Forum Topic

£2 ph to use Gunnersbury car park

Crickey!  £2 per hour charge to use Gunnersbury car park together with a possible fine if you're minutes over the actual time spent on paybyphone app.

John Roberts ● 2309d70 Comments

You cant even purchase a coffee for £2 unless your in a greasy spoon. Pay up

Julian Pavey ● 2309d

Outrageous !If I want to walk my dogs in Gunnersbury Park it will cost me £4.00 to park and be sure I wont get a ticket if I go a few minutes over the hour. Won't be going and would rather give Chiswick House  a donation instead 😀

Loraine Pemberton ● 2309d

Know they want to raise funds but parking in a park should really be free.

Janice Evans ● 2309d

Why should it be free to leave a privately-owned machine on 10 square meters of public space?

Edward Seaton ● 2309d

Why should it be free? Plant over the car park to create more green space I say.

Chris Jenkins ● 2309d

Because people won't visit and they will lose out on earning on other things within the park.

Janice Evans ● 2309d

Good. Why should it be free?

Carl Wynne ● 2309d

Because owning such a machine imposes several costs such as insurance, road tax, often a parking permit? Automotive business keeps the economy going by creating demand for washing, maintenance, parking fees, crossing fees, road services, not to mention the support of manufacturers, dealers, let alone driving schools! The ability to move create jobs and opportunities, and give sheer joy plus an impression of freedom. Of which the very last bits you want to take away from motorists, right?

Adam Pycz ● 2309d

I believe one pays to park at Chiswick House. What's the difference, apart from a couple of pints of petrol?

Ken Munn ● 2309d

Nothing in GP to spend money on at the moment.

Ken Munn ● 2309d

Not at the moment, no Ken.

Janice Evans ● 2309d

Dont forget the tax on fuel.

Nicholas Beard ● 2309d

Road tax is often under 200 quid a year. Street parking permits (basically rent for public land) is about 50p a day. This amounts to public subsidy in a place like London. Insurance costs are competitively set by companies trying to attract customers whilst offsetting costs from car crashes and theft. I get that driving can be fun, but surely it it reasonable to expect to pay to park a car in a place that belongs to everyone.

Edward Seaton ● 2309d

It was for everyone and we wanted to keep it that way otherwise it willgradually be sold off to developers, do wonder what is going on.  I have so many good memories from being taken there as a child and did continue to visit until the renovations.

Janice Evans ● 2309d

Never did get to see the Bath House after all these years.

Janice Evans ● 2309d

Really Janice? I visit and I don't have a car and last time I checked lots of other people do not own cars either and seem to manage to get there. Why do you think you should get free parking? Maybe you missed the bit in the news about climate emergency?

Ruth Mayorcas ● 2309d

Ruth, i need my car.

Janice Evans ● 2309d

I visit and I don’t use a car. Why should it be free. They need to raise money to reopen the cafe. Think about the greater good.

Tim English ● 2309d

"Why do you think you should get free parking?"- Why do you think you should get free use of the roads?"Why should it be free to leave a privately-owned machine on 10 square meters of public space?"- Why should it be free to leave a privately-owned machine (or vehicle like a bike) on public space? Other countries often cited in the cycle debate make cyclists pay for parking."surely it it reasonable to expect to pay to park a car in a place that belongs to everyone"- Surely it is reasonable to expect to pay to park/use a bike in a place that belongs to everyone

David Lesniak ● 2309d

I was there on Sunday. Lots of people in the park, walking and on bikes. Relatively few cars parked up. Seems it isn't impossible (for most) to get there under their own steam at all.Put the price of your trendy coffee to better use once in a while.

Gordon McDonald ● 2309d

Paid parking is being brought in ahead of the opening of the new sports hub, to encourage people to come to the park by other means.

Susan Kelly ● 2309d

How do you take relatives out on a bike?

Janice Evans ● 2309d

Oh I forgot for a minute there that you don't consider the elderly who need others to get them around.

Janice Evans ● 2309d

Hmm so Chiswick lagging behind Acton on rental price of real estate? Come on Chiswick House you need to up your game - £3 per hour please.

Paul Campbell ● 2309d

Thought Osterly was £3 for the day.

Janice Evans ● 2309d

Having to drive is still an option if going to the park. But how is £2 an hour to park stopping you driving. And if you cant afford say £4 for two hours when the car  costs on average at a guess £150+ a month to have Sorry,but i dont get it

Julian Pavey ● 2309d

it's to stop us from driving so I won't go back.

Janice Evans ● 2308d

"...the elderly who need others to get them around."Blue badge.

Ken Munn ● 2308d

No Ken they don't all apply for Blue Badge.

