# Little Roodee Car Park Chester, pay on exit



## chipvan (Jan 30, 2016)

Currently staying at little Roodee car park Chester, for the second night, there is about 20 Motorhomes also here and every time we stay it gets more popular with vans, we haven't seen any 'W' stickers but our own ???

We noticed that the council are going to change the car park from pay and display to pay on exit, this means you would only pay when leaving the car park.  Currently the car park is £5.80 for over six hours in the day then £1.50 for overnight.  How will this work when they change it to pay on exit ?

Is this going to affect us using the car park for overnighting and is it a way for the council of getting shot of us ?

We will call Chester Council on Monday and enquire unless any one else knows ?


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## alcam (Jan 31, 2016)

chipvan said:


> Currently staying at little Roodee car park Chester, for the second night, there is about 20 Motorhomes also here and every time we stay it gets more popular with vans, we haven't seen any 'W' stickers but our own ???
> 
> We noticed that the council are going to change the car park from pay and display to pay on exit, this means you would only pay when leaving the car park.  Currently the car park is £5.80 for over six hours in the day then £1.50 for overnight.  How will this work when they change it to pay on exit ?
> 
> ...



Hopefully they are just changing the method of payment . Its a great facility for visiting Chester and the council appear to have been in favour of getting the motorhome business , so far . Will be good to hear that this hasn't changed


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## PinkFlowerPetal (Jun 3, 2016)

Does anyone have an update on this situation please, as I think I will be in Chester on Monday?

Any information greatly appreciated thanks.


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## Rod (Jun 4, 2016)

*Last month*

We stopped in the car park using the car a few weeks back. I read the sign and came to the conclusion it was still OK for MH to use. Pay on way out. At the far end opposite the bus bays it looked like there were some larger bays or the pull ins parallel to the river looked good


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## ROADSTAR (Jun 4, 2016)

we stayed there last sunday  arrived at 1pm and left 11 am Monday cost us £10.80 just got to time when to leave  or when you arrive


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## taximan (Jun 4, 2016)

This Chester Tourist webpage has the most up to date info. 

Chester Tourist - The Little Roodee


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## Pauljenny (Jun 4, 2016)

That seems clear enough.
I take it we can arrive anytime and leave before 9 am ... And pay nothing? 
Or is it arrive after 5pm and lash out a whole 30 bob?


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## mickymost (Jul 1, 2016)

Just been here for our first time for a couple of nights. The charges are the same rates as 2015 when it was pay and display.The night rate starts at 5pm and goes through the night until 7am (not 9am)Being the £1.50. We arrived after 5pm then stayed the following day and night and left the next morning at 9.50 am and it costs us £12..80 being  £1.50 twice after 5pm rate plus £5.80 for after 6 hours rate (7am till 5pm) full day charge  then 7am till 9.45am on our day of departure being £4.00 to up to 3hrs rate

to clarify entry gate barrier and exit barrier so no cheeky non paying

up to 3hrs is £4.00
up to 6 hours is £5.00
over 6 hours is £5.80
after 5pm its £1.50 till 7am next morning.


whilst there many european campers in car park not many uk plates probably due to the difference system with the barriers? what do you guys who used to use the car park on the old pay and display system think? i/e will you bother to stay here now? personally  I feel they will loose trade through this barrier system

lovely walks from here 

also the Roodee Cafe is closed only toilets in there now (handy to empty cassette loos)



:cheers:


regards Mike and Elaine


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## mickymost (Jul 1, 2016)

*Roodee Car Park Warden checking vans update to my previous post!*

Also why we were there my wife Elaine was worried if there was a time limit on nights stayed so I thoroughly checked the notice boards by the pay machines but couldn't find any time limit relating to this.At this stage my wife made the comment that the council now need not employ parking wardens to check all pay and display tickets as the old system would maybe require for parking payment avoiders!

 BUT  strangely when we went out walking on the full day there as we were going up the steps by Roodee cafe we saw a council parking attendant lady checking out all the motorhomes in the car park and writing down the registrations of them.So if you are having to get out through a barrier you can't cheat on paying so why her (the warden) interest in checking plates on vans?So I advise to watch this point in future even though I can't see how the council now could issue parking fines.

ADMIN thank you for the thank you from you but please take note of my observation here reference the warden as I can't see why she was there with this new system what do you think?

regards Mike and Elaine


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## ian68 (Jul 1, 2016)

Going next weekend so now you just pay going out no need to buy a nighttime ticket? The machine never worked at night.


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## P McClure (Jul 1, 2016)

Planning on going next weekend so watching this thread with interest.


