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Parking charges at Succoth, Arrochar.

Re: Parking charges at Succoth, Arrochar.

Postby Sunset tripper » Mon Aug 06, 2018 7:13 pm

LeithySuburbs wrote:
Can't speak for Wales, but I've been to the Lakes a lot over the past 3-4 years and only ever had to pay for parking in towns. I don't get the "this is an English thing" at all.


Fair enough Leithy. It's a few years since I was last out and about in the Lake District and I'm just speaking mainly from a personal experience but a few others on this thread seem to have similar experiences.
I don't think I said "this is an English thing" and Wales is still not part of England yet. The further north you go the less hassle parking seems to be with very few parking charges north of the Great Glen but it is creeping northwards.
The point I'm trying to make (maybe poorly) is that once these charges are in there is nothing to stop the massive increases we are now seeing at Arrocher.
I fully expect the free north face car park and all other Ben Nevis car parks to be at least £5 minimum in the very near future. I would be quite happy to pay for these type of car parks through my taxes as I do just now whether I use them or not.

Maybe it's a highland thing :D .
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Re: Parking charges at Succoth, Arrochar.

Postby Spade » Sun Aug 12, 2018 8:32 pm

The fact is that this is a rip off, plain and simple. Now the rest of the other associated mountain car parks will introduce or increase parking charges. It will put off people from walking and marginalise it for the few not the many. Very disappointing, Very !!! :( :( :(
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Re: Parking charges at Succoth, Arrochar.

Postby al78 » Sun Aug 12, 2018 9:08 pm

Spade wrote:The fact is that this is a rip off, plain and simple. Now the rest of the other associated mountain car parks will introduce or increase parking charges. It will put off people from walking and marginalise it for the few not the many. Very disappointing, Very !!! :( :( :(


This is an exaggeration. Even if the parking charge was £5, I doubt there are that many people who would be unable to walk becasue they can't afford to park their car. If there are, they can't afford a car in the first place, and they have far worse financial problems to worry about. If anyone is put off by a small parking fee, they can't be that enthused about walking in the first place, or they can find places to walk where there are laybys that are free to park in.

I've heard this sort of argument in my local town of Horsham when they introduced Sunday parking charges. So much whinging about it, trade will drop off etc etc etc. The end result is that the town is rammed full more than it ever was on the weekends. People just don't want to pay for things that they have got used to having for free, then try (badly) to come up with reasons why paying will cause all sorts of slippery slope effects, that is all it is.

Before anyone decides to throw out the obvious strawman, no I am not saying that any charge, no matter how high, is justifyable.
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Re: Parking charges at Succoth, Arrochar.

Postby mynthdd2 » Mon Aug 13, 2018 7:06 am

as a National Trust member I don't pay for NT car parks and have probably saved the membership fee by now
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Re: Parking charges at Succoth, Arrochar.

Postby johnscot55 » Mon Aug 13, 2018 10:56 am

Slightly off topic, but still on car parks, I visited Buachaille Etive Mor last week and was shocked at the state of the car park at Altnafeadh. I know it's not an "official" car park, but it's a car breaker. Huge potholes. I managed to extricate myself and park in the layby across the road. I was in a relatively tall car, but would have hated to be in family type saloon. Wouldn't re-enter in anything less than a Land Rover Discovery!
Couldn't the council, at the very least, send out a lorry with some sub base a chuck it in the biggest holes?
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Re: Parking charges at Succoth, Arrochar.

Postby Spade » Mon Aug 13, 2018 9:01 pm

Al78, it's not an exaggeration, that is your opinion and I don't agree with it. We certainly aren't in leafy wealth Horsham south east. the difference of a £10 can make the difference for some people and incomes are tight for some people. As for them not being enthused to walk it will deter them thus my point of marginalising.
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Re: Parking charges at Succoth, Arrochar.

