Hester's parking places for GCHQ workers
GCHQ workers could be given permits to leave their cars in a Hester’s Way car park in a bid to ease traffic on residential streets.
A total of 60 to 70 spaces could be provided in Coronation Square car park for workers from the Benhall Government listening post.
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GCHQ
The move follows complaints from residents that staff have been parking their cars in residential streets around the ‘Doughnut’ and walking to work. The problem is said to stem from contracted workers rather than full-time GCHQ employees.
Council papers state the spaces would be given to staff in the form of season tickets for Monday to Friday. Cheltenham Borough Council would get £24,000 from GCHQ per year for as long as the agreement is in place – if it goes ahead.
But John Grover, chairman of the Benhall Residents’ Association, said he has mixed feelings about the idea.
He said: “It could alleviate parking where we are, but it’s not just us in Benhall, it’s in other places too. There are probably well over 200 cars from GCHQ parking in different places. It’s not the staff, it’s sub-contractors who are parking here.
“It’s good in one respect but it could deprive other people from parking there.”
Mr Grover said there was a particular issue in Whittington Road, with people parking on the bend.
But borough councillor Jacky Fletcher, who represents Benhall and The Reddings, has welcomed the idea to use Coronation Square’s car park.
She said: “It’s excellent. The car park is underused. It will take some of the burden off the surrounding streets around the GCHQ site.”
Meanwhile, John Morris, cabinet member for built environment, said: “It’s big car park which is under used. The issue I still have to bottom out is I want to make sure this doesn’t become an overflow car park for GCHQ.”
Councillor John Webster, cabinet member for finance and community development, said the move would raise money for the council’s budget and take traffic off the streets.
GCHQ said it was working closely with Cheltenham Borough Council, Gloucestershire County Council, Gloucestershire Police, Gloucestershire Highways and residents to find ways of resolving the parking problems in the residential streets around Benhall.
A spokeswoman said: “One of the proposed solutions is to make spare capacity in the Coronation Square Car Park available to GCHQ staff.
“The scheme is still very much in discussion stages but could mean that GCHQ staff will be able to purchase tickets to use the car park on a daily basis. The figures used by CBC in their budget proposals for 2010/11 are very much provisional projections of the revenue that this would generate and there is still much work to be done before the scheme comes to fruition.”
She said car parking problems around the GCHQ site are caused by the lack of space on site – a result of the planning policies in place when approval was originally given for the GCHQ doughnut building.
The parking restrictions affect contractors and permanent staff alike.
She said GCHQ has been proactive in dealing with the problem and has come up with a range of initiatives to address the problem.
These include an improved car park management scheme on site, an additional cross town shuttle bus to make better use of parking at the Oakley site and a green travel plan to encourage more staff to use public transport, car share, cycle or walk to work.
She said: “We hope that with the cooperation of residents, local councillors and police that we can make significant improvements to this frustrating issue.”
The budget papers will be presented to the borough council’s cabinet for agreement on Tuesday and to the full council on Friday, February 12.
31 Comments
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by Sara,, Hester's Way
Monday, February 08 2010, 11:55AM
“To Angus S, Chelt....
"Why bother? Just bulldoze the whole place, its easier, cheaper and safer." How about we bulldoze where you live you narrow minded person!
To a tax payer, Glos "Most of the people moaning on here about GCHQ staff are probably themselves non working benefit claimants, get a life......and while you're at it get a job and contribute something back!! "
You have NO idea about the people who live in the area are like to state that they are properply not working & are on benefits. The vast majority to and as with any area you get a % that claim. We contribute by paying our taxes etc and have much right as the next person to have our say without having to be slatted constantly because we live in Hester's Way!!!!!!”
by Angus S, Chelt
Sunday, February 07 2010, 11:24PM
“RE Anon 3, Cheltenham
"Coronation Square badly needs renovating/regenerating"
Why bother? Just bulldoze the whole place, its easier, cheaper and safer.
RE: Local Resident, Hesters Way
"Yes its fair comment that they're legally allowed to park on a public road but the danger it poses to both the local school and elderly and disabled residents has not been taken into consideration."