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## chipvan (Jul 1, 2016)

Stayed at Little Roodee last weekends.  The system seems to work fine as long as you get the correct ticket from the machine when you enter the car park.  There is two tickets machines, one high up for HGV and coaches and one machine lower for cars, make sure you get the ticket out the lower machine for cars.  

We stayed two nights and one day, paid with credit card and I checked the rates were correct.  

No problems and no boy racers.


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## yeoblade (Jul 1, 2016)

We stayed there recently,

No thats not a state of the art solar wind generator on the van



And a state of the art ticket machine for pay on exit.

Great place to stay, all night loos. if you have a sat dish then parking next to the river where we were tree overhang obscured Astra sat, but rather than move Terrestrial TV came in OK.
Having a barrier entry/exit rather than Pay and display deters boy racers I think.


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## Kontiki (Jul 2, 2016)

I'm from Chester but live in Wrexham about 10 miles away, often used to park on the Roodee with the car & the motorhome (in between vans at the moment) Bigger change for us is you can't use your disabled badge on the main car park. There is a small area by the entrance for disabled car drivers but only space for about 5 cars. Blue badge holders living in Chester can get something for their badge allowing them to use the main car park.

Last time we were there a few weeks ago in the car managed to get in the disabled area which is right by the entrance, while were there a few motorhomes came in& one at least mistakenly took the ticket from the HGV machine.

Chester Tourist - The Little Roodee


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## slider (Jul 3, 2016)

Thanks for the updates folks heading there in a couple of weeks.


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## P McClure (Jul 11, 2016)

Stayed here over the weekend. Arrived 7:30 Friday night and left 09:15 Monday morning. Total cost was £20.10.


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## Deleted member 58330 (Aug 20, 2016)

*Packed*

20 vehicles plus here last night, Chester races on today so it is going to be a busy one, if you are arriving today before 6pm you will not get a space.


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## Gram (Jul 9, 2017)

Sorry to add to an old thread but I will be taking my camper to Chester soon and I am interested in this stopover.
I have a couple of questions:

1)  If a parking period finishes at, say, 7 am - how do you pay for the next period without driving out of the car park and back through the barrier?
2)  Is it necessary to park in one of the designated (riverside) campervan spaces if staying overnight?

G


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## r4dent (Jul 10, 2017)

Gram said:


> 1)  If a parking period finishes at, say, 7 am - how do you pay for the next period without driving out of the car park and back through the barrier?



The entry ticket has your date/time of arrival in a form that the pay machine can read.  
When you leave the machine knows when you got there; knows when you leave and works out the bill. 
You pay it.
The machine marks your ticket as paid and gives it back to you.
You use the ticket to get out.





Gram said:


> 2) Is it necessary to park in one of the designated (riverside) campervan spaces if staying overnight?


Yes.  If you park in two or more car spaces you may get fined, and you will fuel the anti campers argument.
I can see the letter to the editor "Greedy campers take our parking spaces -  Angry Ratepayer"
Same applies in the day time.


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## ScamperVan (Jul 10, 2017)

I'm not sure the spaces alongside the river are designated as motorhome parking (but happy to stand corrected if they are) - can't say I've ever noticed any signs, and the spaces aren't the usual motorhome length ones. 

Certainly cars also park in them (presumably to take advantage of the shade) - we arrived there at 5ish on Thursday and 3 of the spaces were occupied by cars which left in the next hour or so. And one of those cars returned on Fri morning and took a riverside spot that had been vacated by a motorhome.

I have no idea whether anyone has ever been charged for 2 spaces (how would they check and organise payment since the charge method is entry/exit based as detailed above? Retrospective cctv analysis?) Whilst we were there an official came to deal with (empty?) the payment machines and didn't, as far as I could see, do or say anything to the motorhomers parked in the middle. 

But anyway, every time we've stayed there motorhomes have overflowed into the main section and many have taken up more than one parking box. 

On one occasion our visit coincided with what seemed to be a gay VW Transporter rally - about 40 vans turned up, with all but 2 parked in the middle.


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## r4dent (Jul 10, 2017)

ScamperVan said:


> I'm not sure the spaces alongside the river are designated as motorhome parking  ...  and the spaces aren't the usual motorhome length ones.


Chester Tourist - The Little Roodee - "Campervan Parking There are a number of bays 8 Metres long by the river for campervan parking."




ScamperVan said:


> I have no idea whether anyone has ever been charged for 2 spaces (how would they check and organise payment since the charge method is entry/exit based as detailed above? Retrospective cctv analysis?)


You are liable for a penalty charge because you are breaking their T&Cs https://www.cheshirewestandchester....nt/documents/parking-enforcement-guidance.pdf
code 86  Parked beyond the bay markings.  and/or code 91 Parked in an area not designated for that class of vehicle. 

