Archived Topic
Topic ID 662
14/05/2005 by sloopjohnb
Is there a solution for parking in Hertford
I have just written a comprehensive report on town centre car parking which will most probably not see the light of day but will be presented to East Herts Council as further evidence of the harm that their parking policy is having on Hertford especially their steadfast clinging to the Pay and Display system.
I spent a lot of time with the management team at Focus and Matalan and their concern is that commuters, town centre workers, shoppers, Cannons Gym members and Uncle Tom Cobbley and all, all use their car park resulting in a real loss of trade to them and a concsequent flow of shoppers away from Hertford to Brookfield Farm and other out of town centres where there is plenty of parking and it is free.
The motorist will not pay to park if they can find suitable free parking anywhere else - that I'm afraid is the reality of life in Hertford and I suppose everywhere else. Hertford, not being a large town endowed with large car parks and with two commuter stations serving a wide hinterland is suffering more than most.
At least one councillor has remarked that if the parking problem is not resolved then all the other things that we want to achieve to bring propsperity and a safe environment to Hertford just cannot happen. And no, I do not have the answer - but am willing to listen. Perhaps I or admin, ought to start a new thread.
0 replies
Archived Replies
Reply ID 6840
16/05/2005 by Victor Meldrew
You may want to explain to the Managers of Matalan and Focus, that there is ample parking for the Cannons gym members on the site, however, it has become apparent that the spaces are being used by commuters.
Reply ID 6856
16/05/2005 by Victor Meldrew
quote:
Originally posted by Ewoowar
Re. Cannons............as it is a membership based facility they can issue car parking stickers to be displayed inside the window. Cars parked in their car park without such a sticker could receive one of those large wrniong stickers that are so hard to remove. It should only take one of these to put someone off.
I did say that on this site before, you may recall. My comment was with regards to the gym members parking in the Focus/Matalan car parks which incidenatlly are near enough closed by the time Cannons starts to get busy as is the Mercury Office (which provides more gym parking). So I realy cannot see their problem with gym members. Plus how can they differenciate between their customers and gym memebers other than the fact that us gym members are all ultra fit and good looking with perma tans!!!!!
Reply ID 6859
16/05/2005 by carlos fandango
Knowing Victor..."ultra fit" is not a phrase I would use. "perma tan" works though. :-)
Reply ID 6860
16/05/2005 by sloopjohnb
I'm not taking sides on this - just passing on conversations. I think just about everyone apart from potential customers are abusing the facilities at Matalan/Focus. I think the real culprits are the commuters with everyone else coming along in the middle of the pack so to speak. Keep fit/gyms/exercise are to me what sunshine is to Dracula.
Reply ID 6861
16/05/2005 by Victor Meldrew
I agree that its the commuters, but why would anyone want to park all they way over by Focus/Matalan if they are using the gym???? I feel bad enough when I have finished a work out, with out a 200 yard walk to my car! Maybe if Cannons do issue permits, you will see the Focus/Matalan car park even busier.
Reply ID 6863
16/05/2005 by Victor Meldrew
Exactly, but my point is, that the most popular time that the gym used is after work during the week. I usually get there at 5.45ish and always get a space in either the Cannons car park or the Mercury spaces opposite. If I have seen other people parking else where, it is either behind the old Mercury building on the right a the front, or in the focus/matalan spaces closest to the gym. If you consider that this is normally at peak time in the gym, therefore Matalan and Focus should be relitivly quiet, meaning lots of free spaces up close to their doors. I personally think they are trying to use Cannons members as scapegoats because the design of the car park is ridiculous!
Reply ID 6864
16/05/2005 by 01-mike
quote:
I personally think they are trying to use Cannons members as scapegoats because the design of the car park is ridiculous!
Victor Meldrew
Matalan will be happy for me to speak on there behalf...
The major problem with the car parking both for Matalan and for Focus has not been identified as Cannons members and it is understood that Cannons is busier in the evenings when our trade can indeed be quieter. The point of most note is how busy the car park is at 9am on weekdays, count the cars then count the shoppers/staff within both stores.
On busier days it can be hard/impossible for customers to park in the car park and this inevitably means that they go elsewhere to shop.
Reply ID 6866
16/05/2005 by Victor Meldrew
How exactly are you identifing the Cannons users?? By counting the shoppers in the stores compared to the amount of cars in the car park? If so, that is not substantial enough evidence that the cars are owned by members of Cannons gym. Unless you have someone watching the car par all day I think your argument lacks substance.
Reply ID 6868
16/05/2005 by Steve
Victor, I think you may have mis-read Mike's post.
"The major problem with the car parking both for Matalan and for Focus has not been identified as Cannons members"
I think he's saying that the problems are NOT caused by Cannons members.
Reply ID 6869
16/05/2005 by Victor Meldrew
Oops Sorry Mike, I thought you normally agreed with me.
Time to go home I guess.
Good night.
