Disc parking

[bensherman]

Southport's shops and businesses are apparently in need of a boost and it is frequently said that parking charges inhibit trade.

What is best for most retail trade is a situation where there is a healthy turnover of vehicles through the day.

I have a number of times not used a store in the town because I know it would be a brief visit and i resent the charge for a short stay.

So why don't we adopt disc parking for short stays? Residents could have one per property , and businesses, and shops could sell them to visitors at say £1. You set the dial with your arrival time and ( for example) you must vacate the space within the hour.

If you want to park longer use the machine as currently.

Any good?

[Stuartli]

Such a scheme was used in East Lancashire towns 20 or more years ago (I recall a visit to Accrington where we obtained a disc for a small charge at a local shop) and it definitely seemed to work well.

[Blackrock]

Southport's shops and businesses are apparently in need of a boost and it is frequently said that parking charges inhibit trade.

What is best for most retail trade is a situation where there is a healthy turnover of vehicles through the day.

I have a number of times not used a store in the town because I know it would be a brief visit and i resent the charge for a short stay.

So why don't we adopt disc parking for short stays? Residents could have one per property , and businesses, and shops could sell them to visitors at say £1. You set the dial with your arrival time and ( for example) you must vacate the space within the hour.

If you want to park longer use the machine as currently.

Any good?

Knowing the traffic wardens in our town, they would be busy writing out their tickets while you were off searching for an outlet that sells the discs. For it to work, it would mean many shops selling the discs and wardens being briefed to allow time for people to get a disc. Or maybe you could pre-purchase a disc and only use it when needed ?

[local]

We are told with monotonous regularity on this site that parking charges don't affect trade, nor do cycle lanes.

[The PNP]

I have a disc, which I was given 'gratis' from a shop in Cumbria earlier this year. On the back it reads:

1. On parking set the disc at time of arrival.
2. Display the disc inside front windscreen.
3. For permitted parking and reparking times refer to the sign at the parking space.
4. You have committed an offence if:
a. You park and fail to display the disc.
b. You indicate a false time of arrival or subsequently alter it.
c. You fail to remove the vehicle on expiry of the permitted parking time.

I had no trouble using the disc, only trouble was finding a space!
N.B. I also used a disc some years ago in Guernsey (C.I.) with no probs.

[local]

Strange that you wanted to go in a vehicle and park in Cumbria.

you don't expect the residents and visitors to Southport to be able to park.

[The PNP]

Strange that you wanted to go in a vehicle and park in Cumbria.

I was on a short cycling break, so took the motorhome to use as base for the duration.

you don't expect the residents and visitors to Southport to be able to park.

I expect people to use the most appropriate means of transport, bearing in mind we're in the middle of a #Climate Emergency. Those that do feel it necessary to bring a car with them, will find more than enough parking, e.g. on Supermarket car-parks, or as a last resort at the Eco Centre, where a shuttle bus is laid on for their use.

[said]

Southport's shops and businesses are apparently in need of a boost and it is frequently said that parking charges inhibit trade.

What is best for most retail trade is a situation where there is a healthy turnover of vehicles through the day.

I have a number of times not used a store in the town because I know it would be a brief visit and i resent the charge for a short stay.

So why don't we adopt disc parking for short stays? Residents could have one per property , and businesses, and shops could sell them to visitors at say £1. You set the dial with your arrival time and ( for example) you must vacate the space within the hour.

If you want to park longer use the machine as currently.

Any good?

It is certainly one idea, another is to have parking at 30p per hour. But quite honestly, since car parking charges have reduced the number of cars into town so dramatically surely any car parking fees collected are pretty minimal - sufficiently so to do away with them altogether.

[silver fox]

I was on a short cycling break, so took the motorhome to use as base for the duration.

I expect people to use the most appropriate means of transport, bearing in mind we're in the middle of a #Climate Emergency. Those that do feel it necessary to bring a car with them, will find more than enough parking, e.g. on Supermarket car-parks, or as a last resort at the Eco Centre, where a shuttle bus is laid on for their use.

Should be accustomed to it by now, but at times your arrogance is breathtaking, you criticise all and sundry who have the audacity to drive in or around Southport, parking? no, they can sod off to supermarket car parks or park and ride, which may or may not be where they want to be.

Yet you can drive your motorhome to the Lake District, expect to find parking, probably hoping for free parking at that, does it not occur to you that visitors and locals alike are only doing precisely the same thing?

[silver fox]

Southport's shops and businesses are apparently in need of a boost and it is frequently said that parking charges inhibit trade.

What is best for most retail trade is a situation where there is a healthy turnover of vehicles through the day.

I have a number of times not used a store in the town because I know it would be a brief visit and i resent the charge for a short stay.

So why don't we adopt disc parking for short stays? Residents could have one per property , and businesses, and shops could sell them to visitors at say £1. You set the dial with your arrival time and ( for example) you must vacate the space within the hour.

If you want to park longer use the machine as currently.

Any good?

The last time I was in the Isle of Man a disc system was in use every where on the island, parking in the majority of cases was free, but the times limited in busy areas.

[The PNP]

Should be accustomed to it by now, but at times your arrogance is breathtaking, you criticise all and sundry who have the audacity to drive in or around Southport, parking? no, they can sod off to supermarket car parks or park and ride, which may or may not be where they want to be.

I can't think of anywhere in town that's more than a quick five mins trot from free Supermarket parking...O.k. you might have to spend a couple of quid to qualify in some cases, but surely that's better than paying for an on-street space, where all you get in return is nothing but thin air!

Yet you can drive your motorhome to the Lake District, expect to find parking, probably hoping for free parking at that, does it not occur to you that visitors and locals alike are only doing precisely the same thing?

Visitors have the rail network and even a long-distance bus (eek!) to get here, but many understandably prefer the car. After what may be an hours drive, many will choose to make a day of it. For that reason, the Eco Centre is the perfect solution. Locals are another matter, who even on a lovely day, feel the car has to come along regardless how short the trip - duh.

[Tentill4]

I have a disc, which I was given 'gratis' from a shop in Cumbria earlier this year.

The discs I've seen at Ambleside have to be returned to the shop, are you sure you haven't forgotten to return it????

[gsgsgs]

I always tell my friends/family who visit to head for Ocean Plaza, park then nip into The Vue and enter your number plate into the console in the foyer and get 12 hours free parking.

[The PNP]

The discs I've seen at Ambleside have to be returned to the shop, are you sure you haven't forgotten to return it????

Don't think they asked me to do that, maybe due to Covid?

[Stuartli]

It is certainly one idea, another is to have parking at 30p per hour. But quite honestly, since car parking charges have reduced the number of cars into town so dramatically surely any car parking fees collected are pretty minimal - sufficiently so to do away with them altogether.

In case you don't seem to have noticed, on-street parking spaces in the town centre are usually almost 100 per cent full during the day (charges cease around 6pm).

The increased number of cycle lanes has reduced spaces, so they fill up much quicker throughout the day.

Do you seriously think that Sefton MBC is going to give up a very handsome source of income?