Janice Evans ● 2308d

Its a buisness Janice,wages and upkeep. As with all buisneses they will look into all possible ways to generate money. With a car park that is the ideal oppotunity. But like sainsburys they offer free parking if your spending money in the shop otherwise your pay £2 an hour. How many people drive to Gunnersbury carpark to go elsewhere or how many people drive and spend zero money inside. You cant have everything free and expect everything to be kept pristine for visitors to enjoy and return. Butlike everything,it will be a topic of conversation for a few days and it will blow over and people will sill drive if need be.

Julian Pavey ● 2308d

Ken, you don't have a blue badge just for being elderly, you have to be registered disabled. And there are plenty of people who wouldn't be able to get to the park if they weren't driven.I see why they need to stop the commuters but they could do a two our max/no return within 4 hours type of arrangement.  Still, if the revenue helps to get the cafe back I won't complain, though maybe starting at £1 per hour would have been fairer.  It's going to be increased periodically anyway.

Liz Combes ● 2308d

Well, I hate to mention this, but there's free parking just outside the park gates at the NW corner, except between 10-12. And almost everywhere at weekends.

Ken Munn ● 2308d

Car park at Osterley is now £7 or £8 flat fee unless you're an NT member when it's free.  This is quite ridiculous IMHO.  It would be better if they had a timed ticket system at so much per hour.I shall not be going to Osterley again.  So, I won't be spending money in the NT shop or cafe - they are the losers.I have also heard that the farm shop at Osterley will not be reopening - so no more fresh veg/reasonably priced free-range eggs.  A great pity.

Thelma Leach ● 2308d

I stop using Osterly when they started to charge for parking.

Janice Evans ● 2308d

Julian, if you are happy about it that's fine, it's just that when I'm taking other people and some want to go different places the cost of parking soon adds up.

Janice Evans ● 2308d

That in 2020 comes with owning a car.

Julian Pavey ● 2308d

Don't really mind because there are other places we have found to visitwith free parking, you cannot rush back to the car with elderly people so will just continue going elsewhere.

Janice Evans ● 2308d

Kew Gardens car park, £7

Ken Munn ● 2308d

So happy to use the facilities these places provide, but unwilling to pay for one of the facilities you use.Says it all about the selfish attitude to some people.

Chris Jenkins ● 2308d

It's the inconvenience, why should I risk a fine when taking relatives out, it's not entirely for me but do object to fines.

Janice Evans ● 2308d

If you pay then no fine. Not rocket science is it?

Chris Jenkins ● 2308d

If you go over the time you will get a fine, puts an end to taking elderly people there it's impossible to rush them.

Janice Evans ● 2308d

If its £2 would you go

Julian Pavey ● 2308d

If the fine was £2 do you mean, I would go on my own because i can get back to the car on time but wouldn't want to go on my own.

Janice Evans ● 2308d

Did that make sense, this is getting ridiculous, it's not suitable place to take the family now as it limits the time and not enjoyable.

Janice Evans ● 2308d

In that case,pay for an extra hour Janice Its £2. If your going every day i might understand Sorry Janice,i just dont get the argument that its £2 to park becasue it was once free

Julian Pavey ● 2308d

I agree that it can be difficult to hurry people sometimes and the answer has to be to pay the extra just in case.

Philippa Bond ● 2308d

Janice a) who do you classify as elderly? I know plenty of 'elderly' who cycle. b) it is always the default comment isn't it - yet when I am out and about mostly I see hi-end cars with fit/active people in them driving when they could be walking/cycling. Perhaps if those people did not clog up roads and car parks doing short unnecessary journeys there would be space on the roads/in car parks for those genuinely in need. TGT is a classic example, every moans 'whataboutthedisabled' but most of the cars parked there have no blue badges, single occupancy, youngish fit looking people.And what about those who do not have cars? any thoughts for them at all? Any concern for the air pollution which cars cause and are a danger to the elderly putting their lungs at risk? Cars are wider and longer and even more dangerous - any concern about that? more injuries to people walking and cycling since Covid - any concern there?

Ruth Mayorcas ● 2308d

Two things people need to bear in mind. Firstly this isn't really a destination park that people come from miles around to see. It's nice but there are more attractive parks in west London that aren't bounded by the M4 and the North Circular. A lot of people use it for the regular exercise of their dog and many of these are elderly. £2 or £4  per visit might not seem much to someone on a decent income but if you are living off a pension and would like to visit three or four times a week then parking could make a significant dent in your disposable income. It may be the park will introduce a Friends scheme which allows a free parking for the payment of a reasonably modest sum. If they don't then they may find the park is quite empty in the winter and autumn months.The other thing people should be focused on is the nature of the arrangement between the park and the parking contractor. The latter only gets the fine revenue which probably means that even those with every intention of paying to park will end up getting fined. Every (legal) trick in the book will be used including ambiguous signs, complicated payment machines and rigorous application of time limits (e.g. if you get stuck in a queue to exist you get fined even if you were only parked for the requisite time). This is likely to create the feeling of a hostile environment with people being discouraged from going to the park because they hear so many warnings about unfair fines.