Reply ID 6870
16/05/2005 by jez_p
I think that arguing over exactly who is parking there is missing the point.
The point is that Matalan/Focus have one of thr only unpatrolled free car parks in Hertford and consequently it gets abused by people that are not matalan or focus customers.
However I have never had a problem finding a parking space when I visit Focus or Matalan
Reply ID 6875
16/05/2005 by 01-mike
Its ok Victor! No I personally agree jez_p there is no need working out who it is thats using the car park, its clear that a percentage of cars in the car park do not belong to shoppers of either of the stores and that really is enough information. I dont myself work in the store but I know the managment teams personally and I know the head office policies on such matters extremely well. They will not introduce pay and display or a ticket stamp type system, nor will they allow the store's management to sticker cars no matter how much evidence they may have! So for this particular car park, there will I feel be no solution. The problem isn't severe enough to be looked into as its probably only a few times a month that the car park does fill to such an extent.
Oh and can I ask anyone does Kwiksave have a system for its car park? Having walked past it on my way home recently without looking too closely I thought to myself that it would be a good place to park when going to Hertford in the evenings!
Reply ID 6880
16/05/2005 by jez_p
Yet Wickes in Stevenage (formerly Focus and part of the Focus Group) has big signs up reporting that the car park there is for customers only suggesting that it is policed.
Reply ID 6881
16/05/2005 by Ewoowar
quote:
Originally posted by jez_p
I think that arguing over exactly who is parking there is missing the point.
The point is that Matalan/Focus have one of thr only unpatrolled free car parks in Hertford and consequently it gets abused by people that are not matalan or focus customers.
However I have never had a problem finding a parking space when I visit Focus or Matalan
About a month ago I went to Focus/Do It All (whatever it is now called!) during the day mid-week and I was amazed how busy the car park was. I had to drive round it several time and it must have taken abou 10 minutes to park. I expected to see hordes of people in the store and all the tills busy. But no. It was quite empty.
I spoke to the lady at the Customer Service till and she said it was a problem that was affecting trade but that there was nothing that could be done.
Reply ID 6886
16/05/2005 by Tigger
I hope that I'm not giving too many clues away - I live near the station with private parking, work close by with parking and near Bluecoat's that does not appear to be abused either. I'm sure many places are but I always seem to manage to park in the town - If I have to pay then I do [V]
Reply ID 6887
16/05/2005 by 01-mike
I can only speak for Matalan policy's.
Ewoower, every 4 weeks on tue/wed Matalan will be very busy as their promotions advertised in their catalogues go live. Just for your info!
Reply ID 6896
17/05/2005 by Steve
Why do you think it's called MADford Retail Park!? I've no idea who came up with this name but clearly they were having a laugh!
Reply ID 6942
17/05/2005 by 01-mike
Will find out if it was down to Matalan, I expect not, if it was I can recommend it be looked at as the company is on a big drive to improve current property having scrapped a large number of new store in favour of refreshing existing stores. Hertford itself is not currently planned but any problems raised will be looked into.
Ewoower, just close to home and feels good to actually be able to constructivly contribute to a topic with actual facts and knowledge... I try so hard [;)]
Reply ID 6957
18/05/2005 by Mike
There is a wider point here. Why - for heaven's sake - has the mayor of London not organised some kind of park and ride scheme for commuters into London? This would remove all these kind of problems at a stroke. There is ample space for very big car parks on the outskirts of the capital. But then, Ken Livingstone is not interested in making things easy for people. Only in making life harder for motorists and anyone other supposed enemies in his petty class war.
Reply ID 6958
18/05/2005 by Victor Meldrew
But why would people want to drive for 40 mins to a car park to spend time on a stuffy uncomfotable bus in traffic for an hour when they can spend 40-50 mins on a train?
Reply ID 6959
18/05/2005 by Admin
Veering off-topic
Reply ID 6982
19/05/2005 by Bengeobabe
quote:
Originally posted by Admin
Veering off-topic
don't agree that it's off topic. if park and ride was on train rather than bus, this would get a lot of cars off the roads. i.e. if people like myself who drive into london could park free of charge at the train station, if there were enough spaces etc. and then if the trains were a bit more frequent/reliable this would solve a lot of the transport problems.[:p]
Reply ID 6985
19/05/2005 by Victor Meldrew
Thats a good argument.I like that idea. But the idea of a free car park at a train station might be a little too much to believe
Reply ID 7025
20/05/2005 by locallass
There is no differnece with the Focus/Matalan car park set up, than with the Tesco car park. The only difference is. Tesco pay for the car park to be patrolled to stop commuters.
Like it or not, commuters will seek out free parking.
If Focus and Matalan want to prevent it, they have to set up a system. Sure it will cost them, but thats the price we pay in todays "lack of respect" world.
Signs will not work. The town centre is a prime example. Only punishment, or the threat of, keeps the roads clear.
Even then, people cry foul. Mostly, these are the very people who are showing no respect to others.
24 replies