Captain Haddock- Location: Marlinspike Hall
- Registered: 8 Oct 2012
- Posts: 7,482
Simon Crowley wrote:Here is something towards a solution.
The council should provide a "workers" car park, something like the long term car park, but for workers only - at severely reduced rate say, £5 a week (per 7 days) which will also mean that they don't clog up the free parking on Sunday for visitors.
Simon,
Seriously, thanks for your input.
With reference to Sunday parking DDC, in Dover and Deal, are
only looking to charge in the immediate vicinity of St James' and Deal High Street. Anything outside this, including the Mon-Sat Single Yellow lines will remain free for all, including 'workers'.
As for your off-centre car park solely for workers I'm not sure where you would put it as each and every one of our car parks is being used by people visiting nearby houses, schools, shops, business, doctors, dentists etc.
Furthermore were workers to be offered parking at your suggested rate (£5 a week) we could say goodbye to car-sharing, use of buses/trains, cycling and even (Heaven forbid!) walking.
In the long run the sensible solution would be ANPR on all car parks (though this has problems with recognising non GB number plates) and vehicle sensors embedded in the road
wherever people park + varying parking charges in real-time depending on use. Milton Keynes is heading in the right direction:-
https://www.publictechnology.net/articles/features/milton-keynes%E2%80%99-wireless-journey-stress-free-parking
I can assure you that if you have a spare £16 million I will make sure DDC gives it a try locally!
'If no one went no faster than what I do there'd be a sight less trouble in this world'
Guest 2210- Registered: 16 Aug 2017
- Posts: 53
Wouldn't it of been nice if our lovely council who have done a grand job of keeping Dover in great vibrant shape tried to encourage the owners of st James to bring in free parking Instead of the owners of st James encouraging the council to bring in charges on a Sunday? Why don't the mighty DDC leave the parking as it is and see how it pans out. Or maybe it's to great an opportunity to miss! Ker-ching£££
Guest 1467 likes this
Captain Haddock- Location: Marlinspike Hall
- Registered: 8 Oct 2012
- Posts: 7,482
BenjiB wrote: Why don't the mighty DDC leave the parking as it is and see how it pans out.
Free parking Woolcomber Street 62 spaces
Free parking Townwall Street 29 spaces
New TravelLodge 108 beds immediately across road
What do you think will happen then?
Guest 1713 likes this
'If no one went no faster than what I do there'd be a sight less trouble in this world'
Guest 2210- Registered: 16 Aug 2017
- Posts: 53
The people staying at the hotel will no doubt want to park right next to where they are staying so they are not heaving their bags too far to get to their rooms? That's what I think will happen?
Captain Haddock- Location: Marlinspike Hall
- Registered: 8 Oct 2012
- Posts: 7,482
Whenever I stay in a hotel I pull up outside the front door, carer and bags are unloaded and I drive off to park the car while she books in. At this point I for one would certainly be heading for the free parking the other side of the road.
Guest 1713 likes this
'If no one went no faster than what I do there'd be a sight less trouble in this world'
Guest 1467- Registered: 30 Jan 2015
- Posts: 149
'What do you think will happen then? '
Car park half full all the time!
Guest 2210- Registered: 16 Aug 2017
- Posts: 53
Also the hotel will no doubt have a tie in deal with l and g to offer its guests parking at a discounted rate
Karlos- Location: Dover
- Registered: 1 Oct 2012
- Posts: 2,386
https://www.travelodge.co.uk/hotels/640/Dover-hotel
[U]"Parking is available nearby at Camden Crescent, "[/U]
Guest 2210 and Button like this
Button- Location: Dover
- Registered: 22 Jul 2016
- Posts: 2,900
Nice one Karlos!
(Not my real name.)
Guest 2210- Registered: 16 Aug 2017
- Posts: 53
And says it's free on first come first served basis so there is the parking tie in. So the parking at the other sites suggested by mr haddock will not be cluttered from hotel guests. What's the next excuse to bring in extra parking charges?
Reginald Barrington- Location: Dover
- Registered: 17 Dec 2014
- Posts: 3,206
What it actually says about the parking:
Parking is available nearby at Camden Crescent, Kent, Dover, CT16 1LE.
