The tourist town that doesn"t want tourists.

[yorkslass]

if you have the time and inclination, take a look at an article in the Whitby gazette titled "PARKING WILL NEVER BE THE SAME AGAIN" to summarize, they are introducing a park and ride system that will run from march 1st to oct 31st. they also propose to permit parking in the town only if you have a resident, business or visitor permit. so much for out of season visitors. I also read somewhere that the park and ride would only operate till about 7.30. are they sharing a brain cell?

 

[lotusanne]

Flippin heck, its bad enough there anyway! Carol's daughter lives in Whitby and you can't drive anywhere near the house,you have to park at the top near the abbey and carry everything down a long windy path to the house,,, that's shopping ,furniture whatever!

 

[Rockerboots]

The easy answer is not to go there. Once the local economy starts to feel the pinch the people of the town especially local business might start to see sense and make a bit of noise in the right direction( ie the local council). Restrictive parking and freedom of movement ( ie unreliable public transport) for any visitor no matter what vehicle they drive will put off.

 

[maureenandtom]

This council is so devious and so underhand that I have an automatic dislike and disapproval of whatever they do regarding traffic.

However, on the face of it, stupid though they have been in the past and stupid though they may be now, I think this is a matter for the residents and business of Whitby. Us too, of course, and we should try to influence if if we can and if we see a need. So long as motorhomes aren't singled out for different treatment just because they are motorhomes and for no other reason then I can't really see that we can complain. So long as we are treated the same as any other motorist.

I hope they fall flat on the faces. I hope the residents of Whitby revolt. I would like to see a Whitby Spring. However, I don't see that I can object because I'm a motohomer if motorhomes aren't being discriminated against.

Maybe though, I can see a possible opportunity here. Encourage the council to provide motorhome places in the park and ride car parks and make them available for overnight parking too. A possible introduction of an Aire - at first maybe without services, but an Aire by any name.

 

[witzend]

from Maureen and Tom

(Maybe though, I can see a possible opportunity here. Encourage the council to provide motorhome places in the park and ride car parks and make them available for overnight parking too. A possible introduction of an Aire - at first maybe without services, but an Aire by any name).

This may be the answer

 

[Smaug]

This does smack of desperation, doesn't it? But Park & Rides do work well in other Touristy places like Chester.

To me, the interesting bit is "Visitor permits" as I can only see that working for people staying at a Hotel or B&B for a week's holiday & booking in advance. But such people will often use the Hotel/ B&B driveway overnight & travel outside the town during the day, which leaves day visitors without a cat's chance of being allowed to park.

Now forgive me for asking, but aren't the day trippers the life blood of the Whitby Tourist trade? People who come to see the ruins, the harbour, go on boat trips, buy the Vampire stuff & Jet trinkets, climb the steps, eat Fish & Chips, buy Lattes, wine & beers? I think they will be major spenders.

The 7.30 curfew seems designed to keep costs down yet still cater for shops, offices & most day trippers and avoid potentially troublesome revellers.

P&R parking for M/Hs is a good idea to encourage a smallish section of day visitors that probably avoid the town now with its current problems. I expect there will still be coach parking somewhere, or at least a central drop-off point in the town with parking outside.

 

[Tbear]

This council is so devious and so underhand that I have an automatic dislike and disapproval of whatever they do regarding traffic.

However, on the face of it, stupid though they have been in the past and stupid though they may be now, I think this is a matter for the residents and business of Whitby. Us too, of course, and we should try to influence if if we can and if we see a need. So long as motorhomes aren't singled out for different treatment just because they are motorhomes and for no other reason then I can't really see that we can complain. So long as we are treated the same as any other motorist.

I hope they fall flat on the faces. I hope the residents of Whitby revolt. I would like to see a Whitby Spring. However, I don't see that I can object because I'm a motohomer if motorhomes aren't being discriminated against.

