bennetts field car park

[Alex Alex Dawson oo! oo!]

Are they now letting traffic out of both exits at the Uni, ie, Stanmer Park and the main A27 junction ?

I don't think so, we were in C/P 2 last night and nos 2-5 were certainly directed out via the new junction by the Stanmer Park entrance.

 

[adrian29uk]

You would think travelling by car, bus, train would be quicker than using your own pedal power, but its not just yet. I should imagine given time this whole situation will be sorted and we will be away from there quicker than we used to at The Withdean.

Remember its only the second time we have cleared the stadium. I know its frustrating, but we need to give the club proper feedback and see what they can come up with. I don't think people mind hanging around for an hour or so, just as long as they know they still get on their bus or get a train back because I think thats what most people worry about.

The thing I hate about that Car Park is not knowing when the next bus is coming or where the queue starts.

All it needs is more buses and some proper signs so people know where to cue and some sort of ideas of when the next bus is going to arrive.

 

[Dick Knights Mumm]

Are they now letting traffic out of both exits at the Uni, ie, Stanmer Park and the main A27 junction ?

What was the new junction work ? I clearly didn't follow it closely enough - but I understood that was to take all the traffic off the Amex site. From the coach park it looks like all the cars are going onto the Falmer Road. Also if Bennetts is closed - where are all the cars coming from that are cloggin up the Falmer Road exit ?

 

[Lord Bracknell]

The stadium road layout was designed to cope with about 60 buses and 140 cars. At the last minute, the Club added a 650 space car park into the mix. Is anyone surprised that there are queues?

The sooner Bennetts Field is closed, and the parking relocated, the better.

 

[keaton]

My take on it, is that i can accept that the barrier might need to remain closed for some time after the game, and that getting all the cars out will take some time.

What was absolutely unnacceptable, however, was the utter carnage within the car park. Because it is just a big tramac plot, with rows of spaces marked, but no physical kerbs / barriers / etc, and there were no stewards directing the traffic, a huge percentage of drivers ignored the marked routes, and the queue and just fought their way directly towards the exit.

This meant that at the point of the exit, you had 6 or 7 cars trying to barge through a single gate. Some selfish individuals caused a lot of bad feeling, and I can honestly see some of the stand-offs becoming physical, if the same thing happens regularly.

I would estimate that last night we were roughly the 100th car in the queue when the barrier opened, but the 1500th out of the gate.

Once we got to the gate we found out where all the stewards were - EIGHT of them stood about having a chat. Somebody who actually understands traffic flows etc, needs to get a proper grip on this, and quickly. It really was a shambles.

Last night, it took me nine minutes less to drive from Falmer to Southampton, than it took me to get from my space, to the Bennett's Field gate...

This is the real source of anger I think.
Any sensible person accepts it's going to take a while to get out of there, no problem with that.
But the stewarding is awful, and it's not set out at well, so you end up with a half the people qeueing correctly but being stuck in there till the very end, and then lots of people who turn after forty minutes, drive through parking spaces, then the wrong way round the circuit, and are then let out by the stewards

 

[manilaseagull]

The stadium road layout was designed to cope with about 60 buses and 140 cars. At the last minute, the Club added a 650 space car park into the mix. Is anyone surprised that there are queues?

The sooner Bennetts Field is closed, and the parking relocated, the better.

Stressy you cant get a parking space?

 

[Lord Bracknell]

Stressy you cant get a parking space?

Not at all. I don't want one. Never have done. Driving to football matches is a crazy thing to do. Even most away games.

The problem with Bennetts Field is that the congestion is slowing down the journeys made by bus and coach users - and there are a lot more of them than there are car users.

My point about closing the site is that it is a requirement that it closes eventually. The Club is looking for an alternative. The Academy site (which is better) is delayed. I just hope that somewhere else can be found very quickly.

 

[Hunting 784561]

The stadium road layout was designed to cope with about 60 buses and 140 cars. At the last minute, the Club added a 650 space car park into the mix. Is anyone surprised that there are queues?

The sooner Bennetts Field is closed, and the parking relocated, the better.

Closing the car park completely ?

I don't think so - its a tremendous asset.

Improving the access in and out would appear to be a tad more logical.

 

[binary]

The only problem is the lack of stewarding after the game IMHO. I had a drink after the game on both occasions as I knew nothing would move in 20 minutes or so. However, it is just a free for all to get to the exit when you get to your car.

