Your views on making it free to P in Wokingham
I avoid Wokingham now. Just an example - last week I tried to get shoes for my daughter. Traffic was awful, couldn’t even get close to anywhere to park. So we turned around and bought her shoes in Bracknell.
Wokingham is blighted by traffic and increasing pollution. Buses are provided, regular, usually punctual and greener. A few routes could possibly be better timed to catch train arrivals and departures from Wokingham Station. But people complain endlessly about the traffic but don’t seem willing to try the alternatives. Seems a right to drive all the time is a hard issue to challenge in Wokingham.
With all the building and traffic works in Wokingham at the moment we need to encourage people in otherwise we will be a ghost town.
We went in to Wokingham on Saturday for the first time in a couple of months, my word, what a total mess. The building works by Rose Street causing traffic delays and the Market Place looks like it’s been bombed. I feel that the council have panicked in the light of Bracknell’s new centre and there’s been very little strategic strategic thinking for poor old Wokingham. The car park charges definitely need reviewing.
‘Interesting & diverse shops’ wouldn’t say this was a good description of Wokingham town centre.. however, free parking would help deciding if you felt it was worth popping in.
The only time I go to Wokingham is to visit the dentist. It needs better shops and parking charges will not encourage people to visit. With Bracknell’s new shops and Reading so near, why go to Wokingham?
We only ever have to pay to park in big cities and our small local towns are thriving. Market days are always heaving. Is there a lesson for the UK here, I wonder? Also there is often 10 minute parking outside banks and bakers. Only in France!
Parking charges are a red herring. People would pay if there was value in doing so.
Parking should be free in Wokingham all the time in order to incentivise people to go there! Why wouldn’t they charge? Are people for real?!
Why would I go into Wokingham now? I went to Bracknell yesterday £3.20 for 3 hours parking and it’s got loads of shops and restaurants ! Or Reading £4 for 2 hours with even more! Why would I bother with Wokingham? If it’s just a few bits then Woodley is £1.20 for 2 hours Good step Wokingham Paper Free parking won’t help lol I avoid wokingham like the plague
Whilst I can understand your campaign might be popular, the idea that we need more cars in Wokingham is wholly flawed. Reading the WBC consulation shows that not only is traffic physically choking Wokingham it is literally (medically) doing so too. This research says that Wokingham NEEDS TO REDUCE ALL TRAFFIC BY 50% in order to protect the health of residents, shoppers and workers. This is also a legal obligation.
Wokingham’s problem is more that the populist pursuit of chapter parking.