Co-op parking

Posted by Dave H
Thursday, 8 February 2007

Beware - the co-op now have cameras in their car park, and if you stay over 1 1/2 hours, you receive a little love letter a week or so later (address traced via your number plate). It's a £70 fine, or a reduction if you pay early. The warning signs are there, but plenty people haven't seen them as I know several people who've been done already.

From Andy M
Friday, 9 February 2007

Hope the cameras catch non-badge holders in the disabled parking places grrr

From Andrew Hall
Friday, 9 February 2007

I have absolutely no problem with the new parking arrangements at the Coop. In fact I think they're great. You get an hour and a half free, which is more than enough time to shop at the Coop and then walk in to town and continue shopping. Anyone who needs more than one and a half hours is clearly abusing the system. Surely nobody could spend more time than that shopping in the Coop.

From Andy M
Saturday, 10 February 2007

It felt like I spent an hour and a half there once looking for passata :-(

From David
Saturday, 10 February 2007

But I am told (by people who have been caught) that the fines also apply during the hours when the Co-op is closed. So when attending an evening event at the Methodist church, you can no longer use the Co-op car park. I think that's out of order.

From Robert Collins
Saturday, 10 February 2007

A look at ParkingEye's website tells you all you need to know about the motives behind this.

A picture of a parking space with a giant pound sign in it?

From Christine
Friday, 16 February 2007

I have a big problem with this when Taxi's can't pick me up in the car park.

This is to do with the rule of not coming back into the carpark within a certain time limit. So if they pick up one fare they can't come back into the car park.

Looks like the Co-op will lose my custom and I will start to shop elsewhere.

Unfortunately I don't have a car, I live up Fairfield and we have 2 buses a day from Hebden and 2 more buses if I wish to ride up to Blackshaw head and get dropped off on the way back to Hebden.

From Mick Piggott
Wednesday, 21 February 2007

I can't believe that many people 'abuse' the car park at the Co-op. I do know of people who have been fined for parking there in the evening to attend events at the Methodist hall - why should this bother the Co-op? Because the greedy bastards can make seventy quid out of it, that's why.

The answer, I believe, is to hit them where it hurts: BOYCOT THEM! And perhaps consider setting up a picket line?

Don't worry, they have long since abandoned the socialist principles on which they were supposedly founded ...

It's a crap supermarket anyway, you can get most of what they sell at small local shops at competitive prices if you can't get to even better value supermarkets like Lidl, Morrison's or Tesco. Don't forget, if you're over 60 you can get to these places free by bus, if you don't use a car.

Posted by Johnny Marascalco
Wednesday, 21 February 2007

I think you will find that the Co-op are actually trying to protect the revenue from genuine custom, and maintain what is after all a customer service. Why should they lose business because spaces for customers are being occupied by people visiting the church? Plenty of other privately owned spaces nearby, why not try your luck parking there instead and see what happens? I'm sure we all know how well received that would be, so why should the Co-op be the one to put up with it?

Posted by Rev Tony Buglass
Wednesday, 21 February 2007

To suggest that people attending Methodist church functions are depriving the Co-op of trade is stretching a point, to say the least. We have our own carpark, which is rented out during weekdays. Most church events are in the evening, when the Co-op carpark is mostly empty. One person was booked for parking there when the Co-op was shut. Does that make any sense?

I have seen people using our carpark when they can't get into the Co-op carpark - perhaps they'd like to make a donation to church funds to cover it? You are welcome to use our carpark when you come to our events, but we'd rather people didn't block it up when they're doing their shopping. We don't have security cameras to log your numbers. But you might find it a bit disconcerting driving home surrounded by a pool of heavenly light; nothing goes unseen...

Posted by Robert Collins
Thursday, 22 February 2007

Get with the program, Tony! Don't you realise you could have data logging cameras? It won't cost you a penny and you won't have to lift a finger!

Just swallow your pride and sign on the line. Just a bit of paper allowing a nasty bunch of conmen to take a cut of the profts. They'll do the rest, just let them take care of the threatening letters and the abuse of the data protection act. All you need to do is sit back and watch the cash roll in. They may not have a leg to stand on in law, but that's their problem, not yours.

What could be easier or more satisfying?

Posted by Johnny Marascalco
Thursday, 22 February 2007

OK Rev, fair enough, clamping outside of opening hours is senseless.

The co-op is generally open til quite late in the evening, and it would be foolish of the them to set the parking rules according to how busy they anticipate the store to be at any given time.

I've just re-read some of the earlier posts. A picket line eh? That I would truly love to see.

Posted by John Taylor
Thursday, 22 February 2007

Co-op's new source of income

Hebden Bridge Co-op has a new source of income- parking fines!

It, or rather a contractor working on its behalf, has installed cameras which record each vehicle's entry to the car park. If that vehicle isn't removed after one and a half hours there is a £40 penalty. There is no return within four hours.

This applies even when the store is closed - as witness a ticket given out to one visitor who parked her car in an empty car park on Sunday night to go to the Picture House only to find an unwelcome ticket on return.

Another unlooked for side effect is that taxi's are in danger of being ticketed because of the four hour rule on return visits - so they might be a little more unwilling to pick up the elderly and disabled.

Fine if it stops the parents blocking up the car park every afternoon (which it won't) or visitors to Hebden just staying there all day - once ticketed never to return - but when the store is closed!

Bear in mind we're one car park down right now - another welcome to Hebden gesture!