Alex Alex Dawson oo! oo!
Primary data is fact
Hi Paul,
My home email system flagged up an “old” message from stagedoor/seagull travel earlier today about booking coach travel to the Amex and started me thinking about why I’d retained it. The reason, having been first contacted by Stagedoor at an Amex STH presentation back in January, is that myself and three regular(ish) matchday companions were awaiting details of other travel options that would be available to us before making any decision.
So what are the “options”?
1) On-site Parking. The Amex travel intention survey I was completing when approached by Stagedoor gave no option for driving to the stadium but:
There’s 2,000 spaces (minimum) required in the Prescott, Blears and B&HCC planning consents, 650 pre-booked hospitality spaces listed in Bennetts Field planning application and unspecified numbers (all to be pre-booked) of STH and hospitality spaces referred to on a useful page of the University of Sussex website. From BHA? After 4 years+ of planning, I can find nothing useful on the Club or Amex website with less than 40 days to the first ramp-up game – no idea of cost, minimum passenger numbers, how to book, location of blue badge spaces (and will they be charged or free) etc etc.
2) Travel Vouchers. Books of 25 x £1 vouchers to be bought separately – that’s fine but how exactly can they be used? Some sketchy details were given at my STH presentation but from others, supporters came away with different understandings - £3 off your train or bus travel, free as in the current zones, both, the zones are being looked at, can they be bought separately, how can they be used with online train bookings or at unmanned stations? Martin Perry and Ken Brown on the Albion Roar didn’t exactly clear it all up either. Any subsequent clarification in a central location on the Club or Amex websites? Unfortunately no.
3) Train Services to Falmer. Martin Perry has announced that additional services will be running, the Ashford/Brighton service (apparently usually full) will have additional coaches and now stop at Falmer. Nothing anywhere on numbers of trains, timetabling, actual available capacities etc. Information in the original planning submission shows that there is limited passenger capacity so what will this mean for fans on the day in 2011, does the travel survey undertaken at the Amex presentations change the original assumptions and if so how?
4) Buses. B&H Buses have there normal bus routes serving Falmer and have put out details and initial timetabling for the specials services they’re proposing to run from outlying parts of the Brighton and Hove conurbation with suggested transfer links. That’s good but a central linkage to this information on the club or Amex website would be useful, particularly for those who are looking at using the bus system but don’t live in the city.
5) Park and Rides. How will they operate with the new travel voucher system, will it be advance purchase only or can you buy a ticket at the P&R, will a minimum passenger number limit be applied, will any be restricted to away supporters only? Mill Road was full with Withdean crowds so where will overflow be re-directed? Will there be extra capacity at Mithras House or elsewhere at Brighton Univ and how much? Are there recommended routes from N &W to the Racecourse P&R (assuming it gets approved)?
6) On-street parking. Controlled parking zones are a condition of the planning consent although only Falmer Village is actually specified. Will there be others (eg Moulsecoomb, Coldean, Stanmer Park, adjacent to Mill Road P&R etc)? How will they be controlled, will it be more rigorous than at Withdean and what is the likely outcome for the club and individual if they are ignored?
I very much hope that this ATC post elicits a coherent and comprehensive response from the Amex Project Team. The most important thing now isn't whether the supporting documentation in a planning application looks convincing. It's whether the customers (home or away supporters) travelling to games feel that they are being properly provided for. We expect there to be caveats but some information would be a start.
Many thanks.
My home email system flagged up an “old” message from stagedoor/seagull travel earlier today about booking coach travel to the Amex and started me thinking about why I’d retained it. The reason, having been first contacted by Stagedoor at an Amex STH presentation back in January, is that myself and three regular(ish) matchday companions were awaiting details of other travel options that would be available to us before making any decision.
So what are the “options”?
1) On-site Parking. The Amex travel intention survey I was completing when approached by Stagedoor gave no option for driving to the stadium but:
There’s 2,000 spaces (minimum) required in the Prescott, Blears and B&HCC planning consents, 650 pre-booked hospitality spaces listed in Bennetts Field planning application and unspecified numbers (all to be pre-booked) of STH and hospitality spaces referred to on a useful page of the University of Sussex website. From BHA? After 4 years+ of planning, I can find nothing useful on the Club or Amex website with less than 40 days to the first ramp-up game – no idea of cost, minimum passenger numbers, how to book, location of blue badge spaces (and will they be charged or free) etc etc.
2) Travel Vouchers. Books of 25 x £1 vouchers to be bought separately – that’s fine but how exactly can they be used? Some sketchy details were given at my STH presentation but from others, supporters came away with different understandings - £3 off your train or bus travel, free as in the current zones, both, the zones are being looked at, can they be bought separately, how can they be used with online train bookings or at unmanned stations? Martin Perry and Ken Brown on the Albion Roar didn’t exactly clear it all up either. Any subsequent clarification in a central location on the Club or Amex websites? Unfortunately no.
3) Train Services to Falmer. Martin Perry has announced that additional services will be running, the Ashford/Brighton service (apparently usually full) will have additional coaches and now stop at Falmer. Nothing anywhere on numbers of trains, timetabling, actual available capacities etc. Information in the original planning submission shows that there is limited passenger capacity so what will this mean for fans on the day in 2011, does the travel survey undertaken at the Amex presentations change the original assumptions and if so how?
4) Buses. B&H Buses have there normal bus routes serving Falmer and have put out details and initial timetabling for the specials services they’re proposing to run from outlying parts of the Brighton and Hove conurbation with suggested transfer links. That’s good but a central linkage to this information on the club or Amex website would be useful, particularly for those who are looking at using the bus system but don’t live in the city.
5) Park and Rides. How will they operate with the new travel voucher system, will it be advance purchase only or can you buy a ticket at the P&R, will a minimum passenger number limit be applied, will any be restricted to away supporters only? Mill Road was full with Withdean crowds so where will overflow be re-directed? Will there be extra capacity at Mithras House or elsewhere at Brighton Univ and how much? Are there recommended routes from N &W to the Racecourse P&R (assuming it gets approved)?
6) On-street parking. Controlled parking zones are a condition of the planning consent although only Falmer Village is actually specified. Will there be others (eg Moulsecoomb, Coldean, Stanmer Park, adjacent to Mill Road P&R etc)? How will they be controlled, will it be more rigorous than at Withdean and what is the likely outcome for the club and individual if they are ignored?
I very much hope that this ATC post elicits a coherent and comprehensive response from the Amex Project Team. The most important thing now isn't whether the supporting documentation in a planning application looks convincing. It's whether the customers (home or away supporters) travelling to games feel that they are being properly provided for. We expect there to be caveats but some information would be a start.
Many thanks.