University of Sussex parking

[bobbycodpiece]

I have been offered a £180 disabled parking space at the UoS. I have multiple sclerosis and use an electric wheelchair. I can not walk at all, and need a hoist to get me from bed to chair, and have an electric tailgate to get me and my wheelchair into my adapted van. I bought a wheelchair season ticket, understanding that onsite parking would be available and free. The news then came that the parking would cost £180, but I really wanted to go to the football so I managed to find the money. Now I am told that the space won't be on site but over the other side of a railway line and a dual carriageway. Customer services at the ground told me that it is a few minutes walk away & I should be grateful that I have been offered a space at all. This has taken all the joy out of promotion to the Championship for me as I obviously will not be able to use such an inaccessible parking space which will mean that the season ticket will be useless. Silly me to think that the building of a state of the art stadium would give me some sense of normality back in my life and let me support the team that I have supported since the 70's.....2 Wembley cup finals, one
playoff final, standing on the East Terrace at the Goldstone for years and going to Withdean and too many away games for me to mention, before I developed MS. Oh well back to Radio Sussex commentary on a Saturday afternoon. That's the ironic thing, having been treated so badly by the club I am and will always be a Seagull. I suppose that's how they get away with it

 

[SittingbourneSeagull]

Hi

I know you have had a bad experience form Customer Services at the stadium, might be worth putting this on Ask the Club, to see if they know if anything can be done. I am sure there must be a way round this.

Good luck

 

[bobbycodpiece]

Thanks Sittingbourne Seagull, I'll give it a go

 

[Lord Bracknell]

I have been offered a £180 disabled parking space at the UoS. I have multiple sclerosis and use an electric wheelchair. I can not walk at all, and need a hoist to get me from bed to chair, and have an electric tailgate to get me and my wheelchair into my adapted van. I bought a wheelchair season ticket, understanding that onsite parking would be available and free. The news then came that the parking would cost £180, but I really wanted to go to the football so I managed to find the money. Now I am told that the space won't be on site but over the other side of a railway line and a dual carriageway. Customer services at the ground told me that it is a few minutes walk away & I should be grateful that I have been offered a space at all. This has taken all the joy out of promotion to the Championship for me as I obviously will not be able to use such an inaccessible parking space which will mean that the season ticket will be useless. Silly me to think that the building of a state of the art stadium would give me some sense of normality back in my life and let me support the team that I have supported since the 70's.....2 Wembley cup finals, one
playoff final, standing on the East Terrace at the Goldstone for years and going to Withdean and too many away games for me to mention, before I developed MS. Oh well back to Radio Sussex commentary on a Saturday afternoon. That's the ironic thing, having been treated so badly by the club I am and will always be a Seagull. I suppose that's how they get away with it

A meeting with the Club has been requested (during the coming week). This is precisely one of the problems that will be discussed.

 

[manilaseagull]

Problem is the club are using Bennets field to make income ,

Most of the cars parked there were very expensive looking!!

I dont know what they are paying to park there, my friend is in the same position as you, but he has resorted to dropping his dad outside the ground, then parking at the Uni.....( after all his dad is the disabled one not him!) could you do the same? ie get someone to drive you then the driver parks the car?...Not ideal I know....

 

[Acker79]

There has been a lot of strong feelings on the handling of the disabled parking, and there are already several questions on ATC about this.

Disabled parking at the Amex 2

With regard to free parking, this was never promised by the club. At the stage season tickets were sold we did not know the parking situation, so no promises were made. If someone has given this impression, or given you incorrect information then I apologise for that, but they should not have done so. Parking is half-priced for disabled ticket holders, but to offer it free to disabled fans would actually be positive discrimination against non-disabled fans.

Disabled parking at the Amex
Disabled parking
Disabled Parking again
Disabled Parking (2)
Disabled Parking

And outside the ask the club, there was this thread: Disabled Parking which shows you're not alone with your issues.

I don't know much about your situation, but if you have someone who can drop you off there is the option for disabled drop off outside the stadium
Dropping off friend for Saturday (just had operation)

I also don't know how good your wheelchair is, or what sort of distances it would be comfortable to cover in it, but the journey from the university to the stadium has been upgraded and I believe (though am no expert) that if you and your wheelchair can handle it, it is a pretty good path/bridge to get you to the ground.

 

[Superphil]

Problem is the club are using Bennets field to make income ,

I dont know what they are paying to park there,

I guess it comes as part of the £2880 a year they pay, a year for 2 seats (2 seats = 1 parking space), on top of the original £500 or £1000 seat memebership paid a year or so ago.

I am 100% with the OP, the blue badge parking spaces should all be in either Bennets Field or the other car park just behind the North Stand. The club should, IMO, move the requisite number of 1901 members to the University car park, to make enough blue badge spaces, on the stadium side of the railway. There is a hierachy in 1901 memebers, so making the call, whilst awkward, should be no great problem. Then the club should refund every disabled parker their £180 and apologise for getting this so totally wrong.

 

[Pinkie Brown]

The attitude of the club towards catering for the needs of the severely disabled disgusts me & makes me ashamed of the club I have supported since 1969 when as a young boy, I used to stand on tip toe to peer over the East Terrace wall.

