Friday, July 30, 2010

Interesting Pay and Display Shuttle notice

When the council makes alterations to the payment structure of any of its run car-parks it needs to put a notice in the paper. One such notice appeared in this weeks paper dated 29/07/10 on page 64 and it makes curious reading.

Firstly it deals with Land at 8 and 8a Bridge Street Stourport, wherever this is. Google Maps shows it as the Factory Shop and indeed there is space next to it - but that's private land. In fact there's only one 'public' area of parking - the bays in front of the Flamingo, which are free.

The next surprise is the introduction of car-parking charges to previously free areas including the Vale Road car-park. This is a surprise as it's currently the only free car-park in Stourport and sources inform me that it's remained that way due to a covenant between the council and the landowner/giver. In fact the same sources inform me that the council tried to make this a PnD car-park several years ago, putting up notices and so forth only to be blocked by this covenant.

So either I'm wrong, and the fact it's remained free for so long weighs against that; the covenant has expired; the council don't remember it exists; or the council hope no-one else remembers it exists.

Even more curiously the notice intends to revoke the use of Resident Season Tickets here... except it's free. [Possibly it's subject to the same 23 out of 24 hour usage that's being expired in Bewdley and ticket holders were exempt from this] So is there some other car-park on Vale Road I'm unaware of? The land is identified on plans and can be seen during short working areas at Stourport and Kidderminster. Online? Well I'll have a look, but won't hold my breath. So anyone with some time fancy a look for me? Wait!

OMG the notice is online along with the reasons for doing it. The Bridge Street car-park

The creation of new surface car parks at Bridge Street
so they're not even referring to an existing car-park yet and
The introduction of charges at The Avenue, Blakedown and Vale Road, Stourport-on-Severn surface car parks to ensure consistency and equity across the district in charging for the use of spaces on public pay and display car parks.
except Vale Road isn't a PnD car-park and never has been. So am I referring to the right areas? I don't know because they haven't provided the maps to which the notice refers. Ya know what I'll accept this as a mistake and give them a call, wait the number is listed as "(emergencies only)"; um?

So I used the dead-tree phone book and called the number there, made sure that they knew I applauded the fact that the notice was even posted so I wouldn't have to try and leave work to see it all, but that it needed a little extra information namely the location map to which they were referring to. With any luck that might get posted too I'll keep my eyes open.

[Update 19/8 - Just to prove if you don't say anything you won't get - the  location maps have been added to the original page linked above so it's confirmed that they were indeed talking about the Vale Road car-park we know and the current Lloyds garage site]

7 comments:

Don B said...

... "Land at 8 and 8a Bridge Street Stourport" ...

I think this is Lloyd's garage which WFDC want to acquire by a way of a Compulsory Purchase Order alledgedly to open up the canal basin not to turn into a car park. Does Stourport really want a car park in the middle of a shopping street?

FlipC said...

That would make more sense if it were Lloyds. I should have added the extra bit about the new car-park

"to provide temporary parking prior to the land being developed."

Don't know why it would be needed as that isn't explained. Of course it if proves popular it might not be so temporary.

Tav said...

You and your blurfers may be interested in reading the questions raised at the Full Council meeting 28-July-2010. Take particular note of question 1 from Cllr. Millis.

The answer is being minuted, however, I will find and scan my notes (if you can read them!).

FlipC said...

Hmm yes so the question is - is it merely inappropriate or actually enforceable?

Unknown said...

once you get me going......:-)

I regret not knowing about you before, but to fill in some gaps here for you all.

Lloyds and neville butlers were cpo'd for the future redevelopment of bridge st. the plan is to knock all that 70's rubbish down build a new georgian style block with shops, food, flats etc but on both sides, therefore opening up the basins for everyone to enjoy.

seems odd to me then after turfing out Neville butlers funeral directors the council leased those premises to coop funeral services. Lloyds would be the other end of the pedestrian access on to the new waterfront terrace & quay.

FlipC said...

Now see as I've said before there were rumours flitting about that when the KwikSave closed down and The Factory Shop moved in it was on the understanding it would be a temporary measure only due to the basin redevelopment.

Then The FS did all that work on the front and I heard "But why are they doing that it's only a temporary thing?"

I'd also heard about Butlers from a private source I didn't think it was a cpo though; and as you say now that's been taken over by the Co-op.

Now I know the plans were in a state of flux from the designs that were posted that didn't seem to decide how large or where the 'piazza' was going to be; but what a mess this seems to be.

Unknown said...

its almost been practically sidelined for ages. Butler retired so I think they bought it and moved coop in for sensible reasons.

lloyds were supposed to stay but he didn't want to sell, although I think he would have done just as good if not better in either the old texaco when it was offered to him years ago or even the closed shell when they cpo'd him. so now after losing he's off to sandy lane to sulk and count the cash. A carpark here will be good for the chipshops.