another moan: I would say that there is a quid pro quo between visitors paying HCC for parking and HCC providing city centre amenities. It is unethical to increase car parking charges and remove public toilets - there is an attitude of entitlement to take money without any obligation to provide anything in return. How long before Waitrose etc start saying that their toilets are for customers only? p.s. The chaotic letter section on the Hereford Times website has a letter from Ted Willmott thank us all for our patience - apparently there will be 1100 new jobs! The HT has given the letter the headline "Headline". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aylestone Voice Posted May 5, 2014 Report Share Posted May 5, 2014 The Council do not run or get the income from the car parking at the Old Market Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biomech Posted May 5, 2014 Report Share Posted May 5, 2014 That's not what I have been lead to believe. I'm sure someone here will confirm/deny that Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twowheelsgood Posted May 5, 2014 Report Share Posted May 5, 2014 The Council do not run or get the income from the car parking at the Old Market The Council have been boasting for ages of the £1m+ pa car parking revenue they will take from the OLM and Garrick House parking combined 1000 spaces. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denise Lloyd Posted May 5, 2014 Report Share Posted May 5, 2014 GDJ please where is this letter? "p.s. The chaotic letter section on the Hereford Times website has a letter from Ted Willmott thank us all for our patience - apparently there will be 1100 new jobs! The Hereford Times has given the letter the headline "Headline"" Found it now! http://www.herefordtimes.com/news/letters/11187168.Headline/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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