Safe Speed Forums

If so, be warned:

I visited Keswick on Easter saturday afternoon, and as you might imagine there were a few other visitors too . . .

What you might not imagine was the council's attitude to those visitors, particularly with enforcement of parking regulations - their own regulations at that.

When we arrived at the lake-side car park, just after midday, it was full, and people were starting to fill in any odd spaces they could, me included. I bumped two wheels gently off the road, and ensured I wasn't causing an obstruction. Some access roads in the car park had yellow lines, where I parked didn't, BTW.

We bought a ticket and went off, had a boat trip, played obstacle golf, bought ices and drinks, rolled money in the charity 'wishing well'. Indeed I reckon we put between £40-50 in to the local economy.

Returning to the car, I had gained an accessory - a screen-mounted Penalty Charge Notice for not parking wholly within a bay (I'd already been warned that parking with a wheel on the white lines would earn a ticket.

So Allerdale council require an additional £60 (reduced to £30 if paid within 14 days).

I estimate that that about 40 vehicles would have been ticketed, so work out that amount over the Summer season . . .


We visited the area, and took the boat ride etc., on a recommendation. Unfortunately, lovely as it was, my recommendation to you is:
If you visit the Lake District, and the car parks are full, drive on, spend your money elsewhere.

Even if you park, do not get a tyre on the white markings (and you thought 'avoiding the cracks on the pavement was for kids!) as this will also earn a fine.

And, as the line goes, 'tell your friends' too. In fact, warn them.

I just won't bother going up there.
I'll spend my money somewhere else, like the continent.
It is a shame really, don't fancy Wales either.

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Oct 11 Birmingham Half Marathon. I am running for the British Heart Foundation.
http://www.justgiving.com/Rob-Taylor

Allerdale are well known over most of the Northwest as far as I know!
Even locals fall foul of the tickets, because the enforcement is so absurd!

Try Barrow in Furness - their parking is cheap, the dock museum is entertaining and FREE, and the restaurant there is good and very reasonably priced.
There is a good range of shops - again prices are reasonable, and the Tesco store was featured during the last fuel crisis as the cheapest in Britain!

The A590 is a dogs dinner at present as they build a new bypass at High Newton, but you could avoid it by going to Windermere on the A591, then down the lake via the A592 and joining the A590 at Newby Bridge.
If you have time there is a great route via Little Langdale, Wrynose Pass and Hardnot Pass into Eskdale and then south to Barrow - but DONT do it with the in-laws in the car!! Oh and dont try it on Bank Holidays unless you are entertained by watching numpties tackle hairpin bends on a 1 in 4 gradient, and not knowing what or where the lock is on their steering!

In Windermere, you can create chaos with a disabled badge by parking on the road for free but if you sensibly park in the car parks, you have to pay!
A good ploy is to visit the Belsfield Hotel which overlooks the Lake at Bowness Bay, use their car park (free to patrons) use the bar for refreshments, then walk down through their gardens to the Promenade - kids would enjoy this, and there are shops within easy walking distance.

Maybe we should start a "Local Knowledge"thread!

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Time to take responsibility for our actions.. and don't be afraid of speaking out!

Ah yes! I'm a Copeland resident but have fallen foul of Allerdale's parking stazi in the past! Their reputation is, I can assure you, richly deserved. And, as with Horse, we had visitors up to stay so they got two family tickets to this particular attraction out of me that day. Needless to say, I've not been back there when we've had guests. I try to spend my money in Copeland!

Try Cartmel racecourse car park (church-owned). 50p in an honesty box and all the grass you can eat.

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Anyone who tells you that nothing is impossible has never bathed in a saucer of water.

Ditto.............

Certain factions in this glorious part of the country seem to want to keep it to themseves. They want to rid the lakes of powered boats, they would charge tolls for entry and use of the roads, and as you say the wardens seem keen to target the flustered tourist rather than the real road obstructors.

Those of us (and there are many on this forum) who care about this county have been trying our best especially in the years since Foot and Mouth to help make it an attractive, appealing place to come and spend your hard earned, while the self serving agencies who have too much power in their hands seem happy to close the gates and place a 'feckoff' sign on them.

Hello again Horse.

I did say hi in another place, but you didn't remember me.

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Fixed ideas are like cramp, for instance in the foot, yet the best remedy is to step on them.

Ian

I dont think it's even flustered tourists - there just seems to be a lack of common sense. I have seen people who have not been causing any obstruction get a ticket - even when they have actually PAID to use the car park - and that happens in the Westmoreland Centre too!
The two spaces which overlook the walkway to the shops are ridiculous, and shouls either be made into a single disabled bay, or reserved for two motorbikes!

Have you seen the Gazette's forums yet?
Not too many members yet, but some interesting insights into residents views on Kendal traffic!
I responded to the Seaplane debate - but not too many responses! I suspect most think it a foregone conclusion, and not worthy of comment.
I'll leave you to guess my handle on that forum!

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Time to take responsibility for our actions.. and don't be afraid of speaking out!

Diff. sign-in there? Is this your old CSCP one? If so, then now rings a bell!

