Coldean parking. What's the latest?

[Lush]

What happened about that parking at Hickstead idea?

 

[Postman Pat]

What happened about that parking at Hickstead idea?

They trialled it, said it took too long to get the buses to the stadium and back to make it worthwhile.

 

[The Large One]

A decent P&R site north of Brighton will relieve a lot of this pressure. Can't be too far out or it will need too many buses but you'd think something could be sorted. Would also release capacity on Mill Road for those coming in from the west on A27. I guess there's a horrid cost though

Where would this be then?

 

[The Large One]

Hey, hang on a minute. I drive down the A23. Mill Road P&R is full about an hour before the game and I'm certainly not going to get there any earlier than that. The racecourse means driving through half of Brighton (the least car-friendly town on the planet).

What's left? Mithras House I guess, but what's the best way to get there from the A23?

Bolwarks to the council, I say.

If you're coming down the A23, does that mean you're coming from London? Does the train not work?

Can you do it by driving to, say, Haywards Heath, and getting your free travel from there? Or do the timings not work?

 

[Rugrat]

Where would this be then?

No idea! Maybe there isn't anywhere and have to believe (??) the club have done a full assessment, but it would be the ideal solution

 

[Pinkie Brown]

There's a nice underused car park just on the north side of...what's that place called? Oh yes, Withdean Stadium.

Perfect for traffic coming down the A23.

 

[dougdeep]

They trialled it, said it took too long to get the buses to the stadium and back to make it worthwhile.

No they didn't.

 

[The Large One]

No they didn't.

Yes, they did.

 

[goldstone]

If you're coming down the A23, does that mean you're coming from London? Does the train not work?

Can you do it by driving to, say, Haywards Heath, and getting your free travel from there? Or do the timings not work?

I'm in Bolney. In the time it takes me to drive to Haywards Heath and park I can drive to the Amex. Then there's the hassle of changing trains and the line-up after the game.

I'm at the age where I don't do queues. Not enough hours left to waste them on standing in lines.

 

[goldstone]

No idea! Maybe there isn't anywhere and have to believe (??) the club have done a full assessment, but it would be the ideal solution

Just north of Pyecombe on the east side of the A23 is a large unused former chalk pit. I would guess that might be an ideal location. How practical it is I have no idea.

 

[goldstone]

DRIVE TO HANGLETON AND JUMP ON THE H OR S BUS

Just looked on the B&H Buses website. They say that details of these buses for the coming season are not yet finalised as there will be changes.

Where did they leave from last season, and how frequent? And more important, how is the journey back after the game?

 

[Westdene Seagull]

Just looked on the B&H Buses website. They say that details of these buses for the coming season are not yet finalised as there will be changes.

Where did they leave from last season, and how frequent? And more important, how is the journey back after the game?

If you catch it from the Grenadier then you shouldn't wait more than 15 minutes. Journey back is fairly good if you get the first buses out which is very possible if you leave on the whistle. Takes about 30 minutes to get back.

 

[gazingdown]

Just north of Pyecombe on the east side of the A23 is a large unused former chalk pit. I would guess that might be an ideal location. How practical it is I have no idea.

This seems to make a lot of sense to me, a junction/slip roads right outside, means it deals with those coming from the north/A23, mill road for those coming from the west/A27.

I'd like to know it's not a good idea (putting aside whether the pitl owners would allow it - be a money spinner for them if the club paid them a bit), I can only see upsides.

 

[goldstone]

If you catch it from the Grenadier then you shouldn't wait more than 15 minutes. Journey back is fairly good if you get the first buses out which is very possible if you leave on the whistle. Takes about 30 minutes to get back.

Thank you. And those buses are free with your season ticket?

 

[HAILSHAM SEAGULL]

This seems to make a lot of sense to me, a junction/slip roads right outside, means it deals with those coming from the north/A23, mill road for those coming from the west/A27.

I'd like to know it's not a good idea (putting aside whether the pitl owners would allow it - be a money spinner for them if the club paid them a bit), I can only see upsides.

I imagine that planning permission required due to change of use would be a stumbling block, same as anybody else that has a spare bit of ground.

 

[goldstone]

This seems to make a lot of sense to me, a junction/slip roads right outside, means it deals with those coming from the north/A23, mill road for those coming from the west/A27.

I'd like to know it's not a good idea (putting aside whether the pitl owners would allow it - be a money spinner for them if the club paid them a bit), I can only see upsides.

Just had a look at the site on Google Satellite. Difficult to see exacly what's there, but with a chalk surface it shouldn't be too difficult to grade the site (if necessary) to provide a decent amount of car parking. There's a sign outside saying it's a lime transfer station for Robins of Herstmonceux.

I would have thought it would be worth exploring if the club haven't already done so.

 

[Postman Pat]

Just had a look at the site on Google Satellite. Difficult to see exacly what's there, but with a chalk surface it shouldn't be too difficult to grade the site (if necessary) to provide a decent amount of car parking. There's a sign outside saying it's a lime transfer station for Robins of Herstmonceux.

I would have thought it would be worth exploring if the club haven't already done so.

Anyone have any idea what the land south of that is, behind the church in Pycombe? Behind the plough inn, seems like a large car park to me!

 

[Lord Bracknell]

They trialled it, said it took too long to get the buses to the stadium and back to make it worthwhile.

No they didn't.

Yes, they did.

Irrespective of whether they did or didn't, it is obvious to any experienced transport planner that a park and ride scheme as far out at Hickstead (or Shoreham Airport, before anyone asks) is so far from the final destination that it would take too many buses than would be economical.

You need to maintain a frequent enough service for 90 minutes before the game and 60 minutes after to make it attractive to users. People expect to be able to turn up, park, get on the bus, and wait no more than about five minutes before it leaves. With the distances and journey times involved from Hickstead, that requires a lot of buses. A lower level of service, with longer waits, would simply have people look for an alternative.

I speak with experience in these matters, incidentally, having spent years designing and managing park and ride schemes in and around Brighton.

 

[Westdene Seagull]

Thank you. And those buses are free with your season ticket?

Sure is or indeed a single match ticket ( they don't ask to see them anyway ). The advantage of catching the bus from the Grenadier is that the H starts there or starts empty and if you don't get an H the S also stops there and usually has a dozen or so spaces left. If either are full early they miss out Withdean and Patcham and go straight to the stadium so you get there nice and quickly.

 

[somerset]

I speak with experience in these matters, incidentally, having spent years designing and managing park and ride schemes in and around Brighton.

You must therefore have a view on the A23/Coastal A27 p&r capacity issue.