Councillor defends Shrewsbury Elton John concert parking plans
Tuesday 17th May 2011, 11:00AM BST.
A Shropshire councillor today defended a travel plan for next month’s big concert by Sir Elton John and claimed a four-mile parking exclusion zone would help avoid traffic chaos.
Councillor Jon Tandy, who represents the Sutton ward for Shropshire Council, said that it was a robust plan which placed emphasis on people using public transport and park and ride rather than their own cars.
It was announced yesterday that people attending the gig in Shrewsbury will be banned from parking in residential areas within four miles of the venue.
Shropshire Council said motorists will be stopped from parking close to the Greenhous Meadow Stadium in Oteley Road on June 12 when the legendary singer gives his first concert in the town.
More than 17,000 people are expected to attend the event at Shrewsbury Town FC’s ground but council officials are warning people they should not even be dropped off or picked up by cars in residential areas near the stadium.
Arrangements are in place for local residents’ parking exemptions but all concert ticket holders travelling to the concert by car are strongly advised to purchase a car parking ticket prior to the concert date.
Parking passes are available for at £8 per car and guarantee a parking space at one of the many “park and walk” sites within 10 minutes walking distance of the stadium.
Concert-goers should note that there will be no park and walk sites available for cash sales on the day.
Gareth Profitt, spokesman for Shropshire Council, today said there would be restrictions in a areas close to the stadium.
He said: “We will be writing to all residents in the affected areas to issue them with a parking pass that will allow them to park on-street during the concert. Anyone requiring more than one pass will be able to contact the council to request an additional one.”
Councillor Tandy said he believed the concert would be a great success and the travel plan would ensure smooth entry and departure for concert-goers.
He said: “There will be parking but people will need to book a place in advance.
“There needs to be some sort of exclusion zone because it’s a massive concert with about 17,500 people attending which is twice as much as what you would get for the biggest football match there.”
Wheelchair users who have bought a concert ticket need to contact the Shrewsbury Town Ticket office – details of the ticket will need to be given in order to buy a disabled parking space at the stadium. Blue badges must be taken to the concert.
A park and ride facility will also be in operation at the Oxon Park and Ride site, on a booked basis. For details on passenger drop-off points for those not wishing to park go to www.shrewsburytown.com
To buy car parking tickets call (01743) 273943 or go to www.shrewsburyfc.talent-sport.co.uk click on the away tab and make a selection. The deadline for postal applications is June 7.
By Russell Roberts
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Does the robust travel plan include avoiding people queing for Buses for hours after the concert – doubt it.
The travel plan (or should we say Travel Ban) reflects the selfish approach of the people of Shrewsbury (represented by their elected councillors) who should be welcoming concert goers who will bring much needed finance into the area.
Instead 17,000 people will go away with a negative experience.
Probably the first and last major concert at this stadium.
Thanks
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Don’t worry folks most residents in the area are goign to cash in on the gig and rent out their drive ways like I am for £50 quid a car…
Quite a few residents in Sutton Farm and the area are doign this so fear no more. Maybe John Tandy should do the same?
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Be careful as the local authority may want extra council tax as they may class it as a business,and the Tax man will want his cut. you may finish up out of pocket.but personally good luck providing a service.
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Unfortunately there is no information on the site regarding drop-off points either and for someone who doesn’t know the area this isn’t ideal. (Its just a copy of the press release).
Is there a map people can refer to so they can plan their journey as everything at the moment seems to direct people to park and walk only? It seems this is all aimed at local people and no one else.
Help!!
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I live in Sundorne Google maps states that this is 3 miles. Can I park at my house?? how stupid!!
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Some of these publicity-seeking prima donnas in our councils make Elton John look shy and retiring.
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Out of interest i have just done ,measurements on where the 4 mile exclusion zone will stretch to.
Drawing a straight line on the map, going North from the STFC stadium, 4 miles is to Battlefield. Going west 4 miles is to Bicton, going East 4 mikles is to Wroxeter and going South 4 miles is to Great Ryton (near Dorrington)
How one earth is this going to be policed?. Another bit of “headline” news from local councillors
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Councillor Tandy at the helm, sort of fills you with a feeling of amusement and despair in equal measure.
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No mention Mr Tandy of arrangements for those who wish to arrive by bicycle, which of course we should be promoting as an environmentally friendly option!
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SO are we residents not allowed to park outside our own houses?
Yet more misery because the council wanted to give huge amounts of our green belt land to private enterprise… Cheers council.
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I think Shropshire Star are guilty of misleading headlines re: yesterday’s story. Having read the notice by the council there is a 10 minute “park and walk” facility. I have never known people able to walk 4 miles in 10 minutes!!!
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Has he defended it against who?? was unaware any one had moaned.
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I think it would have been helpfull if the last line of todays article regarding drop off information had been mentioned in last nights article
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As long as the council implement the same restrictions for the Flower Show, West Mid Show, Shrewsbury Carnival, Quo in The Quarry and all the other major events then I won’t moan or kick off one bit about this news
…. sadly I feel there won’t be any Flower Show restrictions
- Just WHO ARE these people moaning about Parking? Can not we drive them out of our proud town?
I pay my road tax therefore surely I can park my car on any road as long as it does not block someone’s drive. Just what is the problem?
Why are there so many spoil sports in Shrewsbury?
Why are we just made to look an utter embarrassment yet again?