Francis Rowe ● 2308d

Ruth, no they cannot cycle, unfortunately no one wants to hear about or care about other people's needs, unless it turns out to be them in the same situation.

Janice Evans ● 2308d

Just get the bus.  E3 stops right outside.  I won't be doing that again for a while until things settle but used to do it regularly with the dogs.

Claire Moran ● 2308d

Exactly right Francis. No management fee...just cctv fines on timed tickets in and out, equals a hostile parking environment .Surely there are better ways to stop any commuter parking, raise some parking revenue and keep visitors happy.

Nick Jenkins ● 2308d

The issue I have, is that the consultation last year asked these questions: "How often do you currently use the car park at Gunnersbury?
If you currently use the car park what do you come here to do?
How long do you typically stay?
To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statements?
I support the principle of paying for parking
I understand the reasons behind new charges
I support the introduction of car parking charges
I would visit less often once charges are introduced
I would consider travelling without a car to Gunnersbury
We are considering a parking charge in the region of £1 per hour. How do you feel this compares to similar London locations?
What charging structure would best meet your needs? (hourly, all day, annual)
When paying for parking in other locations, are you comfortable using: (pay by phone, app, card, cash)" So people would have answered these questions with the £1 per hour in mind. In Gunnersbury you're more likely to stay 2 hours as it's a large area, so £2 is fair enough for 2 hours. £4 for two hours is a lot to visit a local park and I wonder how many people would have answered differently had they said they were considering £2?  Has anyone seen the consultation results? Would be interesting to see it.

Tania Bapuji ● 2308d

Julian, why should motorists subsidise everyone else.

Janice Evans ● 2306d

Because they impose heavy costs on society.

Ken Munn ● 2306d

Ken, many depend on a car and have the expense of it for their freedom to get around or to take people out who would otherwise never go out. Do youBegrudge that and expect them to pay everything for other people.

Janice Evans ● 2306d

Francis makes an excellent point . It's the private contractor who will make the money, by using every trick in the book as they do elsewhere to ensure maximum fines are charged to as many people as possible. They're not in it to ensure people can visit the park, they're in it to make as much money as possible.

Bela Cunha ● 2306d

Yes, agree.

Janice Evans ● 2305d

Thank you both.I've just reread my first point and realised it was badly expressed. What the park could do is issue annual parking passes say for £30 per annum or less for over 65s. Rules would need to be in place to ensure that people got fines rescinded for things like later renewals or marginally incorrect details entered on application.

Francis Rowe ● 2305d

Actually I was collecting family from other areas who used to live local to Gunnersbury as they liked to re visit, Gunnersbury had a part in our family history so always been of interest to them they want to know about the changes etc..  I do think charging for parking before it is completely finished a mistake.

Janice Evans ● 2305d

Your emissions are killing us.

Ken Munn ● 2305d

My car is Eco Ken.

Janice Evans ● 2305d

I would have considered differently had I known I would have to pay £2 per hour to park. I am 88 years of age and still mobile but walking to the park and home again would be fr too much for me . I live on my own now and visits every day to the park  enabled me to meet up with people in the same position . Life is less lonely.    Also . I do not possess a mobile  phone so could only register IN if it was pay and display.  Surely more consideration could be given to the many other elderly people who would have the same problem .?  So like Tania my issue echoes hers

Beryl Bashford ● 2304d

Sadly Beryl very few people care, they'd expect that you all have mobiles and know how to use them, when they reach old age it will be a shock to them.

Janice Evans ● 2304d

I think work will be going on for years with renovation at Gunnersbury.Will there be Blue Badge spaces?  Just after the car park reopened we walked there to find very little parking!  Cars also seem to encourage people to take vast amounts of booze to parks the packaging of which they strangely find difficult to take away with them.

Philippa Bond ● 2304d

Explain how it is emission free.

Ken Munn ● 2304d

Weird that, isn't it? How people can carry full packaging to a nice place, but then cannot carry the empty packaging away again.

Ken Munn ● 2304d

Whatever Eco means, you are the expert.

Janice Evans ● 2304d

With the cafe burnt out they will be taking their own I expect.

Janice Evans ● 2304d

But will they be taking it away again?

Ken Munn ● 2304d