Argus Letters re Parking in Coldean

[Spiros]

Don't think there's any need to check them at Falmer, just at departing stations. If they say they've lost it, or "what voucher" they can go and buy a ticket. Who expects to use a train without paying? They could always stick a sign up: "all customers must have a valid ticket or pre-paid travel voucher"

I travel in from West Worthing on the train. Some games (though not all) the tickets are checked on the train. If it's before I get to Shoreham I show the ticket I bought, if it's after Shoreham I show the travel voucher. My ticket/voucher has been checked at least 3 times this season. Also those getting on at Shoreham have to show the voucher to get onto the station I believe

 

[Seagull Steve]

Cant believe the debate, out of 22500 people, how many actually walk to the Amex. Not many more than 300 I would guess, with most coming from Moulescoombe/Coldean

I think you will find it is more than 300 HS. I do fail to see that the majority of walkers/cyclists would accept that they are charged extra, for doing what is essentially the right thing. It wouldn't bother me really, but I am sure you will get a lot of the "its not fair" merchants.

 

[ROSM]

I think you will find it is more than 300 HS. I do fail to see that the majority of walkers/cyclists would accept that they are charged extra, for doing what is essentially the right thing. It wouldn't bother me really, but I am sure you will get a lot of the "its not fair" merchants.

As I said earlier. It's not difficult to resolve by basis of location or use of bike rack. At the moment the its not fair people are the ones who bought vouchers and don't see the benefit in having done so.

 

[Notters]

As I said earlier. It's not difficult to resolve by basis of location or use of bike rack. At the moment the its not fair people are the ones who bought vouchers and don't see the benefit in having done so.

Well I bought travel vouchers AND often walk but would much prefer things to stay as they are.

 

[Weststander]

It's ironic really. Withdean had an absolute shedload of nearby street parking on wide roads that could easily take it. How we could do with that now. And no, I'm not suggesting we go back there...

As far as Coldean is concerned, I hope the club realise the issue is solely with BAD parking (which would be a fair gripe from the residents, but in my considerable experience this season is very limited). I have also seen a couple of occasions where people carriers parked on both sides of narrow roads make it very tight for the local buses. However, To ban ALL parking would in my view be a big mistake, and would ultimately harm the club and its fans very badly.

Yep.
Deal with illegal & inconsiderate parkers with tow-aways & tickets.
Leave all others using legitimate spaces alone. Not great hardship on those few football occasions in a year.

 

[Gazwag]

I really don't think a physical check of each and every fan turning up by train at Falmer is practical at all. If literally every fan has their voucher to hand then it kinda works but as soon as you have 10, 15 or 20 "I've lost it", or "I've forgotten it" or "what voucher?"s getting off a train at the same time then the whole thing immediately breaks down as you have hundreds of people anxious to get through the station and round to the stadium and you need some way of processing those without vouchers who are, already, at the front of a big squash to get out of the station.

In an ideal world this works. In our real world it simply wouldn't - it would be carnage.

The way the vouchers are done makes any check irrevelant anyway, if you use the main entrance at Lewes Station most matches there is somebody at the barriers to check tickets, however, just flashing a voucher gets you on the train, I could have purchased one at the start of the season and used that for every game so far even though each one is match specific.

I'm very much in the "stick £30 on the season ticket" camp. Disabled and other pay to park supporters could just have the £30 knocked off the cost of parking. If anybody else is that upset over £1 extra a game, we have a big waiting list at the moment.

 

[Lord Bracknell]

We mustn't lose sight of the reason we are debating all this. The Club wants to install an extra 8,000 seats. EVERY Albion supporter will benefit from this. We therefore need to ensure that we get those extra seats.

The signs are that the Club will have to admit that 8,000 extra spectators cannot be accommodated within the existing travel arrangements - some elements of which are already operating close to maximum capacity. The Club will therefore have to come forward with proposals to increase transport capacity and manage existing capacity more effectively.

A range of solutions will therefore need to be identified - or we won't get approval for the extra seats.

These solutions will include:-
* increasing public transport capacity
* increasing parking capacity
* controlling existing parking differently
* reviewing the travel voucher scheme
* identifying new park & ride sites
* encouraging more people to walk or cycle
* dealing with shortcomings in the existing transport arrangements

The final package will no doubt include a lot of compromises and some people may feel that their personal circumstances will mean that their travel experience gets slightly worse. But we need to see the bigger picture when we form our opinions.

I don't park in Coldean. If I did park in Coldean, I'd still want the travel voucher scheme to be improved, even though I don't need a travel voucher to allow me to park. I'd want the new supporters (the extra 8,000) to be encouraged not to compete with me for the parking space that I want to use. If a more effective travel voucher ensures this, I'd be happy. I'd probably be happy to pay a surcharge on my ticket to achieve this.

What would piss me off would be if the Club failed to achieve the extra seats.

 

[Scoffers]

I purchased the travel season ticket and have used it for most of the games but recently started using the Coldean parking option since the P&R or Train get-away post match is a total fail. Now I drive to Coldean and park up (always legally!!) at around 2pm and get to the stadium by 2.25pm. This has massively relieved the stress involved post match. Now I just amble back to my car and drive over Ditchling Beacon back to Burgess Hill.

I get home earlier, with no stress. Works for me, and as long as I don't park illegally, I don't see what the issue is in doing so. One thing that would help, is if I car pooled with other Albion fans in the Burgess Hill area. I'd be happy to pick others up as I'm usually on my own (will likely be taking at least one of my sons next season though)

 

[Publius Ovidius]

The way the vouchers are done makes any check irrevelant anyway, if you use the main entrance at Lewes Station most matches there is somebody at the barriers to check tickets, however, just flashing a voucher gets you on the train, I could have purchased one at the start of the season and used that for every game so far even though each one is match specific.

