Five-Minute Feature: Will Cheltenham have enough parking spaces when the North Place development begins?
WITH two of Cheltenham's largest car parks, North Place and Portland Street, set to be replaced by a large supermarket and more than 140 homes, could drivers' parking space headache be about to turn into a migraine? Political reporter Jack Maidment examines the issue.
IF you were organising a dinner party, you would make sure you had enough seats for your guests.
By the same token, if you are a popular shopping destination, you have to be able to provide parking for all of your visitors.
When work begins on redeveloping the North Place and Portland Street car parks, the town loses around 500 parking spaces.
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Concerns have been raised about what sort of impact this could have on side streets across Cheltenham. But is that fear rational? An analysis of existing parking provision in the town, specifically for shoppers, would suggest the answer is no.
The idea that streets will feel the strain is based on the assumption that the other car parks in Cheltenham are full every day.
But according to Jeremy Williamson, managing director of Cheltenham Development Task Force which is pushing to regenerate the town, this is not the case.
Spaces
He said there were plenty of spaces for cars to park elsewhere.
"If you look at North Place in isolation you might get nervous, but looking across the whole town, there are spaces available," he said.
Mr Williamson believes Grosvenor Terrace multi-storey car park will play a major part in picking up the slack.
He added that currently, the car park is usually only a third full.
Martin Quantock, town centre manager, believes better signposts to show motorists where there are spaces will be crucial in future.
"There has been a lot of work done auditing the other car parks in the town and it was found that there is enough spare capacity to soak up the net loss that will be caused by the North Place development," he said. "The only concern is that those spaces will only be used if drivers are able to find them easily."
But it is not only about providing car parking spaces. It is also about encouraging people to ditch their cars and start cycling and walking, town centre bosses insisted.
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by buffersyeoman
Saturday, March 09 2013, 9:20AM
“Tried yesterday to get a PARKING space down on the KINGSDITCH trading estate, took about ten minutes to find one, same at GALLAGHER. Why are the shops CLOSING in the TOWN CENTRE?
EVERYWHERE you go in CHELTENHAM town centre there are empty PARKING SPACES,controlled by PARKING METERS, and shops are CLOSING down and I don't mean the big retailers.
I will send this to a local primary school to see if they can come up with a solution because the task would appear to be over the heads of the local authority. But maybe they could have a crack at this , and to help them I have highlighted some clues! CBC are only interested in raising money, and not all goes back for the benefit of our town. I can just image a council meeting " Oh! yes I know what we can do, let's build some rabbit hutches and a supermarket on our MAIN TOWN CENTRE CAR PARK, selling out to the highest bidder, and where shall we build it, on the INNER RING ROAD.", "Oh! but councilor this is nothing more than a car park now?!" "Don't worry about that, the people will have to deal with it, and you won't be here next elections! "”
by Judas
Tuesday, March 05 2013, 1:52PM
“TIMONLINE - Admittedly, you never cease to amaze me with your justifications. Please dont come out and say you are a Creationist - that would be the icing on the cake!
Two sayings:
"Gullibility and credulity are considered undesirable qualities in every department of human life -- except religion" and "Well, I'll put it this way: you can certainly say belief in God makes people behave worse. That can be proved beyond a doubt."”
by johnstevens3
Monday, March 04 2013, 10:52PM
“A few points to make, there is a secure cycle park at the Brewery car park, there will be a car park on the new site, the old bus station car park was always only temporary, and if God don't like Harry Potter magic then why did the church let them use Gloucester Cathedral to make the film, reminds me of some Bishop I've been reading about.
Stop moaning, catch a Bus, Walk or as some one said "get on your bike".”
by eyeopener
Monday, March 04 2013, 8:54PM
“@ dontyaknow
Cheltenham Civic Society have criticised it for dominating the area to the detriment of its immediate neighbours Dowty House and St Margarets Terrace who are dwarfed by it.”
by dontyaknow
Monday, March 04 2013, 8:23PM
“Has no one else noticed how ugly that artists impression is? The buildings are hideous. They will not age very well. The ones on the right actually look like a rejected brutalist design from the 60's.
I really do hope they reconsider the design, I expect the 'behind the times' Cheltenham Civic Society love it.
Ugly as sin, or is it just me?”
by cheltenham20
Monday, March 04 2013, 6:03PM
“I solved the problem some years ago, i lived in the Evesham road, and the town shopping was hellfire, so i upped sticks moved to Uckington, plenty of free parking, all the shops that i need, or anyone needs, Traffic problems Whats that ?. Normality now as returned, and i think i will live another 10 years more than i expected to...”
by BaldSeagull
Monday, March 04 2013, 4:51PM
“Matt1006 - I'd pay a *small* charge and I know of others who would too.
And yes, I'm one of the victims.”
by AndyPrestbury
Monday, March 04 2013, 4:50PM
“I agree matt, the plans include a 3 bus terminus and I suspect very little room for cycles, and the planners come out with a statement about using transport apart from cars - they just do not have a clue.”
by Matt1006
Monday, March 04 2013, 4:17PM
“BaldSeagul - a good idea. A secure public bike park could have easily been included within the North Place scheme (100 bikes take up a lot less space than 100 cars). But I'm guessing it hasn't been?
If such a facility was to be created, could they charge for it (I'm sure they'd want to)? How much would a cyclist be willing to pay, to leave their bike in a secure monitored public bike park? Not a lot, I suspect. Although those who have previously had a bike pinched from the town centre might be a bit more willing...”
by eyeopener
Monday, March 04 2013, 3:35PM
“"But it is not only about providing car parking spaces. It is also about encouraging people to ditch their cars and start cycling and walking, town centre bosses insisted."
So supermarket shoppers (because that is what is planned for the site) are being encouraged to overload their bicycles with heavy carrier bags to the detriment of themselves and all those on the roads around them?
Do the same town centre bosses really believe that we are going to swallow their cynical, trite phrases? The shoopers cars will fill up the local side streets, and they dont give a d**n! Not one of the local councillors voted against this plan as it stood. They should have inisted on underground parking but we were sold down the river to secure increased business rates!”