Parking in Swords Plaza no longer foc

Stheno

Hey folks,

Dunno when this changed but just a heads up for anyone who might have been used to parking for free in Swords Plaza. It's now been taken over by Euro car parks and is €1 per hour 24/7, went through there today and there were at least five cars clamped!

Better option is the underground car park across from the pet shop, it's €4 per day, €1 for two hours, then goes up to four.

pinkypinky

Yeah, they did that at the beginning of July.
Wish they had resurfaced the whole area when they did it - still a lot of potholes.
Down beside the Catholic church is still normal parking controlled by Fingal , so free after 1800.

ethernet

I think it happened about two weeks ago now.

So stingy - I mean, you often just want to pop into the shop for 5 mins and have to pay for a full hour. Main St is just going to be even more wedged now.

buttercups88

I was so lucky I didn't get clamped last week, I only noticed 2 hours later on way back to car, I was convinced i'd be paying up don't know how I missed the bright yellow signs, mind you it was late...

MugMugs

It's comical that they have the nerve to charge for that. I came back to my car about to be clamped about two weeks back when nipping into Indie Spice. Stood in front of the wheel and told him to piss away off.

The area is a liability waiting to happen and charging 24 hours is outright ridiculous! The word parking should also be changed to organised abandonment!

Stheno

I wonder if people from the apartments around there had been using it as a free car park?

pinkypinky

I think they have space in the underground car park - there's a section that's barriered off when you go and I always presumed it was for the residents.

The Scientician

Are you guys referring to the parking directly behind the Town Centre Mall? I didn't think The Plaza ever had free parking. That street Forster Way where Indie Spice and the Pet Shop are has had pay and display for quite a while. It's now been extended past the TCM as far as the back of The Star. Previously the section directly behind the TCM was free customer parking for people using the Town Centre Mall and beyond that was free parking, although the free section seemed to fill up entirely at the start of the working day. As someone who has worked in retail in the area for many years I find the state of parking in the town a joke and a half and the lack of a clear, cheap, plentiful parking system has stymied the economic development of the Main St. area. But shore there's always the Pavillions yay.

Stheno

The Scientician wrote: »

Are you guys referring to the parking directly behind the Town Centre Mall? I didn't think The Plaza ever had free parking. That street Forster Way where Indie Spice and the Pet Shop are has had pay and display for quite a while. It's now been extended past the TCM as far as the back of The Star. Previously the section directly behind the TCM was free customer parking for people using the Town Centre Mall and beyond that was free parking, although the free section seemed to fill up entirely at the start of the working day. As someone who has worked in retail in the area for many years I find the state of parking in the town a joke and a half and the lack of a clear, cheap, plentiful parking system has stymied the economic development of the Main St. area. But shore there's always the Pavillions yay.

The whole are from the senior citizens club through to the Polish shop, that whole section had free parking until the beginning of July, around the pet shop was being clamped the past few months, now it's all pay and display

ifah

It might stop some of the people who work in the council offices from dumping their cars there all day and allow people who actually want to do business/shop in Swords have a chance at a space now.

It's a positive improvement - just hope they continue with the resurfacing and finish it off.

MugMugs

ifah wrote: »

It might stop some of the people who work in the council offices from dumping their cars there all day and allow people who actually want to do business/shop in Swords have a chance at a space now.

It's a positive improvement - just hope they continue with the resurfacing and finish it off.

What you'll get now is a clamper running it with an iron fist.

Clamping people for being a few minutes over and genuinely making use of the surrounding stores.

Alicano

Unless you are going to the Pavillion (which gets out of control at times), Swords is a joke for parking. Only beaten by Malahide with regard to lack of free out of hours street parking. You'd strugle to park a moped at times!

The Scientician

Stheno wrote: »

The whole are from the senior citizens club through to the Polish shop, that whole section had free parking until the beginning of July, around the pet shop was being clamped the past few months, now it's all pay and display

The whole section, strictly speaking, didn't have free parking. Directly behind the Mall where the Polish shop is had a parking attendent whom you had to pay unless you were using one of the stores in the mall. From beyond the mall down you had free parking that was typically taken up by people who work locally before any shoppers got a chance to use them.

