Another restriction.

This sign has just been put up in my hometown. This was the last central place I could park, all other vast carparks in town have height restriction bars. I can understand the powers that be not wanting big motorhomes that go beyond the marked spaces, but mine doesn't, it fits neatly between the lines, being no longer than a crew cab pickup truck. But even so, I've been told I will be fined if I attempt to park there. However, tradesmans panel vans can park without any hassle.
The alternative park that the sign directs to is an awkward triangle of land with about 8 coach spaces. In the daytime this is filled with coaches and in the evening overnighting trucks.
Al.
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That's not going to encourage tourism is it?

Frank

You could try a freedom of information request for the road traffic order that brought about the change.

I would be quite happy to email High Peak council to congratulate them on their efforts to discourage tourism, I am sure others would too?

groundhog wrote:I would be quite happy to email High Peak council to congratulate them on their efforts to discourage tourism, I am sure others would too?

Excellent idea, I'll do the same.


Done it. Hope I've sent it to correct place, parking seems to be under Derbyshire County Council.

bikeralw wrote:This sign has just been put up in my hometown. This was the last central place I could park, all other vast carparks in town have height restriction bars. I can understand the powers that be not wanting big motorhomes that go beyond the marked spaces, but mine doesn't, it fits neatly between the lines, being no longer than a crew cab pickup truck. But even so, I've been told I will be fined if I attempt to park there. However, tradesmans panel vans can park without any hassle.
The alternative park that the sign directs to is an awkward triangle of land with about 8 coach spaces. In the daytime this is filled with coaches and in the evening overnighting trucks.
Al.
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I absolutely agree with you Al, it's beyond stupid.

I don't understand how they can discriminate against those with panel van sized motorhomes which are being used as day to day transport as ours would be if you or I parked there, (not that there's ever a guaranteed space in that car park anyway).
I've considered using the Exec to go to Buxton shopping when my car has been having its MOT or been in the garage, and haven't bothered because of the difficulty of parking there, stupid and short sighted IMHO.

Doesn't the coach park also charge £5 for the minimum length of stay too?

Presumably, I could park there as my vehicle is a "Motor Caravan" according to my V5 document, not a "Motor Home".  It would be interesting to see how they defined "Motor Home" in the road traffic order.

What is the name of that particular car park please bikeralw?

Some good points there. I will also email the council, although it is difficult to decide who is in charge, High peak Borough Council or Derbyshire County Council. When I recently reported a massive pothole, each authority pointed to the other!!
The car park is part of Wye Street Carpark.
I think there is a minimum charge on the coach park, I'll check over the weekend.
Al.

Taken off Derbyshire Council website


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Interesting that. Although coming under Derbyshire County Council, Derbyshire Dales is the next door authority to High Peak, and is much more forward thinking. Free parking after 2pm in the run up to Christmas etc.
I like the bit about allowing parking in designated areas overnight, but only if unattended. I wonder if anyone has been prosecuted for sleeping in their car?
Like has been said, the joys of stress-free continental touring eh.
Al.

I tried to look up the parking info on High Peak Council website but my tablet warned that the website was dangerous and insecure and wouldn't load it up.

This is the car park the new sign directs you to. Yes, it's £5 minimum charge for a MH.
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Got a reply from Derbyshire County Council this morning (yes, on a Saturday) telling me that Buxton car parks come under High Peaks Borough Council and to direct my comments to them at 
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Perhaps others would like to email them as well.

Email sent.

Paulmold wrote:Taken off Derbyshire Council website
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Pity they can't do joined up thinking.

Quote "If your parked motorhome takes up more than 1 parking space (i.e. your vehicle takes up 2 parking spaces or more) you will be at risk of receiving a parking fine."

Why can't you buy two tickets if you occupy two spaces.   I'd like to see them argue that one. If you hire two parking spaces, does it matter whether you occupy them with two cars, one motorhome or a dozen motorbikes??

Why don't they fine those idle and inconsiderate (often drivers of big posh cars) who just drive in obliquely and abandon their car straddling the line? That effectively takes up more than one parking space!!

Done... to Andrew Bingham MP for High Peak.

groundhog wrote:Done... to Andrew Bingham MP for High Peak.

MPs have no, err, authority, over local authorities . . .

Even if they're the same political 'flavour'!

Response this morning from High Peak Parking.     

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I am unable to address your comment regarding new signage because we haven't installed any, there has been one sign on the smaller section of the Spring Gardens car park for some considerable time. "


So where did the new sign in Wye Street car park come from??

I had the same email:

Hi (Redacted for my security )

Thank you for your comments regarding parking your motorhome in Buxton.

I am unable to address your comment regarding new signage because we haven't installed any, there has been one sign on the smaller section of the Spring Gardens car park for some considerable time and this is here because we have had complaints from other users of this car park that they have been blocked in by motorhomes.

