Additional Car Parking in Charlbury

Fri 27 Oct 2023, 21:32 (last edited on Fri 27 Oct 2023, 21:33)

Cricket Club has hard standing ????

Fri 27 Oct 2023, 21:31

Land behind the community centre / medical centre, with a five bar gate off the Enstone Road, a potential location for additional parking . Free parking at the station ??? Problem solved !

Fri 27 Oct 2023, 21:25

There were six cars in the (very nicely resurfaced) Bull car park tonight. If we want twelve to park there then people will need to arrive a Smart car or preferably in a Citroen Ami. 

Mon 23 Oct 2023, 22:09 (last edited on Wed 25 Oct 2023, 18:35)

A friend has found  the Development Plan  https://charlbury-tc.gov.uk/neighbourhood-plan/

Some key points re Parking

Charlbury has good transport links and a wide range of community facilities when compared to neighbouring parishes. These features add to the vibrancy of the community and are highly valued by local residents. They also enable Charlbury…

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Mon 23 Oct 2023, 21:37 (last edited on Mon 23 Oct 2023, 21:38)

Paul - that's because it's WODC's....

Click here to view what others have said and take part.

Mon 23 Oct 2023, 19:44

I  cannot find a link to the Development Plan on either the Charlbury Council or OCC websites....help!

Fri 20 Oct 2023, 18:22

There seems to be some semipermanent structures in the Bull car park, a log store and some other storage shed at the back. Would these structures impinge on the 12 required parking spaces if kept? 

Fri 20 Oct 2023, 10:57

Information available from the Gloucester County Council document published and available with a simple google search.

Fri 20 Oct 2023, 10:47

Thanks Mark Sulik for those numbers, which I confess are shockingly higher than I would expect. Can you tell us your source for those numbers? I'd like to know more.

Thu 19 Oct 2023, 23:04

Did the Development Plan address additional parking?

Thu 19 Oct 2023, 08:59

It will be good to see the 12 car parking places restated asap at the Bull as required by their planning permission. This will considerably relieve the car parking situation in the centre of Charlbury. 

All so great to see that the Bell Hotel has been very community spirited by keeping and maintaining so many car parking spaces behind the hotel. 

Thu 19 Oct 2023, 07:27

To erect a warning or regulatory sign on a new sign post costs between £300 and £520 dependant on size.

To erect a directional sign on new posts typically cost between £600 and £1,100 dependant on size.

If any sign requires external illumination then an approximate further £1,200 can be added to the cost for ducting, connection to the electricity supply and lighting unit.

Thu 19 Oct 2023, 07:06

Well, an underground car park would be around £35000 per space, so for a 60 space car park and with 20mph signs at £14 plus VAT, about 125,000 would be my estimate!

Wed 18 Oct 2023, 21:34

Hey Siri, how many 20 mph signs does (check notes...) an underground car park cost?

Wed 18 Oct 2023, 16:50

The problem is not just the Bull , all of the main roads and town centre routes entering and departing Charlbury that do not have traffic restrictions suffer . Market Street , Dyers Hill and Nine Acres Lane has suffered from the increase in the work from home culture and the number of vehicles per household, along with Air B and B especially noticeable over the weekend periods. 

Wed 18 Oct 2023, 14:07

But the County Council could find millions top pay for 20 mile signage all over West Oxfordshire. It comes down to what the councils priorities are???

Wed 18 Oct 2023, 13:50

The increase in demand is at the Bull. The Bull’s planning permission requires 12 spaces in their car park. I’m sure they will reopen it soon and come back into compliance with their planning permission.

Underground parking is a lovely idea, but in a world where Government cuts mean county councils can’t afford to fund social care or special needs education, I can’t see anyone stumping up £1m+ for an underground car park in little Charlbury.