Those with severe special needs should be accommodated in Bennetts Field & the likes of 1901 members plus other staff should be moved to the University & elsewhere. Simples.

When all the fluffy spin was on the website circa about a year or so ago, trying to sell the 'privileges' of the 1901 club, as far as I remember, part of the package then was (as I remember?) that members would get a parking space at the Uni, " a short walk to the stadium". Somebody correct me if that's wrong?

Why was or who made a decission to make all close to stadium parking spaces available to the prawn sandwich club?

 

[Superphil]

Why was or who made a decission to make all close to stadium parking spaces available to the prawn sandwich club?

They didn't make all of the 1901 parking spaces there, many of them are in the University Car park.

 

[Acker79]

Is there anyone who would genuinely begrudge disabled people free parking? With all the talk of positive discrimination, would anyone actually make an issue of it? I'm sure there are plenty of people who would moan on here to get a reaction/fishing/joking/whatever, but would anyone sue the club because they had to pay for parking when disabled people got it free? Would anyone demand a refund on their season ticket because they got one of the scarce parking spaces but it was at the university?



As another option, could the club offer valet parking like in american movies for disabled people who can't drop off the disabled passenger and then park either because the disabled person is the driver, or because the disabled person needs a carer with them?

 

[trueblue]

I think if they asked 1901 club members if any would voluntarily move to the Uni site they would get plenty of takers. That's where people thought the spaces would be anyway.

 

[Uwinsc]

Bobby- would you be able to manage the journey across to the stadium with some assistance?
Both my sister and I will be parking at the university and would be willing to help if that makes any difference?

 

[bobbycodpiece]

That's very kind but my condition is such that I couldn't take the pain of the bumpy surfaces. You have cheered me up with such a kind offer though. Alison x

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

What frustrates me is Martin Perry's continual insistence that the club has got it right and followed BODS and NADS recommendations etc. Surely the fact that so many disabled supporters feel let down, and so many able bodied supporters feel the club has not met expectations suggests his belief is wide of the mark.

As LB has mentioned, a meeting has been requested to remedy the situation.

As for 1901 Club members moving to SU, I've actually already moved my parking permit from BF to the SU as it's actually the preferable location for me and my friend who come from the west. Entering the car park via Stanmer Park saves navigating the congested Falmer/A27 junction, and it's the same side of the ground as the west stand entrance.

 

[Uwinsc]

That's very kind but my condition is such that I couldn't take the pain of the bumpy surfaces. You have cheered me up with such a kind offer though. Alison x

Have u checked what the surface is like? Maybe there is a slightly longer way round but on a smoother surface?

 

[clippedgull]

Free or Half Price? Hmm, I think Martin Perry mentioned that other clubs charge disabled supporters and most if not all private car parks charge for blue badge holders. Having said that, if it is true that free parking was promised, how about a compromise of free parking for this season, but from next season the 50% deduction would be applied. I am in agreement that disabled people with severe difficulties should be afforded parking as close to the stadium as possible.

 

[Uwinsc]

Free or Half Price? Hmm, I think Martin Perry mentioned that other clubs charge disabled supporters and most if not all private car parks charge for blue badge holders. Having said that, if it is true that free parking was promised, how about a compromise of free parking for this season, but from next season the 50% deduction would be applied. I am in agreement that disabled people with severe difficulties should be afforded parking as close to the stadium as possible.

I think in this case the price isn't the biggest issue it's the position

 

[The Merry Prankster]

It seems to me that what is happening is that the club is providing disabled parking as a percentage of the available parking and as the available parking is inadequate so is the disabled allowance. That really isn't the way to do it
I am a 1901 member with parking in Bennett's field. If they need to move me to accommodate someone whose disability requires them to park close to the ground so be it: it's not the end of the world.
I would however say I'm not going to move voluntarily just because someone has a blue badge. Although it has apparently been tightened up, it has been abused for so long and there are so many snide ones it doesn't really work as mark of need.

 

[Al Bion]

That's very kind but my condition is such that I couldn't take the pain of the bumpy surfaces. You have cheered me up with such a kind offer though. Alison x

I wonder if it would be possible for someone to help you look at the UoS car park before you turn it down completely? I'm parking over there too, if they would let you park on car park 5 (which I think they seem to be reserving for press and disabled fans), there is then only a short tarmac pavement to the underpass, then I think there's a slope up over the railway bridge and down the other side, you're then at the ground. I think it is actually just as near as Bennetts Field (though I'm not sure it would be such an easy journey in your chair). I don't think there's really any bumpy bits at all.

I really hope you can get this sorted out.

 

[Uwinsc]

I wonder if it would be possible for someone to help you look at the UoS car park before you turn it down completely? I'm parking over there too, if they would let you park on car park 5 (which I think they seem to be reserving for press and disabled fans), there is then only a short tarmac pavement to the underpass, then I think there's a slope up over the railway bridge and down the other side, you're then at the ground. I think it is actually just as near as Bennetts Field (though I'm not sure it would be such an easy journey in your chair). I don't think there's really any bumpy bits at all.

I really hope you can get this sorted out.

I think this is a really good idea if you could do it. I would hate for you to say full stop that you can't do it if it is at all possible.