The report spares no detail - it's a very long read - but in summary, it makes four broad proposals:
1. Give permits to business owners and their staff (subject to some controls) for use anywhere except Town Street
2. Brabyns Brow to have more short stay (e.g. +15) and less long stay than currently, and two out of the 5 Disabled Bays to be delimited to short stay
3. Lobby Transport for Greater Manchester to add more spaces to the Purple Pakora Car Park (estimate 15 can be created)
4. Pay and Display on Longhurst Lane and Lower Fold to have a very high fee for longer term than 4 hours e.g. £10
which suggests a paltry 15 more parking spaces behind the Purple Pakora. Fifteen, that's all! You could create fifteen more spaces within the existing car park by painting white lines on it, so that people don't park so far apart! And there's room for loads more spaces than that in the grassy area at the back of the existing car park.
The 4 broad proposals are similar to my own thoughts, apart from the extra 15 spaces. Like
@Dave my view is that many more are possible. I would estimate around 60-70, so a substantial increase which would alleviate many of the problems. Hopefully this is something that could be progressed.
Interesting. Is there any option or discussion of trying to get more commuters to Rose Hill and spread them out more? (Better service). I use RH as it is quieter and better parking. I sometimes walk, both stations are almost a mile from where I live, but when I have childcare to sort have to drive. Could there be a way of encouraging more people to walk to the station ?
I think that a better Rose Hill service would definitely help, and longer term tram/train to Rose Hill would improve things further.
A factor not mentioned in this brief summary (though mentioned frequently in the report) is the large number of cars belonging to drivers from Derbyshire who park at Marple to take advantage of the considerably cheaper train fares within Greater Manchester. One solution could be £10 pay and display for four hours on the station car parks/Longhurst Lane/Lower Fold but permits enabling free parking for Greater Manchester residents. My feeling is that roadside parking on Lower Fold and Longhurst Lane from Clement Road to Marple Bridge should be residents only if there is not currently a parking prohibition.
Some form of pay and display with free residents parking may be an option, though costs of running this would have to be covered. The down side may be displacing "outsiders" cars onto residential streets which is already a problem.
don't believe a word about Conservative support for the 394 -
There was considerable Conservative support for this, this involved lots of lobbying of Derbyshire and Stockport council and TFGM, a petition, working in liaison with Andrew Bingham MP and office. Due to our close involvement you will recall I was able to inform you that despite high hopes, contract was not signed and further issues needed sorting here
http://www.marple-uk.com/smf/index.php?topic=6726.msg40820#msg40820A proper park-and-ride car park, similar to what they have at Hazel Grove. There is plenty of space at the back of the Purple Pakora.
All the stuff about 'people should walk to the station' and 'people should be prevented from coming across the Derbyshire boundary' (how?), is just whistling in the dark. It's a free country, thank goodness! People who live a mile or more from the station (and most of us do) will drive. If we can't park, we'll drive into Manchester and make the roads even more congested and cause even more environmental damage than we do already.
I find myself agreeing with you again
@Dave . If at all possible substantial expansion of this parking is I feel the best way forward, in conjunction with the other changes mentioned.