Wed 18 Oct 2023, 13:43

The obvious solution is to make parking available for what is considered as an increase in demand. What are the options and what areas under the control of the Town council and land owners able to suggest ? A growing town needs a growing infrastructure. The ideal solution is to create below ground parking with maintaining the green spaces above - expensive, but resolves the issue 

Fri 13 Oct 2023, 18:55

Drove past the Bell on Sunday at lunch time. A prat in a Maserati SUV parked on the double yellow line just past the entrance to the church, and walked up to the Bell. Considered telling him off, but then realised that there are urchins letting air out of SUV tyres.

Anyhow, the Bell, Bill and Bull pubs all have good PR and have been mentioned extensively in the national press. So it is interesting to visit now for "influencers" and other space wasters atm. But I think it will calm down and they will move on. As there is not so much of useless tat to buy in Charlbury compared to say Burford or Stow. The currently closed car park at the Bull exacerbates the parking problem. 

Fri 13 Oct 2023, 16:26

Parking lots. Do we want Joni Mitchell Big Yellow Taxi or Talking Heads (Nothing but) Flowers?

Fri 13 Oct 2023, 14:22

Shame on you Tim of Cotswold Frames,  where would the dogs poo then?

Fri 13 Oct 2023, 14:18

Harriet, noted.  But I did say: "I readily accept that such an arrangement might not suit everyone for various reasons..."

Fri 13 Oct 2023, 13:46

As a beer drinker and dedicated pub-goer I use public transport whenever I can. I commute by train when they're running, sometimes by electric bike. However I consider my car essential even though I use it intermittently - in a rural area, public transport is never going to be a viable alternative to the car; the convenience and flexibility is something that a bus can never replace. The demand for parking spaces is not going to diminish any time soon.

Fri 13 Oct 2023, 13:21

So I have just whizzed down to the co-op to pay some money into my bank account to pay for urgent medical treatment for a cat. The vet is in chippy, because charlbury wasn't taking on small animal clients. Couldn't park. Couldn't pay for the treatment they really wanted to do. Sometimes people need to drive and park quickly. 

Fri 13 Oct 2023, 13:19 (last edited on Fri 13 Oct 2023, 13:21)

I agree with John.

But we have given up our car twice in the last 10 years and don't miss it much.  However we have been fortunate on both occasions to come to a private car share agreement with some lovely people in Charlbury.  

As I trundle about on my mobility scooter I'm surprised at the number of cars parked here which never seem to be used.  Perhaps the owners sneak them out when I'm not looking, but it seems to be an awful waste of money (and parking spaces).

We are spoilt for choice when it comes to buses.  I go to and from Witney on the X9 twice a week, and to Chipping Norton once a week.  No problem. and because of my age I get a free bus pass so I pay nothing to travel/park, or to maintain a lump of metal.  Woodstock/Oxford?  The S3 goes there every hour.

I readily accept that such an arrangement might not suit everyone for various reasons, but it's a viable option if you are flexible and determined.

Fri 13 Oct 2023, 12:30

I don't think encouraging parking is a good idea in a world that needs to become more sustainable. Good public transport, walking, cycling need more encouragement. A start would be a bus service that runs on Sundays.

Fri 13 Oct 2023, 12:15

Car parks encourage car use, as do more/new roads. Have a look at Oxford on a Saturday morning to see the queue of traffic for the Westgate multi-storey car park. The Bell has a huge car park, so their patrons (who have driven) shouldn't cause much of a problem. As for The Bull, yes that's a tad tight. I don't think using green space in the town is an option at all, we need those. I recall being slightly disappointed to see a rather large block of flats built on most of the field at my former primary school; children don't want or need memories of 'that car park is where I used to play football'.

Fri 13 Oct 2023, 11:28

No offence, Tim, but the Playing Close is already spoken for.

Fri 13 Oct 2023, 11:09

Did the Development Plan address additional parking?

Fri 13 Oct 2023, 10:20

No doubt this will stir things up but what about a underground carpark on the playing close could be costly in the long run but then the cars would be out of sight, problem solved or just park on the playing close, you would need to fit those blocks in the grass to allow it still to grow but provides a good base for driving on. 