As for collection .. Like you say an official visited, and earlier in the thread 





mickymost said:


> .. we saw a council parking attendant lady checking out all the motorhomes in the car park and writing down the registrations of them.


  so they can get your details to issue fines. 

My view remains .. if the campervan spaces are available use them.  If they are all full it is up to you to decide if it is worth risking using car spaces.  If you do use them because the campervan bays are taken by cars  I suggest that you take photos  just in case.


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## antiquesam (Jul 11, 2017)

The parking spaces along the river aren't designated motorhome parking, and even on those spaces you will overshoot the actual area, all be it with no consequence to any other user.


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## Deleted member 58330 (Jul 11, 2017)

I doubt they could fine you as they would need picture evidence.  Prob council just doing a survey as too many motorhomes now use chester car park, gone beyond the occasional 2 to 3 with 20 vans plus there every weekend. Trouble is all is shared on Facebook and the masses are there thinking it is an aire....even thinking there are designated spaces....as if.


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## mickymost (Jul 14, 2017)

we have parked at Roodee since the new barrier system and have witnessed a lady parking attendant come round and check the motorhomes parked and possibly take registrations?Obviously not sure if any get fined for taking up more than one space?

may pay to be careful although you do get as others have stated an entry ticket on arrival so can't see how they give you two tickets for two spaces? unless you reverse back from entry ticket machine and grab another ticket which to me sounds daft?


sorry just realised R4dent mentioned my previous post ref parking warden.....

regards Mike


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## molly 2 (Jul 14, 2017)

mickymost said:


> we have parked at Roodee since the new barrier system and have witnessed a lady parking attendant come round and check the motorhomes parked and possibly take registrations?Obviously not sure if any get fined for taking up more than one space/QUOTE].       Why not politely ask.?


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## mickymost (Jul 14, 2017)

molly 2 said:


> mickymost said:
> 
> 
> > we have parked at Roodee since the new barrier system and have witnessed a lady parking attendant come round and check the motorhomes parked and possibly take registrations?Obviously not sure if any get fined for taking up more than one space/QUOTE].       Why not politely ask.?
> ...


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## Deleted member 919 (Jul 15, 2017)

Stopped last night ,30 plus vans most taking 2 bays ,( i got a space by the river )the entry has 2 ticket machines the bottom one for cars the top one for coaches lorries and oversize vehicles taking up more than one bay . Don't know if they will enforce it. I thought it was £5.80 for 24 hrs but that only applies from 7am to 7am next morning. I arrived at 12.30 on Fri and left at 9.30 on sat at a cost of £9.80 (£5.80 max day rate plus £4  for up to 3 hours) ,still good value though for its location .incidentally the rate for oversize would have been £15.50.Its still £1.50 from 5pm to 7am for all those that don't want to pay the daytime charges.


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## Deleted member 58330 (Jul 15, 2017)

rebbyvid said:


> Stopped last night ,30 plus vans most taking 2 bays ,( i got a space by the river )the entry has 2 ticket machines the bottom one for cars the top one for coaches lorries and oversize vehicles taking up more than one bay . Don't know if they will enforce it. I thought it was £5.80 for 24 hrs but that only applies from 7am to 7am next morning. I arrived at 12.30 on Fri and left at 9.30 on sat at a cost of £9.80 (£5.80 max day rate plus £4  for up to 3 hours) ,still good value though for its location .incidentally the rate for oversize would have been £15.50.Its still £1.50 from 5pm to 7am for all those that don't want to pay the daytime charges.



30 plus vans?  I think this is the end of overnight stops in Chester.  the council are tolerant but when it becomes a full blown campsite? Problem is that with the popularity of Chester Races, there will be not enough for space for visiting cars and then they will ban motorhomes overnighting, or even completely from the car park.  Shame if this happens.


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## AllanD (Jul 15, 2017)

Stayed there last December, wife and me in our van + friends in theirs. Both PVC's, ours MWB, friends XLWB.

We both parked in the main carpark, each within the lines of a single bay but overhanging a paved area at the back. There are a few of these paved areas at the end of some of the rows near the river side of the carpark. Our friend saw the attendant and asked if it was ok to park like this using the tickets from the bottom machine, she was absolutely fine with it and we had no problems.

Check the link to see what I mean about the paved areas. Google Maps


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## Gram (Jul 16, 2017)

mickymost said:


> ...may pay to be careful although you do get as others have stated an entry ticket on arrival so can't see how they give you two tickets for two spaces? unless you reverse back from entry ticket machine and grab another ticket which to me sounds daft?...