My situation (as with many other users that day) as I - gently, and after unloading the passengers - bumped two wheels up on to the grass. There were no yellow line markings (although there were in other areas of the car park), and I wasn't causing any obstruction.

What particularly p1ssed me off was that there were two parkings attendants giving out the tickets - wouldn't it have been better to have one on 'gate duty' suggesting people drive on?

Still, I paid up.

5 x £6 cheques

If I'd had enough chq books it would have been 60 each for 50p



Edit: Visiting the local town centre (here, not Keswick) when the car parks were particularly busy - presumably in the run-up to Xmas - one of our car park attendants was telling people to use up the otherwise empty coach parking area.

Not so during my visit to the Lakeside car park in Keswick - although there were no buses there and the reserved area was totally empty (1.00 pm ish), anyone who parked there was being ticketed as I left just before 4 . . .

Well if yu DO decide to come back - at least to Windermere, give me a call or check out my first post in this thread!
The Belsfield Hotel is often given to offering rooms at reduced rates at off peak times.

In Staveley, there is FREE parking, AND a brewery and fine cafe/restaurant in the Mill Yard! Just make sure the wife is there to drive you home!

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Time to take responsibility for our actions.. and don't be afraid of speaking out!

We will be back - despite any suggestion I may have made to the contrary - just much more wary as our friends, although moving, are remaining in the Cockermouth area.

And where do you get this concept of 'the wife driving so I can drink'? Sometimes happens . . .

I wonder what the postage charge would be on 3000 pennies? Better yet, put inadequate postage and no external return address on the package, and let them pay for the privilege of receiving the entire contents of your piggy-bank!

Does one of these apply to the area of Keswick?

The Road Traffic (Permitted Parking Area and Special Parking Area) (County of Cumbria) (Borough of Copeland) Order 2003
The Road Traffic (Permitted Parking Area and Special Parking Area) (County of Cumbria) (Borough of Allerdale) Order 2003
The Road Traffic (Permitted Parking Area and Special Parking Area) (County of Cumbria) (District of South Lakeland) Order 2002
The Road Traffic (Permitted Parking Area and Special Parking Area) (County of Cumbria) (District of Eden) Order 2002
The Road Traffic (Permitted Parking Area and Special Parking Area) (County of Cumbria) (Borough of Barrow-in-Furness) Order 2001
The Road Traffic (Designation of Permitted Parking Area and Special Parking Area) (County of Cumbria) (City of Carlisle) Order 2001

If so then the reason is simple. Decriminalised parking enforcement.

The council makes up the restrictions. The council charges for permits. The council makes money from payment of penalty charge notices. You don't get to go to a real court to contest.

It is a government/council run scam.

However, in a council owned off-road car park if you are done for "not parked whole within a marked bay" you MUST check to see if the car park actually has any bays. You might be mistaken for thinking that the lines on the ground are the bays, no... The official bays are marked in a document. It has been known for the council to forget to mark any bays on this document, and therefore you can't be done for not parking within a marked bay because the whole car park is the bay.

Under DPE the council have to do everything perfectly. They often don't manage this. The wording on the penalty charge notice has to be perfect. The lines and signs have to be perfect (on-road anyway). The traffic restriction orders have to be in place correctly.

And if you can't manage to find something they did wrong, don't forget The Coinage Act 1971 when paying your debt. Especially Section 2 - Legal Tender.

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Andrew.

The definition of legal tender is narrow and refers only to paying money into a court.

As you do not get anywhere near a court with DPE, the Council can refuse to accept it. Oxford, for example, do not accept any form of cash.

The more you learn about it the more you realise what a complete and utter scam it is. The people who create the laws and enforce their laws make money from doing so, and there is no available route for justice. Hmm, reminds me of something else...

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Andrew.

They are ridiculous und beware of the supermarket carpark in Cockermouth as we know of several copped by being a smidgeon out of the bays.

I usually take my bicycle into Keswick or the motorbike as ist easier to park those when I go to do some shopping there. But those wardens are notoriously awful.

However, they are a bit nervous of public. I ask one for time once. I did it politely und with a smile. She jumped und looked all nervous. Und I said I was on my bicycle but wanted the time as was picking watch up from repairer und was running close to closing time

She said she jumped because





I wonder why...


But then .. she could lurk here und I sound in the flesh just like I type

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Nicht ganz im Lot!
Ich setze mich immer wieder in die Nesseln! Der Mad Doc ist mein Mann! Und ich benutzte seinen PC!

UND OUR SMILEYS? Smile ... und the the world smiles with you.
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Fine me for Safe Speed
(& other good causes..)

Greatest love & Greatest Achievements Require Greatest Risk
But if you lose the driving plan - don't lose the COAST lesson.
Me?
Je ne regrette rien!

And, unfortunately, people will carry on voting Labour and perpetuate this situation...

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Pecunia Prius Equitas et Salus

They're on my list of people not to vote for. It's tomorrow we get to vote out our stupid council, right?

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Andrew.

Yep - unfortunately I'm working down in London all this week, so won't be able to get to the polls...

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Pecunia Prius Equitas et Salus