Stheno

I was generally only there in the evenings after the parking attendant was gone

ethernet

A few weeks before it was privatised, I saw a guy removing a clamp from his car using an angle grinder just behind the Chinese there! Saw a fair few clamped in the car park last week. At least the road has been touched up and there's more lighting there now if nothing else.

sdanseo

ethernet wrote: »

A few weeks before it was privatised, I saw a guy removing a clamp from his car using an angle grinder just behind the Chinese there! Saw a fair few clamped in the car park last week. At least the road has been touched up and there's more lighting there now if nothing else.

That laneway needs a lot more than "touching up" - it's a disaster. Wasn't the carpark orginally gravel, and they never really bothered doing the job properly?

Sir Humphrey Appleby

Parked there yesterday around 1pm, there were 6 cars clamped at that stage!
Its not like there are no signs saying it is pay and display.

rock whore

have only been there in a car once since the charges were brought in.
I popped by to get a paper and it was a complete surprise to me that they were charging, particularly after 6pm.
I can understand the need to manage the traffic and parking but the one hour minimum fee sent me up to the Pavilions where it was more hassle, took longer to do but was at least free.
Another nail in Main street's coffin

seanmacc

There are as few 15min spots outside the Indyspice but they seem to be always occupied.

newdigi

Does anyone know whether the parking in Swords, behind the Plaza (where Indie Spice is, and the back of BOI), is council owned or privately owned?

It recently changed from a free for all parking mess, to being run by Euro Car Parks for €1 per hour or part of an hour, 24/7

I never had a problem with daytime parking there before as I could never get parking, but many times at night I would park there and spend money in one or more of the businesses in and around the plaza.

A few weeks ago I discovered that we now have to pay for parking there no matter what time of night it is.
Whilst its not the end of the world paying €2 to €3 parking when going for a meal, its actually deterred me from doing it these past few weeks and instead I have gone elsewhere.

Whats bothering me though is that quite regularly I would collect a take away from Indie Spice which always involves parking up for about 3 to 5 minutes to collect and pay for the food.

I went to do this a few weeks ago at 8pm and had to pay €1 for 5 minutes parking as the guy from euro car parks was waiting in his van.

result is that I no longer order food from Indie Spice.

My point is that if it's council run then I'd like to get on to them to let them know that the local businesses are losing my custom because of it.

And if it's privately run, and the businesses have a say, then they are shooting themselves in the foot.

Does anyone know who owns/runs it?

willah

You could give euro car parks a call and ask. I do the same thing, park and run up to the plaza to collect from the Chinese. As I drive a van I can park in the loading bay at wrights.

Other thread.
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2057002350

newdigi

sorry. i even did a search for a similar thread but didnt find it. must brush up on my googling! thanks

willah

According to the last post in that thread, indie spice have spaces for collecting food. But they are always occupied.

newdigi

the daytime charging is fair enough and in fact its made sure there are always spaces there now.

what bothers (or bothered as I dont go there anymore) is the after 7pm charging.
I used to for example ring up Indie Spice and order a takeaway in the evening/night time then drive down to collect it.
Now however I dont do that anymore because of the €1 fee for the 5 mins I will be collecting my food.

Indie Spice (and other businesses in that area) unfortunately have lost business from me because of it

Uriel.

I too have stopped using that area in the evenings and no longer go to the petstore, indie spice or the plaza Chinese (not that I went to those eateries that much anyway). The petstore probably has lost most (from me), I now go elsewhere for pet food etc..

I really cannot see any need to charge after 7pm.

Dizzyblonde

Threads merged

C.O.Y.B.I.B

Uriel. wrote: »

I too have stopped using that area in the evenings and no longer go to the petstore, indie spice or the plaza Chinese (not that I went to those eateries that much anyway). The petstore probably has lost most (from me), I now go elsewhere for pet food etc..

I really cannot see any need to charge after 7pm.

