Clamping in Mytholmroyd
Posted by Fran
Tuesday, October 17, 2006
Traders in Mytholmroyd have told Mytholmroyd.net that they are still suffering from the effects of clamping by the notorious Carstoppers. The Evening Courier ran 3 articles on the subject last week. More info here: and here: and here
Owners of the businesses are now having to park their cars on the slip road leading to the surgery car park, reducing the width of the area available for cars trying to enter and exit the car park from the main road. This isn't ideal.
Is it possible that "a few" have spoiled things for everyone by parking there all day?
One suggestion made was that a small amount of metered parking be possible to help keep these businesses alive, whilst at the same time ensuring there is sufficient parking for anyone attending the doctors, dentist and optician now so conveniently grouped together.
Judy of Milly's cafe said she will now deliver and is leafleting customers. People should ring their order in before 11.00 am to 883504.
Mytholmroyd cannot afford to lose any more local businesses or shops. A lot of work is ongoing towards it's regeneration.
Can the community work together on this the traders ask, but letters to Hebden Bridge Practice remain unanswered.
From Christine Bampton-Smith
Thursday, October 19, 2006
The clamping scare obviously has worked as there now seems plenty of room in the car park!
A number of issues have been brought to my attention by my ward members.
1. Who is authorised to park - anyone visiting any of the medical complex. But then could I go to the Chemist and just buy nail varnish - or must it be for a prescription?
2. What are the hours of clamping? 24/7 or just when the surgery is open?
A notice could give clarity.
3. Now there is spare space surely an arrangement could be made with local traders to park their own cars.
4. The release charge of £75 is excessive.
5. Patients have been clamped and have experienced upset in trying to get released without charge.
I have written to the Doctors for an answer to my questions, but after ten days have had no reply.
Christine Bampton-Smith
Councillor
Luddendenfoot Ward
From Molly Sunderland
Friday, October 20, 2006
Perhaps a notice in the Medical Centre itself clarifying the position regarding clamping would help. In a small village such as this it is imperative that we all pull together to help one another. There has always been liaison between shops and businesses in the village - please don't let any awkwardness or bitterness creep in now. Surely it wouldn't harm if someone parked for a few minutes just to go to Milly's for a sandwich - her shop is a credit to the village and such shops are necessary to bring Mytholmroyd back to life!
From Lou
Friday, October 20, 2006
Well done Molly for a bit of common sense on this subject.
I find it hard to believe that the very people we are supposed to respect and look up to in the very heart of our community have instigated this unpleasant situation.
This is the kind of thing we have come to expect in large places like Leeds, Bradford and Manchester, not in a tiny little village like Mytholmroyd.
I can well understand that there will always be people who flout the situation, but surely there could have been a less harsh way of getting the message across.
From Bernie
Friday, October 20, 2006
Molly, unfortunately Mytholmroyd & the regeneration work are now beginning to make a small town, not a village. Have a look - pubs, restaurants, doctors, cafes. I don't know a village that has such a variety in.
And if any more cafes appear, people will think they're in Hebden Bridge!
From Molly Sunderland
Saturday, October 21, 2006
Bernie - Having lived in Mytholmroyd for 46 years (you may have lived here even longer) I, personally, will always refer to it as a village! If you go back to the early part of the 20th Century you will find that we had a lot more shops and pubs than we have today.
For example, we had at least seven Grocers, several Greengrocers, 4 Confectioners, a Piano shop, three Tailors, 3 Butchers, a Jewellers, a Dentist,a Doctor or maybe more than one, a Boot & Shoe Makers, a Printers, 2 Tripe shops, an Upholsterers, a Fruit & Potato Merchants, an Ironmongers, a Sewing Machine Shop, a Cycle Shop, at least six pubs that I could name, a Coal Merchants, etc. etc. - far, far more shops and pubs than we have today but with a lot less houses!
I think it was probably classed as a village then, not a town! But no matter what Mytholmroyd is classed as - village or town - this isn't really the issue - the main issue is that we should all try very hard to work together amicably to make Mytholmroyd a better place for everyone who chooses to live or work here. And make sure you use the Post Office - we don't want to lose that!!!
From Jon & Mary Duerden
Tuesday, October 24, 2006
We are the owners of J.M.D's Hardware and our rear door is facing the doctors' car park. We have always parked our car at the back even when it was Broadbents and when the car park was constructed we had in the back of our shop Mr Denis Deakin the man in charge of the whole project and he told us in front of witnesses that there would be a parking spot for our vehicle.
We have not had any notice from the surgery regarding parking our car except that someone has contacted Mr Deakin regarding the parking situation and he has denied ever talking to us about it. Thank you Denis.
From Judy Edwards
Friday, October 27, 2006
Here's the letter I sent to the surgery.
We still haven't had any replies or clarification.
