Bennetts Field Temporary Car Park at the Amex

[Easy 10]

Yes, they will.

So what do they do then - finally arrive at the A27 junction for the Amex which has signs everywhere once again reiterating that "you can't park here", and just pull in to the sliproad and join the queue anyway ?
Tap on the window from the steward:

"Where you going mate ?"
"Just gonna find somewhere to park"
"Right, right. Course. Umm...can you read ?"

Those who havn't ignored all the prior warnings and the signs (most being no the eastbound carriageway having come down the A23) will presumably have to stay on the A27, go straigth past the stadium and start thinking about following the signs to the P&R. If I was in a car with someone who was joining queues where it says "NO PARKING AVAILABLE" I think I'd probably speak up and tell them not to be such a bloody TOOL.

 

[hans kraay fan club]

So what do they do then - finally arrive at the A27 junction for the Amex which has signs everywhere once again reiterating that "you can't park here", and just pull in to the sliproad and join the queue anyway ?
Tap on the window from the steward:

"Where you going mate ?"
"Just gonna find somewhere to park"
"Right, right. Course. Umm...can you read ?"

.

Probably, yes.

Just because it is a bad idea, does not mean they won't try.

The NEXT year, they might not.

 

[hans kraay fan club]

Its in people's nature to try Easy. No point pretending that they won't.

This season, I ignored the car parking information signs, and parked for free within a THREE minute walk of the ground, at Yeovil, Brentford, Bristol Rovers, Peterborough, Bournemouth, Swindon and Notts County. People are USED to doing so, and will have a go at Falmer too, at least until such time as they find out for themselves that there's none to be had.

 

[Oscar]

Fascinating insight into the psychology of the average football fan. I had no idea I was so stupid.

 

[Giraffe]

I'm not sure I've ever been to an away game where there hasn't been parking reasonably close to the ground. Sometimes you choose to not park as close as is possible in order to avoid the worst of the traffic when you need to get away, but there's always somewhere to dump the car. I reckon most people who regularly drive to away games have the same instincts for trying to locate convenient and free parking.

This away fan stuff is all a bit of a sideshow anyway - it's how the 20,000 Albion fans deal with it that's the concern.

The closest I can think of is perhaps Stoke? Although there were several retail outlets with lots of parking which I guess were more than we will have at the AMEX. But the street parking was a fair old walk away, not dissimilar to a walk from Coldean/Moulsecomb?

But you're right it is a challenge, and particularly from the West. I suspect from the East trains are a good option, but from Worthing the change at Brighton will put lots off. There will therefore undoubtedly be lots of fans trying to find little places to park that others haven't heard of. I can therefore see the Woodingdean/Rottingdean road being choked up which in turn will mean the park and ride buses get stuck up. However I don't actually think this will be long term and eventually people will realise that there are not any "mythical" spaces somewhere nearby and therefore this will ease. However I think all of this problem exists already and I really don't think that adding this car park will add to this considerably. As other have said if the spaces are for 1901 then at least half the people will be arriving 90mins to 2 hours ahead of kick off so this will be more staggered.

 

[Easy 10]

Its in people's nature to try Easy. No point pretending that they won't.

This season, I ignored the car parking information signs, and parked for free within a THREE minute walk of the ground, at Yeovil, Brentford, Bristol Rovers, Peterborough, Bournemouth, Swindon and Notts County. People are USED to doing so, and will have a go at Falmer too, at least until such time as they find out for themselves that there's none to be had.

Some will, doubtless. I think *most* probably wouldn't though, but its not something either of us can prove either way.

I guess like everyone else, we'll just have to suck it and see on the day

 

[Bozza]

Fascinating insight into the psychology of the average football fan. I had no idea I was so stupid.

But "you" are not stupid - as hkfc says - it's a years old tried, tested and very successful tactic for those who drive to away games.

If it looks like a car can be parked somewhere close to a ground, someone will park their car there, and others will follow.

 

[Bozza]

As other have said if the spaces are for 1901 then at least half the people will be arriving 90mins to 2 hours ahead of kick off so this will be more staggered.

I'm happy to work around your plans.

 

[The Large One]

Mill Road P&R is already oversubscribed with a Withdean crowd of 7,000-8,000, anyone redirecting from there to the Race Hill P&R will likely go via the A27/B2123 intersection.

Only if you like wasting petrol. It's near-as-makes-no-difference 8 miles from Mill Road to the racecourse going via that route.

