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

Quoted from spartacus

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

Not for the Park - just the ride.

Quoted from spartacus

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

Oxford has plenty of supermarkets with parking for the main food shopping. Does anyone do their main food shop in Newbury town centre?

Quoted from blackdog

Does anyone do their main food shop in Newbury town centre?

Yes.  Tesco, M & S and Sainsbury.

Quoted from noobree

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.

Parking isn't free at Bayer though, it costs us all £12,500 per year.

I think this is about giving people choice, the choice whether they want to pay for parking or not compared to before, when every taxpayer West Berkshire contributed towards this car park.

Is there a new swear/offensive word filter in operation?  My f** was f-a-g rather than a Gordon Ramsey F Word.

Quoted from jay

Yes.  Tesco, M & S and Sainsbury.

I know WBC count Sainsbury's car park as a town centre one - but surely Sainsbury's is not really a town centre shop.

Quoted from spartacus

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

Well, I don't know why you were confused, because I did say "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."  I could only stay 2 hours in Newbury for the cost of the bus fare (and 2 hours passes very quickly), whereas I can spend all day in Oxford if I choose.

Quoted from spartacus

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

No, I tend not to do major food shopping in Oxford, although as Blackdog has mentioned, it is easy enough to use one of the supermarkets that has parking, or indeed call into Tesco Abingdon on the way home.

Mostly I use Sainsbury or Waitrose in Wantage, both of which offer a couple of hours free parking right there in the town centre - or Sainsbury in Didcot, ditto.  There are other free car parks in Didcot as well.  For a change I might pop over to Abingdon or Wallingford, (Waitrose again, both centrally located.)

I agree with Blackdog that Sainsburys in Newbury is just a bit too far from the town centre, the time soon ticks away.

Quoted from blackdog

I know WBC count Sainsbury's car park as a town centre one - but surely Sainsbury's is not really a town centre shop.

Sainsbury within 300 yards of the Police Station, Train Station, Bus Station, Library and Council offices.  Speaking of Sainsbury, WBC put an order in place that they have to give 3 hours free parking and you are dont have to shop at Sainsbury.  Could they not do a similar order on Bayer?

Quoted from jay

Sainsbury within 300 yards of the Police Station, Train Station, Bus Station, Library and Council offices.  Speaking of Sainsbury, WBC put an order in place that they have to give 3 hours free parking and you are dont have to shop at Sainsbury.  Could they not do a similar order on Bayer?

I believe it was a condition for planning approval when Sainsbury's wanted to move.

Quoted from jay

Speaking of Sainsbury, WBC put an order in place that they have to give 3 hours free parking and you are dont have to shop at Sainsbury.  Could they not do a similar order on Bayer?

I've never shopped at Bayer. What do they sell? Lamp shades?

Quoted from jay

Sainsbury within 300 yards of the Police Station, Train Station, Bus Station, Library and Council offices.  

Of those I would say that the Bus Station, Library and Council offices are good landmarks to define the edge of the town centre (probably as places that are just outside of it). Perhaps the train station too but, if you have to cross the A339, you're definitely out of the town centre as far as I'm concerned.  

Quoted from 26

I've never shopped at Bayer. What do they sell? Lamp shades?

Pile ointment I think and something for ladies in a similar area.

Quoted from Downlander

I agree with Blackdog that Sainsburys in Newbury is just a bit too far from the town centre, the time soon ticks away.

So a drive to Abingdon would be more convenient??!

Horses for courses I suppose anyway.. seeing as you live out in the sticks....

Well, exactly - takes me no longer to get to Abingdon than Newbury.  

This is what WBC fail to take into account, the fact that hundreds of potential Newbury shoppers do not live in Newbury, and we have a choice of other places to shop.  We are faced with a few miles to drive wherever we go, so just depends which direction we choose to point the car.

Quoted from Downlander

This is what WBC fail to take into account, the fact that hundreds of potential Newbury shoppers do not live in Newbury, and we have a choice of other places to shop.  We are faced with a few miles to drive wherever we go, so just depends which direction we choose to point the car.

As mentioned before, perhaps the town's traders should club together and pay the £12.5k or whatever the new charge is seeing as it's them that benefit financially from the "free" parking. Personally I'm quite happy I'm no longer paying for a luxury I've never used.

Quoted from user23.3

As mentioned before, perhaps the town's traders should club together and pay the £12.5k or whatever the new charge is seeing as it's them that benefit financially from the "free" parking. Personally I'm quite happy I'm no longer paying for a luxury I've never used.

Don't forget, that Bayer car park is further from the Kennet Centre than Sainsbury's & we know that no-one who comes shopping in Newbury likes to walk.

Quoted from 78

Don't forget, that Bayer car park is further from the Kennet Centre than Sainsbury's & we know that no-one who comes shopping in Newbury likes to walk.

The KC is soon to be peripheral to the town centre.

It would seem that even the retailers were not aware that WBC were paying Bayer for the use of the "free" car park. This is taken from todays NWN:

"Retailers are extremely surprised to find we (the public) have been paying £12,500. We were under the impression that Bayer were offering their car park as a gesture of good-will"

Bayer should have been challenged on these extortionate charges.

Quoted from Archie

It would seem that even the retailers were not aware that WBC were paying Bayer for the use of the "free" car park. This is taken from todays NWN:

"Retailers are extremely surprised to find we (the public) have been paying £12,500. We were under the impression that Bayer were offering their car park as a gesture of good-will"

Bayer should have been challenged on these extortionate charges.

Couldn't agree more - I am a retailer, and I thought it was free !
I am also a shopper and don't mind paying for parking (as long as it's not London prices!)

If we lose the Bayer park, and up to 105 spaces from Parkway, and the two Wharf parks in front of the library and museum - will there be enough spaces for the large increase in cars brought in by the wonderful new shops in Parkway?

And the Vision also considers the car parks behind the library and museum, the Faraday Road park, and the Market St parks as 'development opportunities'...

Quoted from Archie

Bayer should have been challenged on these extortionate charges.

Extortionate? Multiply the number of spaces by the number of days and compare to the council car park charges. Perhaps Bayer ought to offer a paid car park at a rate that recoups the £12,500 charge. 5p an hour anyone?