British Gas Parking at Vernon Park

[moorendman]

That may seem an easy solution but firstly would involve buying an installing a machine and secondly the additional  costs of monitoring and enforcing compliance. The likelihood would also be that the British Gas users would go somewhere else to park and not pay. Renegotiating with British Gas to pay a commercial rent is the msot effective way forward, gaining revenue without any investment.

[Harry]

Easy answer would be to make it a Pay & Display car park. Perhaps with the first two hours free, like the one at PC World, so that genuine park visitors don't have to pay.

[moorendman]

No, they are definitely not paying for the spaces. I have had a letter back from a local councillor who says:

Re the use of Vernon Park car park by British Gas employees I am indeed aware of it.  Initially some years ago staff from British Gas started using the car park and attempts were made to prevent this.  Two problems arose  with this approach, almost all the employees are Stockport residents and council tax payers and some became very aggrieved at not being given access to the park and the cost to the council of manning the gate was significant.

Since then British Gas, who have sponsored Britain in bloom, benches and the summer concerts in the park, agreed to provide security to ensure that 20 places plus the disabled parking spaces, are always kept free for the public, during weekdays and that the car park is not used by BG employees at weekends. And of course those members of the public benefit from the security on the car park when parking, BG have also met the cost of the remarking of the spaces.

So as you can see , they paint a few lines , send the security man over from the main buidling once a week and sponsor a bench ( that must dent their marketing budget, eh ! ) and then benefit from a free 60 space car park. They also avoid paying business rates which are rated at £1000 a space by the Valuation office. Presumably the council pay the rates on the car park though to avoid any unncessary inconvenience.

It would be both a sensible use of resources and a useful source of revenue if British Gas were charged an economic rent but this would appear to be beyond the commercial capabilities of the council. Easier to close a library or a park plant nursery. On Thursday Centrica, owners of British Gas, will post a £720 million profit, up 20% from last year. As their favourite song says, " Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it snow"

[Biker]

ref: the vehicles at Vernon Park - are you sure the Council are not charging British Gas for parking there - the existence of signs would seem to indicate British Gas are renting space there.

[moorendman]

If this is a response to so called cuts , then it is a disgrace. Today on a whim I stopped by Vernon Park using the entrance opposite British Gas. The gardens car park was full of some 50 to 60 cars that are obviously workers at British Gas. This seemed to be condoned by the parks department as several signs were pinned to the railings asking specifically that British Gas workers leave spaces free for members of the public !!

So , not only do you pay for gas and electric through the eyes and nose and help British Gas post obscene profits, but also your council tax subsidises a free car park for their workers !!!

The least the MBC  could do would be to bill British Gas for car park charges and put that money back into the parks upkeep. They will be telling us they need to make cuts next.