HP parking closing after Arsenal game

[Royal Lady]

For the record, Schards and I have a car parking space provided gratis by the owner of a local company whom we know. Many others also park there. We are merely thinking of other people. HTH.

[Oddesy2k]

People are taking advantage of the fact parking is limited, charging £10 for one game takes the piss. I for one am glad I dont need to worry about it. Plus I might be able to help a few fellow surporters out PM me for details

[TFF]

For the record, Schards and I have a car parking space provided gratis by the owner of a local company whom we know. Many others also park there. We are merely thinking of other people. HTH.

I appreciate the thought.

Please PM me the details RL.

[Royal Lady]

All the spaces are already taken. I meant, by us moaning about the lack of car parking spaces, we are not thinking of ourselves, but fellow fans.

[Platypuss]

People seem to expect far to much to be done for them these days. The club provide a team and a stadium to watch them in. If you can't be bothered to sort out your own arrangements for getting to and from the ground in comfort and safety then I'd suggest you spend yout time elsewhere.

Hmm, a point of view that seems to be confused about who exactly the customer is here.

I'd be surprised if the club takes the same attitude when/if there are 14000 further seats to fill but with the same transport arrangements....

[MartinRdg]

And I can't believe that RFC are not adding to the carpark as part of the stadium expansion!!!

I think that they have to be realistic about this. There is no way they could substantially add to the parking on-site without adding to the access roads as well. It takes an hour to get out of the carpark as it is.

I believe they said somewhere that the A33 Relief Rd wouldn't cope with the extra volume of extending the car park.

[PieEater]

/cynic mode on

The loss of the HP car park surley means more revenue directly into the RBC coffers from issuing more parking tickets. So I'm not suprised they have done nothing to help.

/cynic mode off

[Warfield Royal]

HP wont be using the site but the car park will still be there. Why can't anyone just park for free?

[PieEater]

Didn't you notice the barriers at the entrance?

I agree it seems logical if the site is there why can't we use it, but I expect HP want to keep it secure and free from vandalism until it gets knocked down.

I may be wrong, but they probably need to secure the site to protect against any personal accident insurance claims too.

[Platypuss]

If people bother to read the sixth post on this thread they will find Dirk Gently explains exactly why HP are closng the car park too.

[STAR Liaison]

HP wont be using the site but the car park will still be there. Why can't anyone just park for free?

Because they believe they will have to continue to pay business rates if it is used so they intend to close the site completely.

As mentioned elsewhere RFC have been trying to get RBC to waive any rights to business rates if it is just used as a car park, but so far they have only had verbal reassurances which are not good enough for HP!

As it is to be mothballed I would expect large concrete barriers to be in place as soon as they go - just like there is on the grass on the old A33 to stop anyone driving over the grass mounds elsewhere on the site!

[The 17 Bus]

The site will be secured, but will be full of travellers within a week

[PieEater]

As mentioned elsewhere RFC have been trying to get RBC to waive any rights to business rates if it is just used as a car park, but so far they have only had verbal reassurances which are not good enough for HP!

Can you blame them, if there was lots of money at stake, I'd want it in writing from the head of the rates department.

[kevan]

Nearly all new developments of any size are now forced by Prescotts office to do without further parking - the club are trotting out the best they can - which I am sure looks just like the circular they got from the council - encourage car sharing and bicycle parking - I would get the bus from where I live but would have to leave on Wednesday.

[STAR Voice]

You're right in some ways - all new developments these days have no or minimal parking. Wembley has disabled parking only, Coventry has none, Derby and Leicester have hardly any.

Believe it or not, Reading has far more than the majority of ground of the same size - which is possibly also why it has more congestion problems and it takes longer to get out of the car park than most other grounds.

Efficient public transport has got to be the only way to go - and that's waht needs improving, not just the knee-jerk calls for "more parking" - becuase that will just result in more congestion.

[The 17 Bus]

The introduction of the ST for parking helped reduce congestion, it is a shame the same cannot be done for the Speedway parking, most of the congestion can be managed and a lot removed using a bit of common sense and a modicum of intelligence

[Matt de K]

Is nobody else concerned about the lack of RFC involvement with the lack of car parking spaces???

OK so they've pin pointed where season ticket holders live. Wow. I probably could have done that.

They've asked people whether they'd like a bus service put on - @ £5 return each (typical - make as much money as possible at the supporters expense). This is the only communication we have officially from RFC to let us know what they are doing about it. It's not good enough. I'd rather pay the tenner @ the post house than travel to, say, Yateley and pay effectively £15
I live in Bramshill and have travelled with my 2 brothers for the last 5 or 6 seasons, so parking is essential for me. Christ there's not even a normal bus that goes through Bramshill.

I appreciate that the closure of the HP car park 'may' be a blessing in disguise in the long term - but what about now??

It seems just as always; RFC take peoples money then oxf*rd them.

[Dirk Gently]

Is nobody else concerned about the lack of RFC involvement with the lack of car parking spaces???

The club has been working their butts off to try and get additional car parking spaces - for instance 250 (I think!) at Courage.

They've asked people whether they'd like a bus service put on - @ £5 return each (typical - make as much money as possible at the supporters expense).

You really expect a free bus service from where you live? If you're having one why can't I have one? And what about the other 20,000+ home fans?
Or do you think there is a fleet of magic busses that don't cost anything to run, with drivers that do it for free?
Or would you rather have ticket prices go up by a fiver a game to compensate?[/quote]

It seems just as always; RFC take peoples money then oxf*rd them.

As stated several times on this thread, the HP car park closure is something the football club has tried their damnedst to prevent - if you wnt to moan at someone moan at Reading Borough Council - it's their fault.

[Wycombe Royal]

This is the only communication we have officially from RFC to let us know what they are doing about it.

So you didn't read this on the official site then:

Reading Football Club is actively pursuing local companies with car park facilities who may be in a position accommodate supporters on match day.

http://www.readingfc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/News/NewsDetail/0,,10306~915158,00.html

[1871 Royal]

My uncle was pretty pi$$ed about this ............... thats the only thing i hate about football ........ waiting to get out of the bloddy car park!