Paid parking to be introduced at Beau Sejour overspill
Friday 4th December 2009, 2:29PM GMT.
THE introduction of paid parking for 30 spaces at Beau Sejour will help reduce the burden on the taxpayer, according to a senior politician.
The Culture & Leisure Department is offering 30 spaces at the L’Hyvreuse end of Beau Sejour, on the south west tip, for rent at a cost of £100 per month.
The adjoining rough surface car park, at the back of the softball pitch, will be grassed over and revert to parkland.
Culture and Leisure minister Deputy Mike O’Hara (pictured) said the area was used mostly by commuters and that his department could no longer justify using taxpayers’ money to maintain it. All departments had been asked to look at their finances following the Fundamental Spending Review.
‘Any money that is raised beyond maintenance costs will be used to help with the running costs of Beau Sejour,’ he said.
‘The Treasury has made a noticeable cut in its budget and we are looking at ways of maintaining the services we already provide. It’s not something we’re happy about doing but we think it makes sense.’
He believed some residents would welcome the idea of being able to rent parking spaces. Four enquiries had been made on the day the plan was announced.
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A headline that, although technically accurate, is somewhat misleading – deliberately so I would suggest, with the intention to grab attention.
The much-maligned term “paid parking” in the context of Guernsey is normally used when describing a system whereby a fee is charged per visit for the usage of public car parks – it is also certain to attract attention, and sell newspapers!
This rather less controversial plan effectively makes that particular car park private – as the spaces are rented out per month to private individuals or organisations.
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As a (for the sake of argument) taxpayer and a resident who parks in that car park, I find this actually INCREASES my burden. I can’t afford £100 a month. I spend all my grant cheques on alcohol and speedboats. You know, the usual student stuff.
What I don’t get is why they didn’t target a car park that is ONLY used by commuters. Like North Beach. Surely a little ‘VIP’ area in one corner with allocated parking would have a far higher take-up??
Besides, the commuters who can afford £100 a month for a space are the ones who are far enough along the corporate sewer to get allocated parking under their offices, which aren’t a minimum of a ten minute walk away from their warm and dry offices in the middle of winter.
So, thanks a bunch Deputy Mike O’Hara. When’s the next election?
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Yep, Student Bob, it sucks. As a local resident who uses a car rarely, but often enough to warrant having one, I am now going to have to find £100 a month from somewhere. With commuter parking being shifted away from Beau Sejour and the small car park, the burden will fall firmly on the on street parking (mainly used by residents til now), so what choice do I have. There is no other parking in this residential area so it seems it was just a quick buck for Mr O’Hara’s department, without any thought to the consequences of who would really end up paying.
No paid parking for commuters, but tough on local residents, eh.
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Agreed, Belinda.
Corry Road, Rouge Huis and the others find it hard to park at best at the moment, let alone using the ‘overspill’ with buggies, shopping and whatevers. Yet the main Beau Sejour car park remains free? As do the piers?
It’s madness. I thought O’Hara was one of the more caring types.
That’s why we need manifestos they stick to. No one can believe a word any of them say.
Vote for me in two and a half years and you’ll know where i stand!
Yeah, right.
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The only thing that will happen here, is all the people who parked here will now move to the tarmac Beau Sejour car park and clog that up even more.If Mr Ohara wanted to make some money out of it for his department, he should put paid parking at Beausie, like at the airport, first 2 hrs free, for those using the gym or swimming etc, then you pay for it, time and time again i have to hunt for a space there whilst my kids are swimming, because all those who live nearby use it as a private car park, indeed there are cars there which never seem to move , not counting the amount of people who park there and walk in to town. Just wait until paid parking in town comes in, (if ever)as everyone will use these free ones.Good on the Culture dept for having the balls to start something which hopefully will continue elsewhere as joe public seems to think they have a god given right to park where and when they like for as often and as long as they like.
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Only the beginning wait until the wheel clampers arrive and a host of other state sponsored highwaymen. The rich love indirect taxes and hate the only fair tax – Income Tax.
I still cant believe they got away with extending the retirement age yet keeping their goldplated govt pensions.
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Flyer – you say you hunt for a parking space, which suggests you drive a car. Where do you park it when not out and about? Do you have parking at home?
Not everyone can afford to rent/buy properties with the luxury of parking – they attract something of a premium. Are you suggesting that those who therefore can’t afford more expensive accomodation should either do without their own vehicles, or scrabble around for the exorbitant rents such as those to be charged by C and L?
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Well now we know: next election there’s going to be some very new faces; I said Faces.
And the old one will undoubtedly look quite aggrieved and say —
Why? what did I do wrong?
And the people will answer in one accord
“All that was possible to do.”
