Drivers will not be able to park on Station Approach overnight on Monday 6 July while lining works take place outside Stone railway station.
A notice bearing the Saba logo has appeared on the road saying parking along the roadway will be “suspended” for the works, although it does not state what time the restriction will begin or end.
The notice says
“Parking along this roadway will be suspended overnight on Monday 6th July for lining works.
Please do not park here on this date.”
The notice refers to parking only, and does not say that Station Approach itself will be closed.
Disabled parking bays have already been painted outside the station building, with fresh yellow road markings now visible on Station Approach.
A Little Bit of Stone has contacted Saba, the parking company which appears set to handle parking administration for Station Approach, to ask for more details about the work, the overnight parking restriction and when charges could come into effect.
Station Approach is privately owned, which means parking arrangements and restrictions are not handled in the same way as standard parking on public roads.
The latest work follows confirmation from London Northwestern Railway that it intends to introduce parking charges at Stone railway station. The rail operator has not yet confirmed the start date, tariff or full area covered by the scheme.
You can read our earlier coverage here:
https://alittlebitofstone.com/rail-operator-confirms-parking-charges-are-planned-at-stone-station/
The planned charges have already raised concerns about whether some drivers could move into nearby residential streets to avoid paying.
Stone Crossroads Youth Club has also expressed concern about the lack of clear timing on the parking restriction. The youth club meets on Monday nights, with parents and carers using the area to drop off and pick up children.
A Little Bit of Stone will update readers when Saba or the rail operator provide further details.
3 comments
Rhonda Dean
The Church at the Crossings held their Summerfest on Sunday. A free fun day for families. They also had many visitors from outside Stone in the morning for an open air service. There was no notice given that the entire road was to be closed off on Sat not Monday – causing huge problems. I don’t have a car so am not directly affected – but I do feel for the people in all the nearby terraced houses that do not have drives and will suffer from lots more competition to park on the road. The Butchers Block will be impacted too which is unfair when they set up a business with plenty of local parking – then the rules changed. It is just a money making scheme by an organisation with no thought for the local community it will impact.
Jonathan Heal
Thanks for pointing this out. It was completely unnecessary to block the whole road over the weekend. Katie also tells me that they have had no contact at all from the train company (WMTrains /London Northwestern) or even a reply to their request for information.
Jonathan Heal
This whole business is a shambles. They are spending three days trying to block off the Station Approach Road! Apparently some urban guerrillas shifted the cones before. I have been in touch with my contact in the train company, and asked why the many people who have raised issues over the introduction of parking charges have not received any response yet. Two issues that might amuse though. The road is in Stone Conservation Area, so if I need permission to change the colour of my front door, London Northwestern need the same to erect a parking machine. But I have also asked about the former youth centre, now used as the Church at the Crossing. There would have been an agreement on access when the County Council had the youth centre built there. It would have been with the nationalised British Railways at the time. I am absolutely sure LNWR will not have checked that out at all, to see if they have the rights to charge for parking. Maybe they don’t. Thanks to all the people who have complained. The train company need to justify their plans before imposing them. Please keep on raising issues! I make no comment on anyone who has interfered with the cones!! But it wasn’t me.