I kind of understand the hyped up impression of football fans, if it was a rock concert and people with leather jackets and long hair were to be flooding the town then I sympathise – but this is ELTON JOHN!
The conspiracy theories must be true if the Quo concert has no restrictions. I feel some members of the council want this to spectacularly fail and make the football club and others who organised it look silly.
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4 miles??? sorry but at the end of the day this has to be wrong, or utter madness. I suppose pcso will have something to do but the concert will need to be over by 9-30 1/2 back to base , at least they will be doing something worthwhile to earn the queens coin and so will the parking wardens oops they will have gone home too.
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The thing about this is that the police are not goign to be enforcing it, so who exactly is? The Council can’t because they do not have the manpower. No private security company will do it becuase the tax payer ultimately will have to foot the bill. This sounds like hype to scare monger the public into believing they cannot park anywhere or drop off anywhere. Mr Tandy has not though this through properly at all, and all I can see is mayhem on the night…
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All these whingers saying “so i can’t park at my house” – just remember you have no automatic right to any stretch of PUBLIC highway even if it is right outside your front door. If parking at your address was such a big issue, then perhaps purchasing a house with a driveway would have been a good idea. Its a one off of a few hours – GET OVER IT!
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Come on Shropshire Star, let’s see a bit of investigation,
find out from the council (use Freedom Of Information Act if necessary)
what the cost is of issuing Parking Permits for all the residents in the exclusion zone, how it will be enforced, the cost of enforcement,and how much if any is being paid by the show organiser.
Be also useful to find out, how the decision was made to do this, by councillors or council officers, and why this venue is being treated differently to for example, West Mid Show Ground, Flower Show, Concerts in the quarry, events at the Theatre Severn.
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If a 4 mile no parking limit is in place.Goole maps state its is 3.3miles from the football ground, and frankwell is 2.4 miles.
How are they going to operate oxon park & ride& Frankwell. Get the buses to go to a pickup point 4 miles out of shrewsbury where the cars can go and park,then pick people up to come into shrewsbury fc.
Great council logic.
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Park on the reabrook estate I say culde- sacs are the best places wont hassle anyone
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When Elton came to our town (roughly same size and population, with same types of streets and parking capacity etc) we had relatively few problems, a park and ride is useful, some people parked further out and the got cabs to drop them off rather than walking and good use was made of the available parking spots. It was well co-ordinated and when purchasing tickets it was clear where parking was going to be made available, overflow etc. No reason this can’t work in Shrewsbury at all.
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Where else are the Council suggesting that ’17000′ concert goers park??? There are a number of good sized car parks in the area, Meole Retail Park, Toys R Us, Sainsburys and the Park and Ride, surely some sort of negotiation could be reached whereby for a small fee these parks could be used. Another example of how Shrewsbury can’t get their act together!!!
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I am going to park in front of Brimondo’s house. I am presuming he has a drive???
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Good idea, but just to remind those who are less informed that it is unlawful to prevent access FROM a driveway. However it isn’t against the law to block access TO a driveway so fill your boots (good luck finding me though) :-)
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I think people are getting a little confused with the size of the exclusion zone. It’s not 4 miles from STFC in each direction its a 2 mile RADIUS. Use your heads people.
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To be fair Brimondo the published item does say “will be banned from parking in residential areas within four miles of the venue” which to my mind isn’t 2 miles in each direction (though of course that may be what they meant!!)
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Can for once the Shropshire Star put 5 journalists on this and do a proper investigative story please?
Its OK for church goes to park on Sutton Road on each and every Sunday but seemingly not football fans or concert goers.
Its OK for people to park their cars as long as they are legally taxed and insured and not blocking entrances in conjunction with the Highway Code but seemingly not for a one off concert?
Its OK for people to visit loved ones, friends, family, conduct business etc by parking cars on Shrewsbury streets but not for a concert?
Its OK for people to park their cars in and around the town centre when attending the Flower Show yet in spectacular fashion the anti-football club council want to make life as hard as possible for people wanting to enjoy themselves at an Elton John concert. WHY?
Is the Shropshire Star making a mountain out of a mole hill in a bid to scare locals, gain more hits on the website and or is this a genuine issue?
We have hundreds of side streets in the town. Just what is the issue of people parking on roads that THEY have paid for through road taxes yes crazy councillors who have been ELECTED by these people create headlines by spectacularly idiotic schemes that in other parts of the country or indeed Europe seem quite simply laughable.
I am Shrewsbury born and bred but the place I live in is simply a joke.
For one last time, like many others, WHY has this idiotic scheme never been implemented for the Flower Show which has had 60,000 visitos a day?
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Matt I agree 100%. The Flower Show has always “taken over” on that weekend in August to the inconvenience of anyone who wants to shop in town so why is a concert with significantly less people deemed to be so much bother? Because it’s not the “county set” going! Just think what it’d be like if it was a rock concert for the under 30s rather than Elton John – I think the councillors would faint!
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I will be returing from a trip and would like to unload luggage and two dogs on Wyle Cop. Ridiculous. Yes, Brimondo, I have a garage and a parking space on a private road but they are not adjacent to my house. This is the arrangement that many town centre dwellers have.
Many shops and all pubs and restaurants are open on Sundays. A lot of much needed trade is going to be missed.
If I came to Shrewsbury for a good night out I would take a gim view of the lack of hospitality and, probably, would have no desire to retun, not even for the wretched flower festival.
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