Maybe though, I can see a possible opportunity here. Encourage the council to provide motorhome places in the park and ride car parks and make them available for overnight parking too. A possible introduction of an Aire - at first maybe without services, but an Aire by any name.

This could be a good thing.

Parking in small seaside towns can be a pain, even in the car. If the council give us a few spaces for larger vehicles - vans, motorhomes, etc and do not ban overnight "parking":sleep-027:. Then it's a win, win situation. The Council earn a few quid for the parking. The bus company get's a share for a shuttle into town. We get a nice easy spot to park and as it will be a council car park, they may sort any antisocial behaviour out before it becomes a serious problem.

Maybe if we supported them, they would tend a little toward our side of things.

Richard

 

[Deleted member 25160]

Looks to me like this is waiting for an old fashioned edge-of-town pub, with a big car park to join our "pubstop" system, especially if it's near the park and ride, or indeed any regular bus route. I'd welcome it even if hey charged an overnight parking fee, which was offsetable against orders the bar.

Funny it's all these big old pubs that are shutting down by the thousand.

(or is that because people used drive to them to have a couple of ordinary strength beers, and that was socially and legally acceptable, but it no longer is?)

 

[Smaug]

Looks to me like this is waiting for an old fashioned edge-of-town pub, with a big car park to join our "pubstop" system, especially if it's near the park and ride, or indeed any regular bus route. I'd welcome it even if hey charged an overnight parking fee, which was offsetable against orders the bar.

Funny it's all these big old pubs that are shutting down by the thousand.

(or is that because people used drive to them to have a couple of ordinary strength beers, and that was socially and legally acceptable, but it no longer is?)

Partly due to reduced drinking, but also due to owners ramping up the rents so tenants can't make them pay. Loads are then being sold off as "development properties", demolished & turned into small housing estates. Big heaps of cash in pocket for owner & developer, plus council fulfils its Govt set housing target on "brown sites". :sad:

 

[alcam]

Whitby

Just back from Whitby and main car park [only on right driving from staton] is motorhome friendly . This was confirmed by tourist office

 

[Deleted member 27306]

just read last weeks Whitby gazette parking charges are going to be £3 per hour £10 per 24 hours residents &17 per year to start with lol the council reckon they have a mandate from the public as 75% want it. a mate of mine lives in Whitby and reckons he's talked to loads of locals and nobody wants it loads of business's will go to the wall pubs will close as things are tough anyway with the recession. the same council are thinking of buying a seagull suit for a council employee to wear to hand out flyers no pun intended to dissuade people from feeding the seagulls you couldn't make it up. I go at least once a week to Whitby when this charge goes on that's me done will find somewhere else to spend my money bl**dy idiots

 

[iveco4x4]

Partly due to reduced drinking, but also due to owners ramping up the rents so tenants can't make them pay. Loads are then being sold off as "development properties", demolished & turned into small housing estates. Big heaps of cash in pocket for owner & developer, plus council fulfils its Govt set housing target on "brown sites". :sad:

Its worse than that, you don't need planning permission to turn a pub into a shop, so Tescos are buying / leasing them and turning them into damn tesco expresses that then force all the local family run shops out of business and then put their prices up

Guess whats just happened to our big local pub - not that i'm bitter and twisted but I do hate tescos

Rich

 

[yorkslass]

Looks to me like this is waiting for an old fashioned edge-of-town pub, with a big car park to join our "pubstop" system, especially if it's near the park and ride, or indeed any regular bus route. I'd welcome it even if hey charged an overnight parking fee, which was offsetable against orders the bar.

Funny it's all these big old pubs that are shutting down by the thousand.

(or is that because people used drive to them to have a couple of ordinary strength beers, and that was socially and legally acceptable, but it no longer is?)

as it happens there is a pub opposite the proposed park and ride.i can "t see them going out of their way for any group of tourists as, according to scarborough borough council, tourist numbers have increased this year. the passes seem to be for hotel owners to give to visitors.