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In the same area it has akso come to our attention that the residents parking permits will be rescinded shortly and the replacement permits will be issued at a cost to residents. I understand this was quietly passed when the States overturned the strategic decision made in the last government to introduce paid parking. So now residents of L’hyvreuse, Candie Road and the local area will have the pleasure of paying for a permit that does not guarantee them a park as it is open to anyone to parking in these streets.
I have no objection to paying for a residents permit if it provides the right to park close to my property. We returned our £100 per month car park opposite the Duke of Richmond earlier this year, no longer able to justify the additional cost so I can fully empathize with those residents now facing the stark choice of a £100 per month tax or the risk of fines parking in the street.
It would have been much more equitable for the politicians to show some political will power to introduce paid parking and make a return on the major carparks in town which are used across the whole island population, rather than targeting a small residential area which already has insufficient parking.
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£100 per month is a crazy price for a resident’s permit. £100 per year would be more like it. I guess that the problem is that this is an isolated proposal and not part of a coordinated plan. There must be many more residents than spaces and so it would not be fair to award permits to the lucky few that happen to apply first. But £100 per month is hardly reasonable either.
This really should be part of a fully thought out scheme for affordable residents permits throughout town – guaranteeing the ability of residents to park near home.
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It’s difficult enough to park at Beau Sejour for sporting activities already, why grass over some of the current parking and rent out others to commuters?! On the nights when there are theatre productions etc. on at Beau Sejour there is nowhere near enough parking for those guests plus the usual people taking part in sports at the same time. This is only going to increase the parking problem and perhaps stop people from going to Beau Sejour to exercise which is a real shame.
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Let’s all remember having a car in Guernsey isn’t a must. If you don’t have a space to park at home, why not save some money and sell your car? It will cut down on your carbon footprint too. Guernsey is 7miles by 5 miles? Is that right? Buses are 60p a ride. Walking might help some people become healthier too! Just walk in the middle of the road, cars drive on the footpaths! Maybe walkers and cyclist should take over the roads!
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Buses with subsidy cost about £1.70p, and with all the imported drivers not knowing the roads, makes it more unsafe.
The free meal is always paid by somebody and that is the motorist.
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There is something of a purge in progress at BS, with car park users being interrogated as to the purpose of their visits.
What reaction would you get if you simply said that you were taking the kids for a walk round the park, rather than using the sports facilities?
Anyone know?
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I have just come back from the uk and believe me i have not known anthing like it.you need to take out a bloody loan to park over there..every where you go is paid parking and god forbid if you park over or forget to pay.thats it clamped- towed -and more money to pay up.£100 pound a month is not that bad but we do not realy want to go down the road of paid parking..no
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Edquet … these parking spaces, following your logic, cost £100 each per month with a subsidy, but are currently offered free to the public …. I would question why you think people should get free parking at MY expense, especially when you seem so down on bus users who at least pay for some of their journey ?
The motorist is the one getting a free meal, bus users just get a hefty discount :) ….
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With EDQUET ‘local’ views… maybe thats why Guernsey is 20 years behind the rest of the world. lots of developing countries have better soical policies than Guernsey. Guernsey’s a great place, just wish some people were a a little more open minded.
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Tony
Motorist pay tax on their fuel which is a revenue to the states, one that none car users dont have to pay, so how is it for free?
also why do you get to use the pavements for free at my expense. Silly isn`t it?
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Tony-start clamping-and then charge to take the clamp…:]hehe
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I wouldn’t want Beausie to charge for parking and I can’t see it – they make enough of a loss as it is. Charge for parking and lots of business would disappear!
BUT… I am pleased if there is a purge on there on commuter parking. I hate trying to get to the gym and finding no spaces because people are disregarding the signs and parking there then wandering into town.
Terry Le Mond them! brings in the bacon without charging their customers! (yes, I know it’s Terre a l’Amende).
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And Tony bus users get a subsidised service paid for by the motorist in this new petrol price
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bcb
We all pay for all sorts of things through taxes that we don’t necessarily use.
Every parking space that is given away for free is lost revenue, and therefore subsidised.
this lost money is made up from general revenue, so if you pay any tax at all you are contributing to that subsidy. the only way to limit your exposure is to earn less and pay less tax.
At least I can in part avoid fuel duty by using less fuel ( by whatever means )
Buses are subsidised by us all, the same as the hospital, the police, the car parks , the roads – and regardless of how much ( if ever ) you use them.
However bus users directly contribute every time they use a bus ( although it could and should be more ) and directly reduce the subsidy needed. If you use any of the free services ( such as car parking ) you do not directly contribute, only indirectly through taxes.
Yes car users pay extra on fuel to subsidise buses, but then it’s supposed to be part of an integrated transport solution – if the extra cost makes you make just one less car journey then it has achieved something in my opinion ..