I'm very much in the "stick £30 on the season ticket" camp. Disabled and other pay to park supporters could just have the £30 knocked off the cost of parking. If anybody else is that upset over £1 extra a game, we have a big waiting list at the moment.

Why should I pay an extra £30 when I do not use PT at all? I park at the Virgin Club as we are perfectly entiteld to having someone in the club all afternoon whilst I am at the football. If you use PT then you should pay for it and that is how I believed the system works


...and regarding parking on teh road....what is the issue if someone parks legally on the road. If you are daft enough to block someones drive then you deserve to get towed away...again I thought that happens anyway...if you park legally on teh road not causing an obstuction what is the issue....when you buy a house, you do not buy the road outside your house

 

[Lord Bracknell]

Why should I pay an extra £30 when I do not use PT at all? I park at the Virgin Club as we are perfectly entiteld to having someone in the club all afternoon whilst I am at the football. If you use PT then you should pay for it and that is how I believed the system works

I disagree. If you benefit in any way from the roads not being cluttered up with traffic going to the event that you are attending, it's worth paying something.

 

[Publius Ovidius]

I disagree. If you benefit in any way from the roads not being cluttered up with traffic going to the event that you are attending, it's worth paying something.

I disagree....there is no reason for the roads around the stadium ie Village way to be cluttered......the only reason people should access village way is to get to the 1901 parking, disabled parking, the virgin club or the university....its double yellowed so no-one should even use it to pick up( which people do and block the road!!!) This is NOT made clear and that is why stewards turn so many people around at the roundabout by the entrance to teh university campus, as people still think they can get in there and park. there shoudl be more sinage stopping people chancing it!

 

[HAILSHAM SEAGULL]

It's much, much more than that. There must be about 300 people in Coldean alone and people are going to walk in from Moulsecoomb and Bevendean too. There'll be some supporters walking from further afield too - I used to walk to the Goldstone and I lived in Moulsecoomb.

I've just been out to get the paper and in the short walk to the Coldean paper-shop I noticed one car double-parked and another parked across a junction. Coldean residents really won't be happy if the area starts getting patrolled by traffic wardens.

The 300 walking in from Coldean alone, probably 150 of them are people who have parked up there

I catch the train from Polegate, where you can often walk on without showing a ticket, change at Lewes to get the Seaford connection to Falmer, then get the train back from Falmer to Polegate without ever showing my ticket.
Another point, anyone East of Lewes dosnt get included in the Travel Voucher scheme, so we have to pay to Lewes, then use the TV to Falmer, seems unfair when North it runs to Haywards Heath I believe, and West from Worthing

 

[Lord Bracknell]

I disagree....there is no reason for the roads around the stadium ie Village way to be cluttered......the only reason people should access village way is to get to the 1901 parking, disabled parking, the virgin club or the university....its double yellowed so no-one should even use it to pick up( which people do and block the road!!!) This is NOT made clear and that is why stewards turn so many people around at the roundabout by the entrance to teh university campus, as people still think they can get in there and park. there shoudl be more sinage stopping people chancing it!

Cue hundreds of people posting stuff along the lines of ... "It's perfectly LEGAL to stop on a double yellow line to pick up or set down passengers. Who the hell does granny weatherwax / Martin Perry / that bloke from the council think he is, telling me any different?"

 

[tgretton87]

i park near half way up coldean lane and never have i parked illiegally, in fact I make a point of not up setting any resident. This will continue until yellow lines are put in place. it happens in 92 clubs and more in the country every single saturday.

I have driven 2-3 times now and the problem is people trying to get as close to the bottom as possible

 

[Lord Bracknell]

Another point, anyone East of Lewes dosnt get included in the Travel Voucher scheme, so we have to pay to Lewes, then use the TV to Falmer, seems unfair when North it runs to Haywards Heath I believe, and West from Worthing

It's CHEAPER to pay all the way from Polegate to Falmer than it is to pay to Lewes and then use a Travel Voucher for the Lewes-Falmer bit.

As you say ... there's something unfair in all this.

 

[Publius Ovidius]

Cue hundreds of people posting stuff along the lines of ... "It's perfectly LEGAL to stop on a double yellow line to pick up or set down passengers. Who the hell does granny weatherwax / Martin Perry / that bloke from the council think he is, telling me any different?"

...that is not a problem...its where people stop and wait...which blocks the roads so busses cant get out. On the positive side, the stewards seems to have cracked getting people away over the last couple of home games...certainly the idea of letting a convoy of busses go , then about 50 `1901ers and then the traffic from the uni in order works far better than the freeforall that was adopted before. Credit where credit is due.

 

[Pinkie Brown]

The 300 walking in from Coldean alone, probably 150 of them are people who have parked up there

I catch the train from Polegate, where you can often walk on without showing a ticket, change at Lewes to get the Seaford connection to Falmer, then get the train back from Falmer to Polegate without ever showing my ticket.
Another point, anyone East of Lewes dosnt get included in the Travel Voucher scheme, so we have to pay to Lewes, then use the TV to Falmer, seems unfair when North it runs to Haywards Heath I believe, and West from Worthing

From any station east of Lewes. if you book online, its not (usually) worth bothering with the voucher as the difference between a ticket to Falmer compared to Lewes is usually pennies, if that.

The rail travel zone is lopsided on ther eastern side though. It continues to Seaford but if you're travelling to Eastbourne, it ends at Lewes.

 

[Mackenzie]

The time has come to start thinking OUTSIDE THE BOX.....so to begin with how about a shuttle service of these running to and from the stadium:

toot toot

 

[Mackenzie]

Some entrepreneurial sort could start hiring these out from Lewes Road Sainsburys:

 

[Mackenzie]

We have a huge landing strip for one of these within the stadium: