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Dear Susan,
We raised the issue of car parking for the Station Cottages last time around (in 1999), pointing out that if the cycle lane were put in as it was, the residents would use it as a parking bay. That, of course, is precisely what happened. Shame no one listened or cared.
There is of course the question of why people expect free residential car parking space to be provided for them on what is, after all, somebody else's private land, or even on the public highway. Perhaps the terrace residents need to think about creating an access and car parking using their own land. I suspect that they will be shocked by just how much space is needed to park their cars when they have to take it off their own gardens. I suspect however that any such proposal would fail to get planning permission.
Alternative possibilities would be to create a row of resident parking spaces where the motor cycle parking is planned, move the motor bike parking to where the cycle parking is, and to put the cycle parking closer to the entrance or on the platform. That would require using the bus lane for resident access (not likely to be popular with the bus operators but we are only talking about a few movements per day). It seems a little perverse though to push station user cycle / motor cycle parking out of the way to provide free car parking for non-station users, unless that could be used as an argument for putting cycle parking in a more secure, more convenient location.
Most practical, but probably least popular with residents, is that they simply make an arrangement with Network Rail for long term lease on parking spaces within the car park. These could be assigned to residents and fold down bollards used to keep commuters out of the space. Of course that would be less convenient (and therefore a dis-incentive to driving!) than having a space outside their back door, and more importantly might leave the cars vulnerable to night time vandalism.
Whatever happens, the residents need to be included in the loop - there is no point bulldozing ahead without their needs being considered, and being seen to be considered.
I am going to copy this to Simon Young for information. I assume that there will be a wider consultation if and when these proposals start to take shape.
Regards
Alasdair
Alasdair
-----Original Message-----
From: Cycle_Hitchin@yahoogroups.com [mailto:Cycle_Hitchin@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of SUSAN DYE
Sent: 29 April 2008 00:16
To: Cycle_Hitchin@yahoogroups.com
Subject: RE: [Cycle_Hitchin] Hitchin station forecourt redesign
Dear Alasdair- thanks for the clarification. Good that it's preliminary design and there's still plenty of chance to give feedback.Understandably, residents at the station cottages are eager to retain some parking - they have an arrangement whereby they use some of the generous disabled parking spaces near the cycle parking and keep a watchful eye on bikes and motorbikes and general antisocial behaviour - one couple tell me they have apprehended cycle thieves themselves ... I think it's best to include their views ... shall I forward you their letters? Is there someone else they should contact? Simon Young perhaps?CheersSusan.
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