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John, Edquet et al, the most precious resource of a small, finite island is its land, its space, and for far too many decades now all you selfish motorists have been getting a free ride, subsidised to the hilt by the rest of us for your god given free parking spaces.
It is high time you start to pay the full market rate for the privilege of parking your tin boxes on this precious space that belongs to all of us. Well done Culture and Leisure for its initiative at Beau Sejour. That’s my land as well as yours and I would much rather see it pay for itself than see you lot continue to get your selfish, environmentally destructive way.
Our States should follow the Swedish city of Lund’s example and INCREASE the bus subsidy MASSIVELY to achieve a near 50 per cent cycle commuter rate. If Lund can do it so can we and everyone bar the selfish motorists will benefit.
Click on the link below and you’ll see what can be achieved.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/8393475.stm
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Martino – the headline of that article is “…where 60% of people leave their car at home”. I use my car once or twice a week – walk pretty much everywhere and if I had parking with my house then it would usually be at home, but sometimes it really is necessary to use the car.. I am not a selfish motorist by any means, but now I am going to have to find £1200 a year to enable me to keep my car near my house, whilst the commuters still get to park for free. To me, this demonstrates a total lack of joined up thinking. By all means introduce paid parking – but do it across the board instead of penalising one small section of the community who are probably the people who can’t afford to buy/rent properties that have their own parking spaces anyway.
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“now all you selfish motorists”
The extreme end of the environmental lobby really don’t do themselves any favours do they?
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Martino
you want to try and calm down a bit mate with your over reation comments.
Can you give us a figure of how much the states take in reveue from the motorist and then how much it costs per parking space then try telling me there free? nothing is for free.
Any way i`m just off for a spin in my lorry then i`ll park it on a FREE parking space when i get back, so there :)
oh and give me back my fuel tax and i`ll pay to park my car, and i bet i`ll be a lot beeter off.
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It may surprise you to learn that I own and drive a car, although I use it sparingly, preferring to use my bike and the bus. I can sympathise with Belinda’s position but not with the commuter types who think they have some sort of inalienable right to free parking just because they pay the same sort of taxes as the rest of us. Really the point I’m trying to make is that the car is king on this tiny island but we’d all be better off if it was dethroned!
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Tony. I have always believed in paid parking and the policy of polluter and user pays.
Ryan. Why are you staying here, in a backward Island, 20 years behind in social policies.
Why is it that so many people want to come and live and work in this Island 20 years behind?
If you do not like it here,plenty of more developed countries for you to go to.
Good Buy e, Good Buy e.
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The right to own a car dosen’t come with a right to a parking space. People who buy houses with parking pay for it in the increased cost of the house. They also pay to keep it maintained.
In years gone by most people couldn’t afford cars, these days everybody wants. wants, wants. Get real when you buy a car it’s your resposibility to have somewhere to park it not the nanny States to provide somwhere for free.
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During the summer, both the tarmac car park & the now filled in car park were full every night with softball players/supporters cars… now these cars will have to park in the main car park – this can be up to about 40-50 cars… On a night where there is a play or the like, there will be no parking at all – once again these States fools act before thinking…
I for one will not be voting for any deputies seeking re-election at the next election…
They are grabbing more & giving less all of the time – they make me sick!!
Guernsey States = Slime:
Scrooge
Like
Imbeciles
Making
Enemies
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Paid Parking should be introduced at BS.
I use the airport regularly and have to pay?
If I use the leisure centre then by using it, parking should be included in the cost but not sure it was built to be a public carpark. Do those who live near the airport get that luxury?
All cars left overnight at BS imo should be clamped. Nice money earner there and why not rent the spaces out to local businesses? The states do it elsewhere in SPP so why not.
And yes, I commute to SPP daily in my car and my company pays £200 per month per staff member to park. Maybe a PPUG (paid parking user Group) should join forces with BUG as sure one will benefit the other
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PC,
In your company, if a staff member took the bus or cycled to work, would they get the extra £200 on their salary?
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PC – Duuuhhh…..
The Airport is a captive market sort of – if you want to go away which people do, you either get taxis or park there.
Harder to not go on holiday than decide not to play squash. And in any case we are trying to a) encourage healthy lifestyle and b) BS runs at a loss anyway.
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John
No they do not and they do not but would be interesting if the bus co sold Annual Company bus passes as who knows…may encouragge more to use them.
Billy – you missed the point..users of BS should be free/included in the cost (supermarkets have similar schemes in city centres if you purchase food you get free parking), people living near by or commuters should pay
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PC,
It sounds like your company is shelling out £200 a month as a positive incentive for each member of staff to drive their own car to work.
Annual bus passes won’t make much difference – as it is, two trips a day on the bus costs less than £20 a month.
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