Postby Sunset tripper » Wed Aug 15, 2018 12:23 am

Al78, I must admit I know next to nothing about Horsham and it is very unlikely that I will ever visit. It seems to me unusual that it goes from free parking to £5 and gets an increase in the number of cars parked. It must be a councils dream, they should put it up to £10 and build more car parks as it seems money truly is no object for the people of Horsham and good luck to them. :D

Arrochar is different though and the £9 charge at the Loch Long carparks is going to see a massive rise in income for the council even if visitor numbers half but I don't see how it will be beneficial to local businesses or the village community and afterall that is who the council is supposed to be serving.
I guess there aint that many votes in Arrochar for it to matter that much. :(
I will not be there so often if at all and I think a few others from WH who live closer and are more regular visitors will be visiting less often also. :(
I understand a mainstream view is you should not get anything for nothing but I am happy to pay for these recreational car parks through increased taxes and I think many others who live in the highlands would too, is that not fairer rather than pricing some people out of the area? Surely the Scottish government council tax freeze is no longer an excuse. :?

I don't know too much about parkswatch scotland and I dont entirely agree but here is a couple of articles on the subject that some might find interesting.

http://parkswatchscotland.co.uk/2018/07/31/argyll-and-butes-access-tax-at-arrochar/

http://parkswatchscotland.co.uk/2018/08/13/cairngorm-mountain-the-compulsory-parking-charges/
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Re: Parking charges at Succoth, Arrochar.

Postby crfishwick » Wed Aug 15, 2018 6:38 am

Spade wrote:Al78, it's not an exaggeration, that is your opinion and I don't agree with it. We certainly aren't in leafy wealth Horsham south east. the difference of a £10 can make the difference for some people and incomes are tight for some people. As for them not being enthused to walk it will deter them thus my point of marginalising.

Where's Horsham? :lol: :lol:
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Re: Parking charges at Succoth, Arrochar.

Postby Glengavel » Wed Aug 15, 2018 7:30 am

Sunset tripper wrote:Arrochar is different though and the £9 charge at the Loch Long carparks is going to see a massive rise in income for the council


Thinking about it, how much is it going to raise anyway? If the car park capacity is 50 or so (no idea what the capacity is), that's only £450 pounds a day or £160,000 a year, barely enough to cover a councillor or two's expenses.
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Re: Parking charges at Succoth, Arrochar.

Postby Gareth Harper » Wed Aug 15, 2018 6:37 pm

I parked my bike up at Inveraray last weekend and noted the parking charges are a pound per hour for cars. So it looks like it may be the standard policy right across Argyll and Bute. Also noted that it said motorcycles can park in designated bays for free - I wonder where those are? I just left mine with all the others in the usual spot.


Thinking about it, how much is it going to raise anyway? If the car park capacity is 50 or so (no idea what the capacity is), that's only £450 pounds a day or £160,000 a year, barely enough to cover a councillor or two's expenses.


I reckon between the two car parks at Arrochar there must be a lot more than just 50 spaces. And if you tally it up across Argyll and Bute…………….

Oh and at Inveraray after charging you 9 quid to park they want to charge you again to use the toilet. I’d call that taking the ****.
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Re: Parking charges at Succoth, Arrochar.

Postby Gareth Harper » Wed Aug 15, 2018 6:39 pm

Gosh! Can't say **** here. Can I say pish instead?
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Re: Parking charges at Succoth, Arrochar.

Postby crfishwick » Wed Aug 15, 2018 7:08 pm

Gareth Harper wrote:Gosh! Can't say **** here. Can I say pish instead?


Urinate works. :lol:
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Re: Parking charges at Succoth, Arrochar.

Postby paulG2 » Wed Aug 15, 2018 8:21 pm

I heard Arrochar Mountain Rescue, and Mountaineering Scotland are opposing it because of the exclusionary consequences it will have on people who use the hills . A178 the words Cuckoo land springs to mind. :crazy:
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Re: Parking charges at Succoth, Arrochar.

Postby crfishwick » Wed Aug 15, 2018 10:29 pm

Plans have been submitted for a new car park in Glenfinnan for tourists who visit to see a location from the Harry Potter films. :lol: :lol: :lol:

What will be the price per day? £20 to watch a train. Now that would beggar belief. :roll:
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Re: Parking charges at Succoth, Arrochar.

Postby Bourach » Thu Aug 16, 2018 9:35 am

Please folks sign the petition ( I’m not allowed to post link but you can google it) and share widely.

This is a de facto tax on our hard won access rights and just the thin end of the wedge.
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