Argus Letters re Parking in Coldean

[Tooting Gull]

That's okay - your £30 will go towards the cost of the consultation the coldean residents now want and to help encourage other people amongst the new 8000 not to use that area in future so as to avoid making your 25 minutes walk a 40 minute one.

Everyone's a winner

Well, not really, and certainly not the person who's been press-ganged into a £30 stealth tax. Why is the solution to this just to make decent fans pay more and more? I don't want to fund the residents' consultation, they can do it themselves if they feel that strongly about it. As I've said before, this is nothing a few freee tickets strategically targeted and handed out wouldn't fix.

 

[Gwylan]

We've had six pages on this and several people have said that vouchers should be mandatory for all spectators yet no-one's really explained why. The only explanation that I've seen is that because some people travel on trains without tickets, Southern Railways is losing revenue but no-one's explained why Albion supporters should care about the finances of Southern Railway - they get enough out of me for my season ticket to London, I don't see why they should get more.

 

[chrissyboy01]

That's okay - your £30 will go towards the cost of the consultation the coldean residents now want and to help encourage other people amongst the new 8000 not to use that area in future so as to avoid making your 25 minutes walk a 40 minute one.

Everyone's a winner

Yep, and I would expect it to be refunded should there be a rejection to such proposals following this consultation process.

 

[WATFORD zero]

Not quite closed.....I drive and park in Coldean (legally at all times) so I dont really want to pay an extra £30 on top of my ST

So no towaway fines and £30 in the pot for the transport consultation/disabled subsidy collection

- a winner twice over

 

[chrissyboy01]

as I said earlier 1,000+ waiting list

sorry.......what are you saying?

 

[Dave the OAP]

Can't believe this is 6 pages

No vouchers
£30 on a season ticket
£2 on a match ticket
Tow away anyone parked illegally in Coldean

Thread closed (till someone else whines )

oh and the hoverbike things

why should I subsidise you by adding £30 to my season ticket when I do not use PT?

 

[Westdene Seagull]

Can't believe this is 6 pages

No vouchers
£30 on a season ticket
£2 on a match ticket
Tow away anyone parked illegally in Coldean

Thread closed (till someone else whines )

oh and the hoverbike things

Or even more simply - introduce residents parking in Coldean. More income to the council and we get our extra seats.

 

[WATFORD zero]

why should I subsidise you by adding £30 to my season ticket when I do not use PT?

I don't think i said that i use public transport - i just thought it was a nice community minded thing to do

 

[chrissyboy01]

So no towaway fines and £30 in the pot for the transport consultation/disabled subsidy collection

- a winner twice over

Sorry, what are you on about........disabled subsidy collection? WTF

 

[Dave the OAP]

I don't think i said that i use public transport - i just thought it was a nice community minded thing to do

sod em. we have done enough for the "community " over the years including building them a "community football stadium"

 

[ROSM]

Well, not really, and certainly not the person who's been press-ganged into a £30 stealth tax. Why is the solution to this just to make decent fans pay more and more? I don't want to fund the residents' consultation, they can do it themselves if they feel that strongly about it. As I've said before, this is nothing a few freee tickets strategically targeted and handed out wouldn't fix.

The club will end up paying for the consultation not the residents. Its not a stealth tax - it wast at withdean and it isnt now.

We've had six pages on this and several people have said that vouchers should be mandatory for all spectators yet no-one's really explained why. The only explanation that I've seen is that because some people travel on trains without tickets, Southern Railways is losing revenue but no-one's explained why Albion supporters should care about the finances of Southern Railway - they get enough out of me for my season ticket to London, I don't see why they should get more.

Its not southern who are losing - they will get paid on an assessment of people who have used the trains (they have assessed the numbers already). It will be the club who will pay out despite not getting the income in.

As i said there are ways that those who live nearby or who cycle can have their additional cost removed or a benefit applied. For those who drive then park and walk then there is a cost to the club (reputational for now and maybe financial in future) that will need to be covered.

Yep, and I would expect it to be refunded should there be a rejection to such proposals following this consultation process.

But once the consultation takes place then the cash is spent. Its not a no win/no fee consultation. If the consulation leads to extra stewarding, that costs. If it leads to a controlled parking zone on matchdays, the club will have to pay it and thoe who do park in coldean will likely need to use the vouchers in any case (i personally think a controlled zone is a totally unlikely outcome but stranger things have happened).

 

[Gwylan]

Or even more simply - introduce residents parking in Coldean. More income to the council and we get our extra seats.

That's precisely what Coldean residents are worried about - it's a tiny minority who are concerned about football parking, most people don't want the status quo disturbed.

T
Its not southern who are losing - they will get paid on an assessment of people who have used the trains (they have assessed the numbers already). It will be the club who will pay out despite not getting the income in.

Thanks for the explanation -does this mean that if you're caught travelling without a voucher/ticket on the train to Falmer, there are no sanctions? I can see the argument for it now, I was a bit perplexed as to why we were so concerned about Southern losing out.

I agree that there has to be some sort of opt-out for cyclists and local residents or we'll never get anything past the planning committee.