The quicker route takes you down London Road to Preston Circus and along Upper Lewes Road. If you carry on to the racecourse, it's still a 4.5-mile journey. However, at Upper Lewes Road, you may as well head for Mithras House.

 

[Alex Alex Dawson oo! oo!]

This away fan stuff is all a bit of a sideshow anyway - it's how the 20,000 Albion fans deal with it that's the concern.

And the club should bear responsibility for this for not providing supporters with a comprehensive and coherant plan of how it intends to manage the transport to/from the stadium. It has to provide this as condition of the stadium approval and their plan, albeit in draft, could have been included with the Amex ST packs or been made available at the presentations themselves - OK you'd expect caviats like the entire scheme being subject to B&HCC approval and unforseens like the loss of parking at Falmer Academy but both the trickle down approach used and the very limited info actually diseminated to date is a bit crap imo. Certainly so if don't live in the Brighton & Hove connurbation where the local Bus Co. seems to have matchday "specials" sorted and timetables published.

 

[Giraffe]

I'm happy to work around your plans.

Fifteen minutes into the first trip over with my dad nattering on about bowls may change your mind!!

And the club should bear responsibility for this for not providing supporters with a comprehensive and coherant plan of how it intends to manage the transport to/from the stadium. It has to provide this as condition of the stadium approval and their plan, albeit in draft, could have been included with the Amex ST packs or been made available at the presentations themselves - OK you'd expect caviats like the entire scheme being subject to B&HCC approval and unforseens like the loss of parking at Falmer Academy but both the trickle down approach used and the very limited info actually diseminated to date is a bit crap imo. Certainly so if don't live in the Brighton & Hove connurbation where the local Bus Co. seems to have matchday "specials" sorted and timetables published.

They haven't done yet but I fully expect in time them to publish a very comprehensive guide. It is still only May, I am sure something will come out in the next month. They're probably waiting on a number of things to be finalised not least the Bennet's Field issue!

 

[Hotchilidog]

And the club should bear responsibility for this for not providing supporters with a comprehensive and coherant plan of how it intends to manage the transport to/from the stadium. It has to provide this as condition of the stadium approval and their plan, albeit in draft, could have been included with the Amex ST packs or been made available at the presentations themselves - OK you'd expect caviats like the entire scheme being subject to B&HCC approval and unforseens like the loss of parking at Falmer Academy but both the trickle down approach used and the very limited info actually diseminated to date is a bit crap imo. Certainly so if don't live in the Brighton & Hove connurbation where the local Bus Co. seems to have matchday "specials" sorted and timetables published.

Or you could just figure your own way how to get there.

The club have provided the planning authorities with a plan. However as we are still some time away from the opening of the stadium I'm pretty sure DETAILS are still being finalised and may even be changing in fine detail day by. The fact is you do not need to know what the clubs plans are yet as 20,000 fans will not descending on Falmer until the end of the July. When the ST packs are sent out, I wouldn't be surprised to see a hot to get to the Amex leaflet in there somewhere. You will find out then.

Sadly the club are unable to provide detailed itinerarys for each individual ticket holder, they will however make you aware of what is available and you will then make your own decision on how to get to the AMEX. Honestly you'd think this stadium was on the bloody MOON for all the difficulty people are suggesting it will involve in getting to the stadium. Are any other football clubs held this responsible for how people get to their stadiums? I think not.

The club are making provisions for people using all modes of transport, and in the case of public transport heavily subsidising the cost. What more do people want?

 

[Notters]

Giraffe, you think its a challenge from the west? What about the east? It's virtually impossible to get there from my ancestral home in uckfield by public transport. An hour on a bus and if the return one is full (and it is full of shoppers on saturday evening) then you're stuffed. If you drive you've got to drive past the stadium to park.

 

[Giraffe]

Giraffe, you think its a challenge from the west? What about the east? It's virtually impossible to get there from my ancestral home in uckfield by public transport. An hour on a bus and if the return one is full (and it is full of shoppers on saturday evening) then you're stuffed. If you drive you've got to drive past the stadium to park.

Which will mean most will drive I guess from that sort of area.

Best answer is to flatten Falmer village and put in thousands of spaces. Do you think planning would be an issue?

 

[Alex Alex Dawson oo! oo!]

Only if you like wasting petrol. It's near-as-makes-no-difference 8 miles from Mill Road to the racecourse going via that route.