Your point? If the cars are legally parked then there is no danger posed at all. If parking made it dangerous there would be double yellow lines there.
Imagine if they go ahead with this proposed parking idea the amount they will have to spend on armed security!
Why not just build a decent multi-storey car park the existing site with has plenty more parking spaces then is required. Problem sovled.”
by dave, chelt
Sunday, February 07 2010, 9:56AM
“i wouldnt park a cardboard box in that car park its like an extension of Beiruit surrounded by dolites and dealers and they aint car ones either. Latest one there i gather is re cycling only thing that wants recyclingis the local pondlife which i as a tax payer cloth feed and house”
by Anon 3, Cheltenham
Saturday, February 06 2010, 1:46PM
“This scheme may be a short term fix but what about the future? Coronation Square badly needs renovating/regenerating to make it the thriving and lively shopping centre it must have been once, an asset providing for the needs of the local people (not just an overflow car park for GCHQ). At the moment it is an eyesore with many boarded up unused shops - detracting from and not adding to the neighbourhood. More thought should be put into planning - not just build more and more projects of all kinds which fill this side of Cheltenham with vehicles (both moving and parked cars on main roads and residential streets which cannot cope with them). It is reducing rather than improving the quality of life of so many residents on the south side of Cheltenham. Projects go ahead without the impact of traffic/vehicles on the surrounding residential areas and main roads being properly considered..”
by anon 2, cheltenham
Saturday, February 06 2010, 12:01PM
“Mark Barber - There are no pubs on the Square”
by Anon, FoD
Saturday, February 06 2010, 11:48AM
“So all any Terrorist would would have to do is go in the Coronation Square car park and jot down car numbers of any New and Taxed cars and stand a fair chance of it being a Spooks (nothing like setting up soft targets)”
by Andrew Oakley, Near Tewkesbury
Saturday, February 06 2010, 12:19AM
“There is a good reason why there are plenty of free spaces in the Coronation Square car park. Unless GCHQ extend their surveillance operations to anti-theft and counter-vandalism, I expect that car park to remain empty.”
by Fed Up With Idiots, Here
Friday, February 05 2010, 10:12PM
“GCHQ staff are NOT being paid not to park on site, there is NO "green bribe". However they WERE promised better bus services, many of which were then withdrawn.
I live near the town centre and I can't park during the day due to people going to work in town. They park on corners and down both sides of narrow streets. At the weekend it's full of people avoiding the extortionate car park fees. Why don't these people get the same attention and abuse? Why are Benhall residents more important than those in Pittville? GCHQ does a lot more for local employment than Next and HMV!”
by Observer, Cheltenham
Friday, February 05 2010, 9:45PM
“I think Ex- GCHQ worker, Chelt has a nerve! We don¿t expect the Police to park inconsiderately, and we are more likely to need them.
As others have commented this problem has arisen because GCHQ over estimated the benefits of the end of Cold War Peace dividend and sold off much of their land to fund the rebuild known as the doughnut. They further exacerbated the situation by bribing workers not to park onsite.
All of this arose from their seeming inability to budget for the rebuild, not the recession.
In 1997, IT costs were estimated at £41 million but in the end cost £308 million, pushing entire Doughnut project costs to £645 million.
The National Audit Office criticised GCHQ in 2003 for failing to realise the cost of moving its computers to the new base.
It was because of that mistake that staff were left at Oakley when the Doughnut opened in 2003.
In 2008 GCHQ had to pay £17 million compensation to the developers, who had hoped to build on the upper part of the Oakley site.
In 2004, a report by the Commons Intelligence and Security Committee said the Doughnut was too full and more space would be required.
I am totally against terrorism in all its forms including the ALF, but I believe that GCHQ is trying to run its operation on the cheap, particularly with respect to parking at our local residents expense, and should dig into its own pockets a little more.
Last but not least would you trust someone prepared to leave their car in a Hesters Way car park or Hesters Way side roads; to preserve your security?”
by a tax payer, Glos
Friday, February 05 2010, 9:09PM
“Most of the people moaning on here about GCHQ staff are probably themselves non working benefit claimants, get a life......and while you're at it get a job and contribute something back!!”