Nottinghamshire residents say a lack of parking is "strangling" their town. Households in Bingham are worried that the lack of parking is putting off potential visitors, as they say new housing developments mean there are not enough parking spaces for those living in the town already.
Residents are concerned that the town's largest car park on Newgate Street is being filled up each morning with commuters who park there for free and then get the bus into Nottingham. Some say this means neighbouring streets soon fill up with cars, including The Banks.
A new Park and Ride could be considered for Rushcliffe Borough Council under the Community Infrastructure Levy Funding Delivery System. This idea could potentially see the provision of a Park and Ride along the A52 corridor in the years to come.
Read more: Date set for public to look around £15.5 million leisure centre ahead of official opening
Retired couple Eric and Claire Sharp feel something needs to be done about the lack of parking in Bingham. Eric, 89, was the town's mayor for two terms, and spent time campaigning for more parking in the town.
When asked about a potential Park and Ride off the A52, he said: "We want something in Bingham. It's all houses and new houses going up, we need a park and ride.
"We want a Park and Ride in Bingham. They should worry about Bingham rather than Rushcliffe and Nottingham. His wife, Claire, also spent time on the council and feels trying to park in Bingham "is ridiculous."
The 75 year old said: "The main car park and all the other car parks in Bingham are absolutely full by 8 o'clock in the morning." Claire explained that whilst they are "fortunate" enough to have a bus service into Nottingham, people park their cars in the town and then leave them for the bus.
Additionally despite more houses being built, Claire said "we don't have any extra parking spaces in Bingham. Shops are closing down and the market is dying. Bingham is now dying because nobody can find anywhere to park.
"It's easier to drive to Morrisons at Gamston where they can park. Its never nice to see the town that you love being strangled, its very sad."
Claire feels that the area of concreted land near the old Saxondale roundabout could be a good place for a Park and Ride in Bingham. She said: "They could get 300 cars in there and there's a bus stop by entrance.
"It's ready to go, they only need a can of white paint and a brush." Many other residents in the town agree, and would also like to see more parking in the town or a Park and Ride facility closer to Bingham.
When asked about the parking situation in the town, retired, Ken Dodson, 67, said: "It's just not adequate. We haven't got the facilities in Bingham for the size of the town it is, and that includes parking."
He explained that the amount of spaces currently "is not near enough" and so people are parking on residential streets. When asked his thoughts on a possible Park and Ride off the A52, Ken said: "If it doesn't cover Bingham it's not effective."
Retired, Mark Denne, 61, said: "If you live here it's murder for parking locally." He has concerns that local infrastructure can't support all the new homes being built in the town, and that includes parking.
When asked about a potential park and ride nearby, Mark said: "I don't think it would benefit Bingham as I don't think people would want to come to Bingham for a very long period of time. It's only a benefit to Nottingham and the city."
However, teacher, Sarah Johnson, 51, feels that a Park and Ride nearby could be useful. She said: "It would be good to have that, because parking is so expensive in town and it saves your car petrol as that's expensive as well.
"We always end up going to the car park that's cheaper and its always full. I tend not to go to town because of it."
A Bingham resident who did not wish to be named feels there is an "inadequate" amount of parking spaces for the town centre. They said: "It is difficult parking in Bingham."
When asked if he thought a possible Park and Ride could be good for Bingham, author and poet, Tom Hathaway, 63, said: "Not for Bingham as its built to service Nottingham, it's not going to service Bingham." Tom feels the town needs a facility like that but closer to it.
He added: "There's plenty of space, Bingham is forever expanding these days and it's going to need something like that eventually, so why not when the materials are cheaper."
Bottesford resident, Charlotte Burrows, 46, said: "It's obviously an ongoing issue with the new estate being built with the number of people coming into the area. It's a small town for a lot more cars. It doesn't really affect us too much as we are on our motorbikes or know places to park out of the way."
Steven Lee, 63, grew up in Bingham, and said: "I think the chances of just being able to pop in a parking space round here is quite slim, it's luck of the draw.
A Bingham resident who did not want to be named also has problems with the towns parking. She said "They are parking on the street around the corner because we cant get into the car parks here and you can park in there for 12 hours so they are parking there and then catching the bus."
When asked her thoughts on a possible park and ride, she said: "I would have said something closer if it was close I think a lot of people really just want to park and have easy access to the shops."
Read next:
