Campden Voices 

by Judith Ellis, 14 April, 2006

The Campden Society has submitted a planning application for a car park at Wolds End orchard.
They say:
The Campden Society is a well-respected, long-established amenity society and therefore absolutely right that it should take a proactive role in trying to resolve the long saga of parking congestion in our historic town.
The purchase of Wolds End orchard has secured a two-fold benefit for the town. It has enabled the society to produce an attractive design for a car park for 58 cars with the full support of the Chamber of Trade and also put us in a position where we can prepare a detailed plan and raise the appropriate funds to improve and replant this much neglected piece of land.

The orchard will remain in the ownership of the Campden Society with its future secured, but the car park land will be available as and when needed with a scheme which we hope will be of great benefit to the town.
The District Council has recently commissioned a report on parking throughout the district. The findings of RTA Associates clearly identify the need for a car park in Chipping Campden, together with the possibility of charging on the High Street for parking. There is also a possibility that the north Cotswolds could become a pilot scheme for decriminalisation. With these distinct possibilities it is most fortuitous that the Campden Society is taking a lead to resolve the parking issues of our town.

‘Caring for Campden’ claims that there is an alternative –
Making better use of what we’ve got, by:
• Making better use of the School car park at weekends and holidays, with profits to the School.
• Utilising the excellent parking system in the Town Square.
• Increasing the use of Back Ends lay-by parking by town centre workers.
• Preventing a proliferation of signs throughout the town.
• Positively encouraging walkers to park at Dovers Hill.

Caring for Campden says ‘What’s wrong with having a car park at Wolds End Orchard? -----
• It’ll cost a fortune to maintain, clean, police and light.
• The Town Centre and surrounding roads will have double yellow lines, traffic wardens enforcing chargeable parking restrictions, forcing shoppers into the car park.
• There will be reserved spaces for residents in the High Street, at a cost to them.
• The Orchard is over a third of a mile from the town centre. Quite a trek, laden with shopping!
• The pedestrian route between Back Ends and Cidermill Lane is dangerously narrow.
• Car parks have destroyed the community and trading balance in other Cotswold towns. Campden will suffer similarly.

Another suggestion has been made by David Lyon, Station Road:

Take a strip down the entire length of George Lane for parking for about 60 cars with access from Catbrook.
Advantages:
• The town will have two car parks – this one serving cars coming into the town from the A44 and the school for cars entering via Aston Road.
• People using the new car park can get right into the centre of town, traffic-free, through the Noel Arms.
• Wolds End Orchard is preserved as it should be.
• The Recreation Ground committee can take the profits to maintain the Ground and raise money to improve their private parking without losing a great deal of ground space.
• Security can be focused on the recreation ground where we know there is a vandalism problem.

What is YOUR view?

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