Parking charges apply Monday-Sunday 9am-5pm:
1 hour - £1.10
2 hours - £2.20
3 hours - £3.30
4 hours - £4.40
5 hours - £5.50
Day - £6.50
Free outside these hours.
And Camden crescent only has 77 spaces
Arte et Marte
Captain Haddock- Location: Marlinspike Hall
- Registered: 8 Oct 2012
- Posts: 7,482
Thanks Reg. I seriously would like to know the alternative is to paid Sunday parking IN SOME AREAS. So would DDC both councillors and officers who are getting some obscene abuse on the Facebook and other places. No-one actually wants to bring it in but we have reached a position where the status quo will no longer work.
The attitude of the man on the Crabble Omnibus seems to be 'we want free parking even if this means there will be no places to park'! They are quite happy to have their nose cut off as long as they don't have to pay for the surgery!
'If no one went no faster than what I do there'd be a sight less trouble in this world'
Reginald Barrington- Location: Dover
- Registered: 17 Dec 2014
- Posts: 3,206
Sunday charging but at half the price of the St James prices, L&G are probably already thinking they've taken on a lemon so why not!
Feel sorry for the Laureston place residents, Is there any plan to move it and castle hill into residents parking scheme?
Arte et Marte
Captain Haddock- Location: Marlinspike Hall
- Registered: 8 Oct 2012
- Posts: 7,482
Reginald Barrington and howard mcsweeney1 like this
'If no one went no faster than what I do there'd be a sight less trouble in this world'
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
We keep hearing the words "are our council using parking charges as a cash cow?" on social media. Of course they are, the world and his dog knows that central Government has been cutting funding to local authorities year on year and then restricting how much they can raise council tax. There could be raised admission charges to leisure centres/ swimming pools etc but that wouldn't amount to much. There are so many cars looking for somewhere to park so that is the obvious target.
Since free bus passes came in many over 65s save their car for days out or visiting family members then use the bus for day to day trips into town leaving more car parking spaces free. There are many free spaces five minutes walk from the town centre but in modern times that is seen by some as a marathon journey.
Captain Haddock- Location: Marlinspike Hall
- Registered: 8 Oct 2012
- Posts: 7,482
Howard, from the article on MK above :- The cost of providing these spaces is enormous. Brian Matthews, head of transport innovation at Milton Keynes Council, estimates the land value of each town centre space at between £10,000 and £15,000, without the annual maintenance cost of between £200 and £300.
Whilst land value in Dover might be different I doubt if maintenance charges are. Are you suggesting we using the council tax taken from people of low income to pay for provision of parking for my limo'?
'If no one went no faster than what I do there'd be a sight less trouble in this world'
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
You seem to have misread or are misrepresenting my post Bob.
Captain Haddock- Location: Marlinspike Hall
- Registered: 8 Oct 2012
- Posts: 7,482
Don't think so Howard. Which would you prefer, keeping parking charges as low as possible or keeping Council Tax/Business Rates as low as possible? You can't have both. (And don't forget the cheaper the parking the fewer the people who might car-share, use public transport, walk etc so the more parking spaces you will 'need')
In passing, the science and statistics suggests that optimum parking use is when parking spaces are 85% full. When you go above this you get to the position where in congested cities, a quarter of the cars are driving around actually seeking a parking space near where they want to go.
I have taken more than a healthy interest in the subject for a number of years and it is bloody complicated as small changes in parking provision in one place can have a effect on traffic flow and parking over a much wider area.
When looking at the 'obvious solutions' usually the more obvious they are the less they turn out to be solutions.
'If no one went no faster than what I do there'd be a sight less trouble in this world'
Button- Location: Dover
- Registered: 22 Jul 2016
- Posts: 2,900
I think I understand the purpose of the cable car/ chairlift - it's to get suitcases from the Travelodge to the car in Camden Crescent, right?
Reginald Barrington and Captain Haddock like this
(Not my real name.)
Captain Haddock- Location: Marlinspike Hall
- Registered: 8 Oct 2012
- Posts: 7,482
Hmmm. Just done piece 'to camera' for BBC local news tonight.
Simon Jones 'Could you take your glasses off, you look like the mafia'
Self 'Certainly not. I am the bloody mafia'
'If no one went no faster than what I do there'd be a sight less trouble in this world'