The council dropped the parking charges proposal entirely. Huge thanks to all 801 of you for keeping the pressure on to save our park. We need to stay alert just in case they try this again.
December 18, 2020
Final supporters
Ampthill Town Council in conjunction with Central Beds Council are carrying out a 'feasibility' study with a view to applying car parking charges within Ampthill park itself and the surrounding laybys. The implementation of these is due to start Easter 2021.
There are various reasons why this is considered to be a bad idea. Namely:-
1. many people who frequent the park, to walk dogs, to exercise, to enjoy the hub cafe, to take their children to the play area, etc., do not live within walking distance of the park so have to drive. The imposition of fees to park will impact seriously on their ability to enjoy the facilities on offer at the park although most will be CBC council tax payers already and these fees represent another 'tax'.
2. if parking fees are applied then inevitably park users will seek to park elsewhere causing additional parking problems within adjacent roads and the Waitrose car park. The evidence of weekend parking around the park already shows that parking is at a premium.
3. for those that cannot afford to park or cannot find free parking they will cease to be able to enjoy the park facilities. This will result in a lost amenity to many together with much reduced footfall to the hub cafe
Updates
Reached 500 supporters
December 10, 2020
Reached 100 supporters
September 29, 2020
September 27, 2020
We are approaching the first hundred signatures. Keep pushing so we can show the council exactly how many people oppose these charges.
286 Comments
When our children were younger it was too far to walk from home (in Ampthill) to the park. I have an elderly dog and its too far to walk from home to the park for her. Please don't deprive local people from using our lovely park and having to pay.
Awful idea. In a year on massive unemployment and rise in need of food banks it seems in bad taste to tax people for wanting to enjoy the park and need to arrive by car. It will ostracise many vulnerable groups of people from being able to use the park. Extremely short sighted.
I walk my dog everyday in the park and think it would be outrageous to charge me to walk with my dog in the town where I live after paying extremely high council tax, I would boycott the park and simply walk my dog somewhere else, I know many people who feel the same.
There is always complaints from the local and county councils complaining about parking on verges and now they want to charge. Look what happened to the charged Carpark past the church, it was too expensive, no one used it and now houses are being built.
Some Ampthill residents park in those lay-bys along Woburn St because they don’t have parking at their homes (Park Hill for instance), they’re not solely used for visiting the park. Ampthill is short on parking as it is, so this is just ridiculous.
I already pay council tax as a resident which supports Ampthill Park. I feel it unfair to pay twice
Makes the park unwelcoming, should be free for all
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The council dropped the parking charges proposal entirely. Huge thanks to all 801 of you for keeping the pressure on to save our park. We need to stay alert just in case they try this again.
December 18, 2020
Final supporters
Ampthill Town Council in conjunction with Central Beds Council are carrying out a 'feasibility' study with a view to applying car parking charges within Ampthill park itself and the surrounding laybys. The implementation of these is due to start Easter 2021.
There are various reasons why this is considered to be a bad idea. Namely:-
1. many people who frequent the park, to walk dogs, to exercise, to enjoy the hub cafe, to take their children to the play area, etc., do not live within walking distance of the park so have to drive. The imposition of fees to park will impact seriously on their ability to enjoy the facilities on offer at the park although most will be CBC council tax payers already and these fees represent another 'tax'.
2. if parking fees are applied then inevitably park users will seek to park elsewhere causing additional parking problems within adjacent roads and the Waitrose car park. The evidence of weekend parking around the park already shows that parking is at a premium.
3. for those that cannot afford to park or cannot find free parking they will cease to be able to enjoy the park facilities. This will result in a lost amenity to many together with much reduced footfall to the hub cafe
Updates
Reached 500 supporters
December 10, 2020
Reached 100 supporters
September 29, 2020
September 27, 2020
We are approaching the first hundred signatures. Keep pushing so we can show the council exactly how many people oppose these charges.
286 Comments
It's a great place and would be a real shame that parking charges will definitely reduce how often we go there - in much the same way as we now never go to Marston Forest. Will consequently spend less money in the town's shops, pubs, etc.
When our children were younger it was too far to walk from home (in Ampthill) to the park. I have an elderly dog and its too far to walk from home to the park for her. Please don't deprive local people from using our lovely park and having to pay.
Awful idea. In a year on massive unemployment and rise in need of food banks it seems in bad taste to tax people for wanting to enjoy the park and need to arrive by car. It will ostracise many vulnerable groups of people from being able to use the park. Extremely short sighted.
I walk my dog everyday in the park and think it would be outrageous to charge me to walk with my dog in the town where I live after paying extremely high council tax, I would boycott the park and simply walk my dog somewhere else, I know many people who feel the same.
There is always complaints from the local and county councils complaining about parking on verges and now they want to charge. Look what happened to the charged Carpark past the church, it was too expensive, no one used it and now houses are being built.
Some Ampthill residents park in those lay-bys along Woburn St because they don’t have parking at their homes (Park Hill for instance), they’re not solely used for visiting the park. Ampthill is short on parking as it is, so this is just ridiculous.
I already pay council tax as a resident which supports Ampthill Park. I feel it unfair to pay twice
Makes the park unwelcoming, should be free for all
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It's a great place and would be a real shame that parking charges will definitely reduce how often we go there - in much the same way as we now never go to Marston Forest. Will consequently spend less money in the town's shops, pubs, etc.