Talk Morgan Forums Community The Malvern Arms Some good news today ;-)

I think the 'Rushden' model is best - all five carparks in the centre and on the retail park are free.

Most carparks these days have a 'Pay by App' facility - I have at least five different ones on my phone. I find them useful as I often never know how long I'm going to be parking for so have the facility to 'top up' while away from the car rather than having to go back to the carpark and stick more money in.

I have had several problems in the Mog with numberplate recognition car parks - the b/w plate on the front wing confuses the system and I either can't get in, or out!

If a car park isn't free I don't park there. I will park somewhere else and walk in or use a shopping centre with free parking.

(Burgundymog).
Our local outlet centre parking in Chatham has been free for years, but last week that all changed with the introduction of number plate recognition. The first 90 minutes is free, then chargeable thereafter. That's fine for a pop into the shops and a cup of coffee, but it has curtailed our walks along the Medway as 90 minutes is cutting it fine.

I'm with you Keith - if it ain't free, don't use it.

Our local council Maldon District Council probably the richest council in Essex due to all the new builds it has approved 10,000 plus bringing in a fortune in council tax. It loans millions to other to councils. Charges for the main car park £9.70 for over 4 hours that used to cover until 18.00 then it was free, now it only covers until 17.00 and then it's another £1.70 just basically robbing the people who work in town. All the local streets are permit only.

Nottingham City Centre parking has become so expensive (and they now have a work place parking levy for businesses with their open parking) that there are now many vacant offices in what used to be the professional quarter. For people with a job where they go to an office and stay there all day, park & ride or the tram work well. They don’t work for those who need a car to go out and about during the day.

Paying to park for the privilege of directly feeding a retailer and also indirectly feeding the council through the retailers business tax certainly gores.

Both Diss and Attleborough now have free parking for 1 hour and 3 hours respectively, likely introduced as a contribution to rejuvenate shopping areas. As a consequence the retailers are better supported and the councils subsequently benefit.

At least Screwfix and Tool Station still retain free parking outside their doors.

Whilst I agree in principle that parking should be free particularly at hospitals, maybe it's Lancashire thing, but living by the sea, very little parking is free, plus we have the joy of RV parking throughout the season, which seems to be getting longer. Blackpool just down the way,, illuminations used to end around 5th of November, now it seems to go onto Xmas. Lots of bright lights burning energy increasing green house gasses, increasing local community charges, but not actually generating that much traditional tourist revenues, as very few people now stay in Blackpool other than for very short overnight breaks.

With some of the most deprived areas in the UK, bedsit land for DWP and migrants, Blackpool never seems to get a grip on the reality that UK seaside locations are in terminal decline as a tourist destination and readjust their local economy model accordingly.

''I have had several problems in the Mog with numberplate recognition car parks - the b/w plate on the front wing confuses the system and I either can't get in, or out!;'' That's not a problem at Preston as they have no barriers on the entrance or exit.