I have put a link below to our guidance on Motorhome parking and would clarify that there are so many different sizes of motorhomes that owners could inadvertently park in contravention of the parking order covering all High Peak Borough Council car parks and in doing so the vehicle could be issued with a penalty Charge Notice. The Order states that there is a weight limit of 3500kgs and on some car parks there is a height restriction, if vehicles meet both the height and weight restriction then the car parks can be used but if not drivers are directed to the Sylvan coach park.

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We welcome visitors to Buxton and do our best to make them welcome but in saying this we would rather drivers have the full facts and the option to pay a little more to park rather than pay a penalty charge notice.

I hope this clarifies the Councils position for you.

Kind regards


Carole

Car Parks Officer

Staffordshire Moorlands District Council High Peak Borough Council
Moorlands House Town Hall
Stockwell Street Market Place
Leek Buxton
Staffordshire Derbyshire
ST13 6HQ SK17 6EL

Tel: 01538 395674 Internal: 4214
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The email I received made no mention of complaints of blocking by motorhomes. I asked in my original email if they could suggest anywhere to park when the coach bays are full but there was no reply to that.

Hi Paul, the first line of the reply to my email was the same as yours, so it appears that the motorhome restriction in that particular car park isn't new.

Here's my mail to them:

Dear Sir/Madam,

As a High Peak resident and owner of a small motorhome, I'm writing to query and complain about your policy towards the parking of motorhomes in the High Peak.

I recently noticed that the small section of Wye St car park to the left of Wye St has been signed to prevent the parking of motorhomes, which are now redirected to the 'Sylvan' parking area, with a minimum charge of £5.

I can not understand why HPBC would wish to deter and in fact penalise a group of potential visitors to Buxton (and in fact the rest of High Peak) by making parking both difficult and outrageously expensive for a vehicle that may be no larger than a panel van.

I accept that there has to be separate provision for large vehicles which will not fit in a standard parking space but, in fact, many 2 berth motorhomes are not that much larger than the standard space. Our own vehicle is under 6 meters in length and is frequently parked without problems in roadside spaces both here and abroad.

If I wish to use my Peugeot Boxer based motorhome to visit Buxton for shopping purposes, maybe when my car is unavailable, then I'm only able to do this at a cost of £5, which seems altogether unreasonable to me.

Why can there not be a 'short stay' policy that allows parking of such a vehicle at a reduced cost, perhaps for 1-2 hours, enough time for me to do my shopping, or for a touring motorhomer to visit Buxton and probably support the local economy in the process.

The U.K. has a bad reputation among motorhomers. Both British and the many foreign motorhome owners that we meet on our travels frequently comment on how unwelcoming the U.K. can be with its lack of provision and expensive parking, for people that probably only wish to spend a short time in a town before stopping in a recognised camp site for the night.

Why do we have such a faceless and authoritarian policy making process for simple leisure provision in a democratic country?


She (Carole) does make an interesting comment that appears to confirm that there are no specific restrictions other than height and weight in the car parks generally, but that it's possible that a motorhome may be fined if the rules are broken.

Perhaps they would be able to clarify further and admit that, for instance, buying two tickets would be satisfactory if you can't fit in the standard bay but otherwise meet the height and weight requirements.

I might compose another email, thanking her for her prompt reply and clarity, and asking whether the council would agree that this would be acceptable.

It would be fantastic to have a statement from them one way or another, or at least open a dialogue and perhaps have our opinions considered in the making of a firm policy, it doesn't sound as though they are deliberately making it difficult for motorhomes, from the tone of her reply.

Your email was far better than mine putting forward the case for motorhomes much better than mine. The 'two ticket for two spaces' would be acceptable to most owners if they can actually get onto the car park in the first place, height barriers being the biggest deterrent. The last time we went to Buxton, we were met by the height barrier at Spring Gardens which was were we had always parked in the past. We couldn't find anywhere in Buxton to park so in the end gave up and went and did are shopping at the Morrison's out of town. There is a restriction on parking within bays there but I had a word with the management there who told us it wasn't actually patrolled out of high season and we were welcome to park for as long as we liked.

PS - I sent the photo of the sign to Carole and she's just replied to say it isn't new, it was put up in September 2015.

meanchris wrote:Perhaps they would be able to clarify further and admit that, for instance, buying two tickets would be satisfactory if you can't fit in the standard bay but otherwise meet the height and weight requirements.

I might compose another email, thanking her for her prompt reply and clarity, and asking whether the council would agree that this would be acceptable.

Exactly the point I made earlier in the thread.

If you hire two spaces, does it make any difference what you put in them?? I would also be interested in her answer to that.

In the meantime, keep taking the tablets!