+1 on this , same story , collecting from Indie Spice the other night . Thought id be able to pay 20c for the 5-10 mins , but it was a euro , so didnt bother and just kept a watch out. As others have said though , will defnitely make me think twice about collecting from there.

johnnyrotten

newdigi wrote: »

Does anyone know whether the parking in Swords, behind the Plaza (where Indie Spice is, and the back of BOI), is council owned or privately owned?

It recently changed from a free for all parking mess, to being run by Euro Car Parks for €1 per hour or part of an hour, 24/7

I never had a problem with daytime parking there before as I could never get parking, but many times at night I would park there and spend money in one or more of the businesses in and around the plaza.

A few weeks ago I discovered that we now have to pay for parking there no matter what time of night it is.
Whilst its not the end of the world paying €2 to €3 parking when going for a meal, its actually deterred me from doing it these past few weeks and instead I have gone elsewhere.

Whats bothering me though is that quite regularly I would collect a take away from Indie Spice which always involves parking up for about 3 to 5 minutes to collect and pay for the food.

I went to do this a few weeks ago at 8pm and had to pay €1 for 5 minutes parking as the guy from euro car parks was waiting in his van.

result is that I no longer order food from Indie Spice.

My point is that if it's council run then I'd like to get on to them to let them know that the local businesses are losing my custom because of it.

And if it's privately run, and the businesses have a say, then they are shooting themselves in the foot.

Does anyone know who owns/runs it?

The whole "street" is privately owned and the parking was never free, although mosg got away with it after hours. The attendant that looked like a cowboy, charged €1 for the 1st hour and €7 thereafter :eek:

As someone already said the best option is the Plaza underground for €1 for the 1st 2 hours or €4 all day

Stheno

johnnyrotten wrote: »

As someone already said the best option is the Plaza underground for €1 for the 1st 2 hours or €4 all day

Yup, we regularly eat in Wrights, and use the petshop and park in the Plaza underground now.

We were there tonight, and the overground car park which used be packed was like a grave, but I counted three clamped cars.

The Scientician

johnnyrotten wrote: »

The attendant that looked like a cowboy, charged €1 for the 1st hour and €7 thereafter :eek:

Head, his name was, charged €3 per hour or part thereof, but parking was free in his section to patrons of the Town Centre Mall.

Dizzyblonde

It seems harsh that Pay & Display in Swords applies in the evenings and on Sundays/bank holidays. In places like Malahide it doesn't, probably because the local businesses fought against it.

Stheno

Dizzyblonde wrote: »

It seems harsh that Pay & Display in Swords applies in the evenings and on Sundays/bank holidays. In places like Malahide it doesn't, probably because the local businesses fought against it.

Is that just not the Plaza? Main Street parking is free after 6 and on Sundays?

pinkypinky

Stheno wrote: »

Is that just not the Plaza? Main Street parking is free after 6 and on Sundays?

Yes, that's right.

Splinter

pinkypinky wrote: »

I think they have space in the underground car park - there's a section that's barriered off when you go and I always presumed it was for the residents.

Na that is for the business above wrights (when DHL was there, it was the Manager's carpark)

Riesen_Meal

The Scientician wrote: »

Head, his name was, charged €3 per hour or part thereof, but parking was free in his section to patrons of the Town Centre Mall.

Head's a good lad, from around my way, I would say he is out of a job now with all of this parking fiasco...

Stheno

I was actually disgusted at this system this evening, I'm used to pay and display in the city which operates on a fifteen minutes basis.

I've a job interview in the morning and due to appalling service in another hairdressers, made a last minute appointments in Peter Marks (who were good enough to accomodate me, and I was so pleased, I'm going back)

Got the the plaza, and tried to pay for 90 minutes.

They only do parking per hour!

What a rip off!

rubberdiddies

if you drive just past the back of the bank of Ireland onto the road where the church is there is street parking there. minimum fee is 20c which gets you about 10 to 15 mins. So you can put in enough for a specific amount of time rather than per hour.

It's not that much of a walk up to the plaza from there. bit of a pain though when it's raining.

there seems to be always plenty of places to park on that street nowadays. And of course i believe it's free after 7pm??

2Shae

It really is crazy. I have stopped shopping in the area since then. Good idea but badly implemented. Just drop the charge to 20c OR free for 15 minutes without a ticket.