The quicker route takes you down London Road to Preston Circus and along Upper Lewes Road. If you carry on to the racecourse, it's still a 4.5-mile journey. However, at Upper Lewes Road, you may as well head for Mithras House.

Fair enough point Al but your proposal diverts traffic down to the city, do you think that's what the council (regardless of political persuasion before that twat Hodges pipes up) is going to buy into that?
We usually park at Mill Road via the A272/A23 junction at Bolney but for the Scummers game decided to use Mithras for the first time in order to look at practical options for the Amex. Tbh it worked fine for us both ways and there was spare capacity there.
As regards the route though; the A23 southbound was tailing back from Patcham more or less to Whitegates (this is not unusual) so I went eastbound on the A27 to the Hollingbury intersection and then down past the Hikers to the Lewes Road and on to Mithras. All went well, apart from me still thinking it was still 1975, but my point is that your suggested route down the London Road is problematic.

 

[Lord Bracknell]

Or you could just figure your own way how to get there.

The club have provided the planning authorities with a plan.

I think the concern expressed at the start of this thread originates from the fact that the plan published on the website of one of the planning authorities (produced by the Club's transport consultants) states quite clearly that the latest version of the parking proposals will present problems that will need to be overcome. That same plan also incorrectly describes the access to one of the proposed car parks and therefore fails to take into account the fact that the correct access to that car park is via a route that will impede access to the other car park.

 

[thedonkeycentrehalf]

But Moulsecoomb ISN'T being given a parking scheme (or if it is, it's very secret). Here's the current list of B&H parking zones, the timetable stretches to 2012 and there's no mention of Moulsecoomb.

Resident parking schemes - Brighton Hove City Council

You'll have to trust me on on this one but there are definitely plans being drawn up to implement a parking scheme in Moulescoombe if the parking management doesn't work. I have seen a draft copy of a confidential document relating to the travel plan (and no, I won't be posting it on here!).

 

[Tooting Gull]

You'll have to trust me on on this one but there are definitely plans being drawn up to implement a parking scheme in Moulescoombe if the parking management doesn't work. I have seen a draft copy of a confidential document relating to the travel plan (and no, I won't be posting it on here!).

I believe you, and I wouldn't expect you to divulge that on here.

However, can you explain to me what the initial 'parking management' means in this context for Moulsecoomb (and possibly Coldean)? If it is the same as Withdean, I can see a lot of people ignoring it, there just isn't anywhere else to go that isn't virtually a day's trek away and even more strictly controlled, especially if the P&Rs are full. I assume that the threatened full parking scheme would be meters, and controlled zones on event days, like you have at Wembley.

I think it would occasionally be helpful if the club/council consulted the kind of people who would actually be affected by this, that is how they will guage likely needs and behaviour, rather than naively assume everyone is going to get a coach from Horsham.

 

[The Large One]

Fair enough point Al but your proposal diverts traffic down to the city, do you think that's what the council (regardless of political persuasion before that twat Hodges pipes up) is going to buy into that?
We usually park at Mill Road via the A272/A23 junction at Bolney but for the Scummers game decided to use Mithras for the first time in order to look at practical options for the Amex. Tbh it worked fine for us both ways and there was spare capacity there.
As regards the route though; the A23 southbound was tailing back from Patcham more or less to Whitegates (this is not unusual) so I went eastbound on the A27 to the Hollingbury intersection and then down past the Hikers to the Lewes Road and on to Mithras. All went well, apart from me still thinking it was still 1975, but my point is that your suggested route down the London Road is problematic.

I understand what you're saying - but who would drive 8 miles (past the Amex as well) to get to a P&R site 4.5 miles away? What the council (any council) say and what they can do are two separate issues.

Especially when, for instance, there are a number of (stopping) shuttle buses in operation, and people could well street-park on the route on one of these in order to get to Falmer.

 

[Lord Bracknell]

I understand what you're saying - but who would drive 8 miles (past the Amex as well) to get to a P&R site 4.5 miles away? What the council (any council) say and what they can do are two separate issues.

Especially when, for instance, there are a number of (stopping) shuttle buses in operation, and people could well street-park on the route on one of these in order to get to Falmer.

... assuming that there will be space on the bus.

There's nothing more frustrating than to be waiting at a bus stop and the bus to sail past because it is full - especially when there isn't another one coming along behind.

It's obviously too early to say, but I wouldn't be at all surprised to find some of the proposed shuttle buses (especially those coming from Shoreham, Portslade and Hangleton) filling up very close to their starting stops. Tough luck if you live further down the route.