You wouldn't need to use the whole of the playing close say just half of it, so that the grass nearest the fountain area could still be enjoyed for picnics etc.

Fri 13 Oct 2023, 09:30

There used to be a small shuttle service called, I think, "GoRide".

I used to take it to and from the station.  

It folded because people didn't use it enough.

Witney has loads, as does Chippy, but their populations are larger.

Thu 12 Oct 2023, 19:58

With trials of autonomous vehicles taking place elsewhere in the UK, might there be a place for some sort of small shuttle running between say Charlbury station, Nine Acre, Five Ways, Park Street, Church Street and back to the station for example?

How many folk would give up their cars / parking places completely is a moot point.

Thu 12 Oct 2023, 15:56 (last edited on Thu 12 Oct 2023, 22:08)

Timely – I was thinking of starting something similar rather than just barking about DFLs’ parking…

 But first, at the risk of ruffling feathers, I have never understood why so many drivers expect to park on a public road within a few yards of their destination as if it were…

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Thu 12 Oct 2023, 15:48

Isn't a lot of the problem caused by people parking for the train station in the town instead of at the station? As I write this, there are  at least 5 empty parking spaces on Nine Acre Lane that commuters could use (as there are on many week days), but if people want to park in the town centre they will do so. I don't think turning our children's green spaces into car parks is a rationale solution to this problem.

I know some people need to park close to shops and amenities for mobility reasons or with kids so maybe we should make some more priority spaces for these users at the Co op and then make all the other spaces 1 hour? Or have parking meters, so at least some money could be raised from it?

Or can we get petition to get parking charges removed at the station and reduce the problem at source?

As for the increase in those seemingly over-entitled drivers that park inconsiderately when visiting local businesses and pubs, I'm afraid there is not much that we can do about that and have to accept it as part of the town's burgeoning popularity (just not at the cost of our school playing field or recreation areas).

Thu 12 Oct 2023, 13:31

I agree, but there's nowhere really that offers the convenience factor that most visitors will want. If the car parks are full (or closed) I suspect many will choose to park on double yellows rather than do endless laps of the one-way system looking for a legitimate space -  the quick-pay fine is £35 if you get a ticket (and it's a big "if"), which on top of your bill for dinner for four at the Bull/Bell might be considered a minor service charge. 

Utilising the dentist and surgery parking at weekends is an idea worth exploring and might help, but anything further away from the centre would probably be ignored. 

Thu 12 Oct 2023, 13:29

The Town Council is pondering the same, Paul. Over a year ago, I was going to see if Greene King would lease to the Council, for peppercorn rent, some of their (rarely used, back then) car park that we could let local residents park in, guaranteeing parking places for residents and freeing up on-street spaces for visitors to businesses. The arrival of the new owner at the Bell makes this seem unlikely now, but it would be worth asking.

I think that having parking at 90º to the pavement on the west side Church St between Albright House and as close to the bottom of the street as possible, would be effective and provide a few extra spaces, and I will suggest this at a meeting with Oxon CC officers on Monday.

And yes, more effective usage of the Spendlove and adjacent car parks would help. If we could find nearby spaces for workers to park (daily commuters to the town - staff at shops, etc.), it would free up space for shoppers and visitors to the new gastro-establishments.

We have been trying to get a car sharing system off the ground but despite hundreds of residents saying they are interested, take up has been very slow. More shared cars would mean fewer cars parked on the streets.

Residents parking zones in the town centre might help residents (and eliminate station parking) but we still need a solution for the large numbers of drivers now trying to access the town centre, attracted by the range of hostelries.

Any other constructive ideas, please post here.

Thu 12 Oct 2023, 11:36

It is becoming clearer every day that there is a need for more public/visitor parking if Charlbury is to support a business revival in the old town.

Perhaps the Coop should be short term and visitors should be directed to a new long term area, but where.

What about the corner of the playing field near the Enstone Road or part of the school playing field?!

Could the spaces by the Dentist etc. be officially used in the evenings?