2nd October 2006
Dear Sir
I appreciate the need for car park management at Grange Dene but I think that you are probably unaware of the extreme and unreasonable measures employed by the clampers today.
They are clamping motorists before they even leave Grange Dene Yard. I asked them to allow me five minutes to warn my customers and tell them to park elsewhere but they refused resulting in several very distressed people.
They seem to be playing a game to see how many people they can catch in the quickest possible time. This morning a customer stopped to ask if I was open, I wasn?t but he was clamped and charged £75.00 by the time he got back to his car.
I witnessed patients being told that they would be clamped if they attempted to use the shops following their appointment.
As I have never been formally advised, I assumed that I would be allowed a small amount of short-term parking and have been disappointed that there has been so much ill feeling caused in the community today. I doubt that this was your intention.
Several residents agree that metering would be a more effective deterrent to long-term parking and much kinder to a small community like Mytholmroyd.
Sincerely
Judy Edwards
From Lou
Tuesday, 31 October 2006
Are the clampers still in evidence at all, or has it all gone quiet?
From Fran
Tuesday, 31 October 2006
The traders have only been told that the clampers may return at random.
From Fran
Friday, 3 November 2006
The clampers are back in Mytholmroyd. Local trader Judy Edwards has just reported the clampers have been back this week and that business has been nil for many of them. The clampers have told the traders that the surgery has signed a contract with them for 18 months and their protests will count for nothing. The delivery van to the hairdressers above Beauty Bank was clamped this morning. A sign warning people they may be clamped was thrown out of the way with force, despite being on the traders' land.
A meeting of traders and interested parties will be held at 6.00 at Milly's caffe next Wednesday 8th November.
An announcement will be made thereafter, including a response to suggestions by Royd Regeneration and the Community Centre that their car park could be used in today's HB Times.
From Judy Edwards
Monday, 6 November 2006
Dear all
It has been some weeks since commuters have stopped using the Health Centre car park.
Local traders and residents have now found alternative parking spaces.
So who is being clamped?
Local shoppers who mistakenly believe that they can stop for a few minutes to pick up a paper.
Health Centre patients who think that they can go to the bakers or have a coffee following their appointment.
Delivery vans.
I have a great deal of respect for most of the people who work in the medical complex and believe that they would be shocked if they saw the daily distress of the decent people who have made the genuine mistake of unauthorised parking.
I have offered alternative free parking outside Milly?s café but people still make mistakes. All this unpleasantness has already had a devastating effect on all local trade.
There must surely be a kinder alternative.
From Andy M
Tuesday, 7 November 2006
'Clamping in Mytholmroyd'.......
Sounds like some doubtfull car-park activity or one of John Morrisons books!
From Dave
Tuesday, 7 November 2006
Perhaps I'm missing the point here, but hasn't this car park been built and paid for by the Medical Centre for the use of their patients? As such they are perfectly entitled to do with it as they wish.
It appears to me that this is a case of the traders wanting something for nothing. Perhaps if they each offered to contribute say 10% of the construction cost of the car park,then a solution may be found.
I cannot see how a claim can be made to a car park which you do not own and towards which you have made no financial contribution!
From Judy Edwards
Tuesday, 7 November 2006
Yes Dave you have missed the point. Of course the medical centre are entitled to do as they wish with the car park. I have provided 4 spaces outside my property for the free use of local shoppers. The Golden fish has also provided 4 spaces.
The clampers are clamping cars within seconds of the owners leaving the car park and charging £75.00 release. Many of the victims are patients wanting to briefly use local shops.
Far from wanting 'something for nothing' I just want to see an end to the misery that I witness every day when decent local peoople make a genuine mistake.
There must be a better way to inform people that they have parked in the wrong place!
Maybe local traders would welcome the oportunity to pay for some parking spaces but that is quite another issue.
From JohnBM
Wednesday, 8 November 2006
In response to Dave -
Although I agree that the Medical Centre has a right to impose parking restrictions to ensure parking is always available for patients, it does not operate in a bubble within our community.
Now that the issue of long stay commuter parking has been dealt with, I am sure a reasonable compromise on short stay parking could be agreed between local traders and the centre.
It would be a sorry state of affairs if businesses went to the wall over an issue which could be sorted out in a reasonable and measured way and to the mutual benefit of the whole community.
From Johnny Marascalco
Thursday, 9 November 2006
The medical centre car park must remain for patient/staff use only. It was designed for that purpose and that purpose alone. Any compromise that allowed parking for shoppers would simply be unworkable in practice. If the car park is clearly and appropriately signed to indicate that it is for patient use only and others will be clamped, those that have been clamped only have themselves to blame and must accept that responsibility.
In any case, why should a medical centre absorb the cost of building, managing and maintaining a car park? Issues regarding parking provision can only be directed at the local authority, not at a medical centre whose attempts to cater for their patients have clearly been abused by those who wish to take advantage of the car park location.