If there were stewards at both ends of each row and let say 6-10 cars out in turn, when there is an opportunity to let traffic out at the top, then it would flow and there would be a system which is fair. Until that happens it will remain a free for all and significantly long wait for those parked in the bottom few rows.

If I need to get away quickly and have to drive then I will use the P&R either at Mithras House or Mill Road.

 

[Seagull on the wing]

The only problem is the lack of stewarding after the game IMHO. I had a drink after the game on both occasions as I knew nothing would move in 20 minutes or so. However, it is just a free for all to get to the exit when you get to your car.

If there were stewards at both ends of each row and let say 6-10 cars out in turn, when there is an opportunity to let traffic out at the top, then it would flow and there would be a system which is fair. Until that happens it will remain a free for all and significantly long wait for those parked in the bottom few rows.

If I need to get away quickly and have to drive then I will use the P&R either at Mithras House or Mill Road.

Exactly this!

 

[ROSM]

Closing the car park completely ?

I don't think so - its a tremendous asset.

Improving the access in and out would appear to be a tad more logical.

I believe that planning permission is for 3 years max - as it comes under lewes dc I suspect they will stick to that. Also permission was granted on the basis that those in there will be held back and not impact the sustainable transport options (coaches, park and ride and special buses). So whilst there are clearly ways that people in the park can be stewarded to exit more fairly, being done any quicker will be a significant rewrite of the proposal.

Also, the club originally planned to have these spaces (and more) within the grounds of falmer school (now aldridge academy) but the building works there made this not possible and whether it will ever be possible now is a matter of conjecture. Hence the comment about getting a better site available.

Deep down I expect that the club wish to use Bennetts field AND another site to support an expansion rather than move from Bennetts field to another site. So they may need to choose whether it is better to upset c1500 people (using that car park) by holding them back, rather than the 4000 using park and ride.

In summary

 

[Another Berkshire Seagull]

Surely a win-win is for bennetts field parkers to swap with the disabled fans who are struggling with the parking accross the A27.

 

[Giraffe]

I will be AMAZED if they ever get rid of Bennets Field. The club will surely use three years of temporary use as evidence that a permanent site fan work. Given they are already stretched for spaces and yet they want to increase the capacity why the hell would they want to get rid of one if the car parks? It's never going to happen.

 

[manilaseagull]

Driving to football matches is a crazy thing to do. Even most away games.

.

Every Game is an Away game for some of us.......that said I park in Portslade and use the train....so to see the People complaining while sitting in their BMWS makes me giggle. ( A pathetic giggle) I'm important and need to get out quickly!!!

 

[APACHE]

Don,t shoot me on this , but surely the answer is to have separete exits onto the same road, the buses and coaches are not leaving nose to tail.

 

[Dave the OAP]

I also dont thin k the club took into account the fact that with people looking to get there early to park etc, that is right in teh middle of rush hour for cars going from the A27 to Woodingdean etc.

When we went down there on Tuesday, of the cars in front of us ( we turning down village way to esporta) all bar 2 were going straight on up the hill.

 

[Alex Alex Dawson oo! oo!]

I also dont thin k the club took into account the fact that with people looking to get there early to park etc, that is right in teh middle of rush hour for cars going from the A27 to Woodingdean etc.

When we went down there on Tuesday, of the cars in front of us ( we turning down village way to esporta) all bar 2 were going straight on up the hill.

The was a traffic survey prepared by the Club's transport consultants in the B/F Planning Application. Despite it's "limitations" (eg the modelling used was again criticised as being not valid by the Highways Agency, assumes staggered arrival/departure from the C/P.................), the consultants did conclude that a 650 space car park in Bennetts Field would lead to increased congestion at the A27/Falmer interchange. Can't really see why Tuesday evening was such a surprise to anyone?

 

[Giraffe]

I noticed on Saturday a huge queue coming from down Village Way. I don't believe there is any official parking there so where are they coming from?

 

[Dick Knights Mumm]

I noticed on Saturday a huge queue coming from down Village Way. I don't believe there is any official parking there so where are they coming from?

Quite. Are they cars coming in to pick up, and turning around ?

Is there a route through from there to the new exit below the stadium ?

 

[Giraffe]

Quite. Are they cars coming in to pick up, and turning around ?

Is there a route through from there to the new exit below the stadium ?

I assume it was pick ups or people somehow parking in the universities or gym. Either way, it is clearly adding to the problem and perhaps needs stewarding?