I have been advised by the Council to use the Help intercom on the pay machine if I take a 'small vehicle' ticket but then find I cannot fit into a small bay.

G


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## chipvan (Aug 28, 2017)

As I started this thread some time ago and as we stayed at the car park on Saturday night I would write an up date.

Firstly don't park in the coach bays as you will get a parking ticket, see from the pics below two Motorhomes did and got parking tickets for doing so.  The American RV had a car trailer and even had a slide out.  

Secondly there was comments about parking using two bays, as you will see from the last picture there is no markings separating the next bay in front, only a gutter.  As there is only a few river front bays there was several motorhomes parked taking two spaces up, us included and as there is no marked lines separating the bays in front non of us got a ticket.

Finally the automated ticket machine seems to be working very well, it uses number plate recognition and your reg is printed on your ticket automatically.  As long as you take the ticket from the bottom machine you pay the same as a car.  When you are ready to leave you take your ticket to one of the machines and pay with cash or credit card, it then gives you your ticket back.  When you drive to the barrier it opens automatically as it must recognise your number plates, no need to hand in your ticket.

I will write to the council praising them for allowing motorhomes to use the car park, as this will make a change from people complaining to them.

My only concern is that the car park does not get abused as it used by lots of visiters to the race course,  On Saturday there was lots of coaches and mini buses, the car park was nearly fall until about 5pm when all the coachs and most of the cars left.


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## maders (Aug 29, 2017)

chipvan said:


> As I started this thread some time ago and as we stayed at the car park on Saturday night I would write an up date.
> Firstly don't park in the coach bays as you will get a parking ticket, see from the pics below two Motorhomes did and got parking tickets for doing so.  The American RV had a car trailer and even had a slide out.
> My only concern is that the car park does not get abused


 RV deserved a ticket ,as he cant park it in a 1 coach bay (typical, would have had some sympathy if he had parked properly). My main concern when i was there a few weeks ago was the amount of motorhomes ,and the table and chair brigade . Its a car park not a camp site!!!


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## Gram (Aug 31, 2017)

I queried Cheshire West and Chester Council on a couple of points regarding this car park and received the following information:

If you can fit in a car space then the lower charge is permitted.  However, if not then the coach price must be paid.
If you take a car ticket upon entry but cannot fit a car bay then use the Help intercom on the pay machine.
As long as you fit within the boundaries of the bay you can park in the central area (the car bays).
As long as you have purchased a coach ticket you can park in a coach bay.

G


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## Deleted member 58330 (Sep 1, 2017)

Gram said:


> I queried Cheshire West and Chester Council on a couple of points regarding this car park and received the following information:
> 
> If you can fit in a car space then the lower charge is permitted.  However, if not then the coach price must be paid.
> If you take a car ticket upon entry but cannot fit a car bay then use the Help intercom on the pay machine.
> ...


But in effect you take up 2 bays in central area, but no dividing white line...just the gutter. Clear as mud. Seems now the council are taking a keen interest in what is happening. Also the fact the chair brigade are out now treating it as a campsite suggests changes will come about.


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## yeoblade (Sep 1, 2017)

maders said:


> RV deserved a ticket *,as he cant park it in a 1 coach bay* (typical, would have had some sympathy if he had parked properly). My main concern when i was there a few weeks ago was the amount of motorhomes ,and the table and chair brigade . Its a car park not a camp site!!!



He didn't _*park *_it. He _*left *_it encroaching on three coach bays, seems to lack driving ability there, maybe he should keep to the tow car only and leave the RV at home.
Another one ruining it for all, should have had 3  parking tickets fines.


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## Deleted member 58330 (Sep 1, 2017)

ah I now see.  Saw a bloody caravan parked up for the night as well a few weeks ago, waste and fresh containers out.  I was surprised he did not proceed to put his awning up and the usual aerial regalia attached to towing hitch.  I also not now that they take your reg no and print it on ticket.  System not working so well though as there was bloke on the barrier last time checking tickets as you exited.


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## Freespirit (Sep 1, 2017)

*Oops, wrong ticket machine!*

We used the Little Roodee car park a few weeks ago, in my haste I took a ticket from the top machine on entry!  (I only have short arms :lol-049
On departure later the same day I put my ticket in to pay and it wanted £8.00.  It was then I realised what I had done.
I pressed the assistance button and explained to a very helpful man that we were in a Motorhome, no problem the man said, 
I paid the correct fee and a ticket came out of the machine that we used it at the barrier with no problem.
I was pleasantly surprised at how helpful the man was as he could not see my vehicle, I could have been a coach driver.
We did not stay overnight as we were on our way to Friends in Wales but the car park is very MH friendly.  There should be more 
forward thinking Councils like this one.


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