 

[chrissyboy01]

The club will end up paying for the consultation not the residents. Its not a stealth tax - it wast at withdean and it isnt now.



Its not southern who are losing - they will get paid on an assessment of people who have used the trains (they have assessed the numbers already). It will be the club who will pay out despite not getting the income in.

As i said there are ways that those who live nearby or who cycle can have their additional cost removed or a benefit applied. For those who drive then park and walk then there is a cost to the club (reputational for now and maybe financial in future) that will need to be covered.



But once the consultation takes place then the cash is spent. Its not a no win/no fee consultation. If the consulation leads to extra stewarding, that costs. If it leads to a controlled parking zone on matchdays, the club will have to pay it and thoe who do park in coldean will likely need to use the vouchers in any case (i personally think a controlled zone is a totally unlikely outcome but stranger things have happened).

So I get the option to pay an additional £30 for travel as part of my ST OR it goes towards a consultation process? Is that what you are saying? If so, it's ridiculous. I will continue to park in Coldean legally and considerately until it is no longer an option for me.

 

[Westdene Seagull]

That's precisely what Coldean residents are worried about - it's a tiny minority who are concerned about football parking, most people don't want the status quo disturbed.

Completely agree but those in Coldean who don't want permit parking should be bombarding both the Argus and Councillor Leapper with their views and making them LOUD. Residents around the Goldstone survived, as did those around Withdean - Coldean needs to stand up and be counted and crush the few moaners.

 

[ROSM]

Thanks for the explanation -does this mean that if you're caught travelling without a voucher/ticket on the train to Falmer, there are no sanctions? I can see the argument for it now, I was a bit perplexed as to why we were so concerned about Southern losing out.

I agree that there has to be some sort of opt-out for cyclists and local residents or we'll never get anything past the planning committee.

I suspect that they will not check onboard the lewes or brighton to falmer trains but may stop people boarding without the voucher if they could get round the logistics of checking. That may well be the agreement they will have with the club. The buses which on rare occasions have checked have not allowed people on without them (although under protest I saw one family allowed on without them onto the 'R' service).

So I get the option to pay an additional £30 for travel as part of my ST OR it goes towards a consultation process? Is that what you are saying? If so, it's ridiculous. I will continue to park in Coldean legally and considerately until it is no longer an option for me.

No - you will pay the extra on the season ticket. How the club use that money (funding additional near site parking, consultation, footpaths, stewards, covering the shortfall with the train and bus companies etc) will be up to them.

 

[chrissyboy01]

I suspect that they will not check onboard the lewes or brighton to falmer trains but may stop people boarding without the voucher if they could get round the logistics of checking. That may well be the agreement they will have with the club. The buses which on rare occasions have checked have not allowed people on without them (although under protest I saw one family allowed on without them onto the 'R' service).



No - you will pay the extra on the season ticket. How the club use that money (funding additional near site parking, consultation, footpaths, stewards, covering the shortfall with the train and bus companies etc) will be up to them.

Even if the club do go down the route of discontinuing travel vouchers and include it as part of the ST cost I will still opt to drive and walk - bearing in mind I always have four mates with me its kinda sustainable in its own car sharing way. I would be interested in seeing any results of such a consultation process - sounds like a minority stamping their feet at the moment.

 

[Beach Hut]

Let's not forget precious types such as [MENTION=38]Beach Hut[/MENTION] who has a rail season ticket to speed him to London each and every day, so why should he have to pay again?*

(* - let's gloss over the fact that when going to Falmer he's not actually en route to London and he's probably rarely, if ever, chosen to travel to London via Falmer/Lewes either)

If you could post factual information it really would help but oh no just the usual assumptions that are completely wrong.

I do not have a rail season to London I have a UK rail pass as I previously worked for that bastardised company British Rail therefore I am not travelling off route as can go on any route.

Anyway more to the point if travel is added I will request a refund for myself and Mini, if not forthcoming then the small claims court.

 

[Beach Hut]

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)

If you leave the ground on the whistle you will easily catch the 17:16 to Brighton, you have to expect to queue at some point when there are 22,000 people

 

[ROSM]

If you could post factual information it really would help but oh no just the usual assumptions that are completely wrong.

I do not have a rail season to London I have a UK rail pass as I previously worked for that bastardised company British Rail therefore I am not travelling off route as can go on any route.

Anyway more to the point if travel is added I will request a refund for myself and Mini, if not forthcoming then the small claims court.

This I would love to see. You'll lose of course, but I'd love to see it. If they choose to sell the tickets with voucher included, there is nothing on God's green earth that you can pin your hopes on to complain about in legal terms.

 

[Beach Hut]

This I would love to see. You'll lose of course, but I'd love to see it. If they choose to sell the tickets with voucher included, there is nothing on God's green earth that you can pin your hopes on to complain about in legal terms.

Maybe I will but given the small cost perhaps the club will at least take note not everyone should have to pay for something they do not want. Also, given the current ignorance from the club on issues like crap heritage stones it would be money well spent to at least talk to someone.

They really do need to think this through as some fans do not need to be forced to pay for travel as they also walk, cycle etc.