Bid for 50 new spaces at Cheltenham railway station car park
CONGESTION at Cheltenham's railway station could be eased with more than 50 new parking spaces.
First Great Western, which runs the town's station, has submitted plans to the borough council for the development.
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The area at Cheltenham railway station where the new parking would be created
It wants to extend an overspill area at the southern end of the existing car park.
Bosses from the train company plan to create a new, slightly raised area to accommodate 54 extra parking spaces and three disabled spaces.
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The extension would take up a grass area close to the Honeybourne Line and part of an old railway embankment.
It would take the number of official parking spaces at the Cheltenham Spa station from 187 to 244.
News of the proposed £176,000 development prompted a cautious response from members of the community.
John Stretton, who often uses the car park when picking up or dropping off family members, said: "It's murder to park there. With the volume of passenger traffic at the station, the number of 20-minute free spaces is not enough."
He added that he hoped the plans would not affect the Honeybourne Line, which is used by walkers and cyclists to get to other parts of Cheltenham.
Pat Thornton (LD, St Peter's), Cheltenham borough councillor for the area, said she wanted to know how close to the Honeybourne Line the extra spaces would be.
She said she cautiously welcomed the idea of easing congestion at the site, but wanted to closely examine the plans to identify exactly where the extension would be built.
She added that there was certainly an issue with neighbours of the station who had to put up with rail users parking for free in their streets.
She said: "In the streets around here, it's an absolute nightmare."
First Great Western spokesman James Davis said that if planning permission was granted by officers, building work would start on September 13 and take until November 8.
He added that a £930,000 project to install ticket machine barriers at the station, as part of a clampdown on fare dodgers, would start in October and be completed by the end of December.
Comments
by Walker100
Wednesday, September 05 2012, 11:11PM
“Pingu61. When I was a Revenue Protection Manager we collected £8,000 in two hours operating a manned barrier at the station. This despite the ticket windows being opened and additional staff on duty with portable machines.
Some people simply do not want to pay their fare and for this reason the cost goes up for everyone.”
by Chrisgump2011
Wednesday, September 05 2012, 7:13PM
“This is possibly the least news worthy story I have ever had the misfortune to have read. What next, a proposal for another paint shelf at B&Q? Hold the front page ......”
by pingu61
Wednesday, September 05 2012, 2:33PM
“"£930,000 project to install ticket machine barriers at the station, as part of a clampdown on fare dodgers".Cricky what are they made of? and how soon will that pay for themselves?
Likewise the car park ... £176,000 for spaces for 54 cars? - over 3k per car!
I can now see where the 6-9% increase in rail fares every year for the last 6 years is going.”
by DG9999
Wednesday, September 05 2012, 11:30AM
“Certainly there needs to be an accompanying purge on the local on street-or to be more accurate in many cases-on pavement-parking, but there is no point in having more parking spaces if the fees rise to recover the £176,000 development costs.”
by Matt1006
Wednesday, September 05 2012, 10:51AM
“If there is vacant land doing nothing that can be used to create more parking, then it makes sense to do it, providing it doesn't impact on other surrounding facilities (i.e. the Honeybourne Line path). Perhaps once completed (if approval is granted), a purge on on-street parking in the area can also take place, to fine those who park irresponsibility / dangerously day in day out?
Unfortunately the planning search facility on CBC's website appears to be knackered (as of 10.50am today), so can't look at the submitted plans to see what is actually proposed.”