Oh dear:

http://www.newburytoday.co.uk/News/Article.aspx?articleID=15161

I've always thought that the free parking at Bayer was a really good thing. And that letting people visit the town without having to pay to park was something not many other places had to offer. I can kind of see why, in this current climate of making savings, the council feel they cannot afford the £12.5K it costs them for the parking. But I am sure that figure is dwarfed by the amount that shoppers who park there spend in the town each year.

What I object to most is Keith Ulyatt, saying that usage of the car park outside the festive period is "minimal". A complete lie! Whenever I park there it is always busy. Granted, I have never not found a space, but I often have to pass several levels before finding somewhere. People can understand, if not support, the fact that cuts have to be made, but why state things as fact that simply aren't true?

Quoted from massifheed

letting people visit the town without having to pay to park was something not many other places had to offer.

Not having to pay to park is easily achieved in most local towns I shop in.

Quoted from Downlander

Not having to pay to park is easily achieved in most local towns I shop in.

Kintbury and Lambourn aren't 'towns'.....

I agree though that it always seemed to be quite full on a Saturday... whether the first two levels were full of shop workers getting free all day parking, who never moved their cars from 8am, I don't know... £12.5k seemed reasonable, but the news article mentioned that the figure was going up in the new year... Perhaps the price hike was too much?

I would have to say that those from out of town would not know about parking at Bayer, it's not like it is advertised. I think the council are right (for once) to save money by taking this decision. When we are losing our day centres, spending on this "luxury" can't be justified. Sorry if that isn't popular with some people, but when you meet people with severe disabilities who have nowhere to go now because of the cuts last week, it puts things into some kind of perspective.

Quoted from massifheed

What I object to most is Keith Ulyatt, saying that usage of the car park outside the festive period is "minimal". A complete lie! Whenever I park there it is always busy. Granted, I have never not found a space, but I often have to pass several levels before finding somewhere. People can understand, if not support, the fact that cuts have to be made, but why state things as fact that simply aren't true?

In their desparate attempts to spin news so that bad news like this seems unimportant the truth is often a victim. I always use the Bayer park if I drive into to town on a Saturday and it is always well used.

However, I was also under the impression that Bayer made the park available as a gesture of goodwill to the town - I don't suppose £12.5k is a particularly good deal for the council tax payer in the current climate of cuts.

Agreed, the Bayer car park is always well used when I have gone there.  This, however; is a logical saving to make, but perhaps the town's retail outlets might like to club-together and pay the bill instead?

Quoted from Greenham Common

Agreed, the Bayer car park is always well used when I have gone there.  This, however; is a logical saving to make, but perhaps the town's retail outlets might like to club-together and pay the bill instead?

Sounds like a good idea, seeing as they're the ones that benefit from it.

Quoted from user23.3

Sounds like a good idea, seeing as they're the ones that benefit from it.

Why the bloody hell should anyone pay for it considering the fact it's not in use at weekends by Bayer ? Happy Christmas to Bayer too !

Quoted from PaulaM

Why the bloody hell should anyone pay for it considering the fact it's not in use at weekends by Bayer ? Happy Christmas to Bayer too !

If you wanted to use my drive, I'd charge.  The thing is, it is only about grand a month; it is neither a huge cost or saving for anyone.

Quoted from PaulaM

Why the bloody hell should anyone pay for it considering the fact it's not in use at weekends by Bayer ? Happy Christmas to Bayer too !

Well there's cleaning for one, but why shouldn't they charge for it's use?

Quoted from Greenham Common

If you wanted to use my drive, I'd charge.  The thing is, it is only about grand a month; it is neither a huge cost or saving for anyone.

This equates to about 2,000 hours at minumum wage, so may save someone's job.

Quoted from user23.3

Well there's cleaning for one, but why shouldn't they charge for it's use?

Because the marginal cost of the additional use is virtually zero? Because they're a huge, vastly profitable multi-national corporation? Because everyone else is being asked to make sacrifices and join in with the Big Society at these times of hardship and massive cuts to public spending?

Sorry, I'm being ironic.  The correct answer is, of course, because if people can park for free at Bayer that reduces WBC's income from parking and if their income from parking fees is reduced they'll have to find the money elsewhere.  After all, they have £600,000 in allowances and expenses for councillors to find every single year.

Speaking of which, can anyone tell me why the Newbury Weekly News have cancelled my forum membership?  I hardly posted there at all apart from the posts you can see in this thread

http://forum.newburytoday.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=989

where I've now been relegated to Guest_noobree_* How could anyone object to my proposed council tax savings? I merely suggested merging some District councils, reducing the number of councillors, cutting allowances and expenses by 25% and carrying out a cost benefit analysis of Graham Jones.  I've asked the NWN why they've cancelled my account and they're not replying, of course.  

Quoted from spartacus

Kintbury and Lambourn aren't 'towns'.....

True, but Wantage and Didcot are.    

Oxford isn't a town, but I can park all day free at the Park&Ride and the bus fare is only a couple of quid, so it's a bargain.

Quoted from Downlander

Not having to pay to park is easily achieved in most local towns I shop in.

I'm confused.... You pay to use the Park & Ride don't you?

And do you use the Park & Ride for your food shopping?  I bet it's a f** getting your bags of shopping back to the car