Car Park closures

[jim]

Often they are not, Uno Hoo, but there is every chance that that is down to the inordinate delays the buses are subject to caused by the very cars in which the people ride that should be on the buses, that they won't use because the buses take too long...............( wake me when I've shut up, or something! )

[dogduke]

These parking areas would be the envy of those travelling into most major cities,reasonable rates,a free shuttle bus - heaven !The council are just demonstrating their ineptitude in running anything resembling a business venture,too many people achieving too little.Lots of council offices have parking spaces.These car parks have been there YONKS,the council only wake up when several months/years down the line they eventually realise they are losing money through rank bad management.If you can't match the opposition shut it down - we have the power.Elsewhere in the city further plans are in the pipeline,I have to declare an interest because I have pressed for it for ages.The area surrounding St.James's Hospital is in the final stages of restrictions on main road parking and resident only parking schemes.It's a huge scheme.Hundreds of people will have to find elsewhere to park(where ?)Free parking for anyone visiting hospitals as patients or visitors just 'aint gonner happen'Both intentions will do away with hundreds of car parking spaces within a small radius of City Square,Heaven help the motorist.

[45man]

Can't help but think this is ploy by Leeds City Council to try and force people to use the ridiculously overpriced pay and display parking in the city centre.You only have to visit St Pauls Street,Park Place etc on a saturday,virtually empty,to realise it won't happen.Yet on a sunday when it is free parking,you have all on finding a parking space.I wonder how long it will be before the Council start charging for parking on a sunday,as the next money making scheme?

[chameleon]

45man wrote: Can't help but think this is ploy by Leeds City Council to try and force people to use the ridiculously overpriced pay and display parking in the city centre.You only have to visit St Pauls Street,Park Place etc on a saturday,virtually empty,to realise it won't happen.Yet on a sunday when it is free parking,you have all on finding a parking space.I wonder how long it will be before the Council start charging for parking on a sunday,as the next money making scheme? This has already been muted. In fairness(!) some of the attempts to restrict traffic and parking provission are legislative requirements from above, particularly in terms of planning law however, the result is the same sorry story we have had for the last 30 years - use public transport. Sadly as we all know, suitable and adequate provission is not there and trying to use what is can significantly impact upon peoples lives and commitments.The promise of improvements are always there; it seems always to be the case that resteictions are imposed before any improvements and the (effective) alternatives do not materialise.(as a side issue on profit from parking, if you are unlucky enough to have your paid-for parking ticket fall from view, you will receive an excess charge notice nd this will be enforced despite you being able to produce a valid parking ticket. There can't be many things you are charged twice for when you are able to prove you've already paid once!).

[Leeds Hippo]

I picked up an elderly relative at the coach station on a Sunday - I parked at the NCP for 10 mins - it cost me £4.80! (min 2 hour stay charge) - is this a record.I now ALWAYS shop in Morley - far superior and free parkingI work in Leeds but walk to work

[Riponian]

So where are all those cars going to park in the meantime? I suspect that magically some piece of derelict land will become a car park, just like these.Quite where all the cars that use them will go is another matter.

[leedslily]

And instead of being usefully employed, the land being used for car parks will go back to being just derelict land again - neither attractive nor useful.

[Reginal Perrin]

Riponian wrote: So where are all those cars going to park in the meantime? I suspect that magically some piece of derelict land will become a car park, just like these.Quite where all the cars that use them will go is another matter. If that happened and the council had sanctioned it or were to benefit financially there will be legal action all over the shop. It seems that you can use the "environmental" excuse for anything these days.It's also misinterpretign the nature of the "congestion" problem. It's like solving the problem of poor water quality in a lake by draining the lake. It will not matter if congestion is lessened by this as those who suffered the congestion will not be using the roads.This is the council who fail to get any funding for a mass transit system yet smaller cities in the north have just that and have had for years.Do they want people to abandon Leeds City Centre in favour of out of town business parks?

[Reginal Perrin]

The bus from Rothwell is £4.80 for the day, the train from Woodlesford is £2.10 return. You cannot park at Woodlesford from about 7:30 due to it being full. That is the only train station serving the areas between Garforth and Morley.The bus from Rothwell takes about 40 minutes on average to go 6 miles. The train takes 8 minutes.Thety should be relaying track on the old branch lines and building smaller stations around the city centre.

[raveydavey]

That is the problem - the trains are already beyond capacity at the peaks, whilst buses are ridiculously expensive, slow and unreliable, as well as also suffering from overcrowding.How on earth do the city officials expect these thousands of displaced motorists are going to get to work on the first day back after the New Year?What of the many small businesses that have sprung up around the car parks to serve passing trade - coffees, bacon butties and newspapers for example. What happens to them when their passing trade is suddenly gone?And as has also been commented, the land is currently being used - that means it is secured and monitored. If unused it will become neglected and a magnet for anti social behaviour - perhaps the travelling community may find it a suitable place to pitch up on their journeys around Leeds. Can they survive on the crumbs from the executive apartments who get their groceries delivered by Ocado?I can remember the Holbeck area in the late 70's and early 80's when the area started to deteriorate and it was an abandoned scary place to go. This action is simply going to force a return to the days of old.