 

[ricc]

Its worse than that, you don't need planning permission to turn a pub into a shop, so Tescos are buying / leasing them and turning them into damn tesco expresses that then force all the local family run shops out of business and then put their prices up

Guess whats just happened to our big local pub - not that i'm bitter and twisted but I do hate tescos

Rich

tesco are doing that in yeovil, the pub theyre converting to a wee shop is on the main road into town.... no other pubs or little shops really close by..... though theres a coop a few minutes walk away in the housing estates and i guess ten minutes walk away is......yes youve guessed it a blxxdy gurt tesco......i just dont see any sense in it.

 

[QFour]

People shopping at Tesco Express seem to think that they are the same price as your normal Tesco. They are normally 10% - 15% more. I bought a bottle of milk from one a few months back. Cost me £1.30 where I normally pay 98p. They do seem to have cornered the market somewhat. Near where we live there are 3 Super Stores within a couple of miles of each other. The local council compulsory purchased a row of small shops and businesses so that they could have a NEW TESCO. Now they are flattening the rest of the area and driving what business are left out while they build their TRAM system. Which just happens to stop next to TESCO ..

 

[ianf]

Whitby

It used to be a cracking little town before it was "discovered" so I very seldom go there these days. I really don't need any more dream catchers or steam engines moulded out of bits of Jet and some plastic or other! It's a bit like those bamboo wind chimes that you can buy in the Lakes no doubt whittled by shepherds on those long dark winter nights. Sorry, I must get back to the topic of Whitby.

I now only go there to fish, we get into Whitby at 6:45am to leave on a boat at 7am returning at 4-5pm in the evening. There are about 10 boats that go out with about 10 fishermen on each. If it was a case of parking up by the abbey and taking a walk down the hill no problem but you have a load of kit to take down and (hopefully) a load of kit and fish to take back.

Sea fishing is not cheap when you consider driving, parking and bait for the day (four hour round trip for our little party) but we pay the day parking rate because we enjoy it. Where ever your travels take you it must be enjoyable, we bring income to the town. I will quite happily leap on a park and ride service because it is convenient. However changes such as those outlined have an impact upon minorities such as fishermen and those that earn their living from us in Whitby because "park and ride" doesn't fix it for such pastimes.

Whitby is a terrible place to park in and a stroll around it reveals more "tat" shops than you can poke a stick at. So I applaud the idea of reducing the congestion and change always brings resistance but it remains to be seen if the local council get it right first time around.

 

[yorkslass]

It used to be a cracking little town before it was "discovered" so I very seldom go there these days. I really don't need any more dream catchers or steam engines moulded out of bits of Jet and some plastic or other! It's a bit like those bamboo wind chimes that you can buy in the Lakes no doubt whittled by shepherds on those long dark winter nights. Sorry, I must get back to the topic of Whitby.

I now only go there to fish, we get into Whitby at 6:45am to leave on a boat at 7am returning at 4-5pm in the evening. There are about 10 boats that go out with about 10 fishermen on each. If it was a case of parking up by the abbey and taking a walk down the hill no problem but you have a load of kit to take down and (hopefully) a load of kit and fish to take back.

Sea fishing is not cheap when you consider driving, parking and bait for the day (four hour round trip for our little party) but we pay the day parking rate because we enjoy it. Where ever your travels take you it must be enjoyable, we bring income to the town. I will quite happily leap on a park and ride service because it is convenient. However changes such as those outlined have an impact upon minorities such as fishermen and those that earn their living from us in Whitby because "park and ride" doesn't fix it for such pastimes.

Whitby is a terrible place to park in and a stroll around it reveals more "tat" shops than you can poke a stick at. So I applaud the idea of reducing the congestion and change always brings resistance but it remains to be seen if the local council get it right first time around.

I doubt it. their plans for resident parking are, at the moment, in total disarray.