Essex Outfielder : The Unofficial Essex CCC Forum
Cricket => Official Q&A => Topic started by: Mick on December 11, 2014, 10:23:16 AM
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Hi Danny,
What's the thinking behind the nominal charge for Meteor Way this coming season. I realise the equivalent of the cost of a cup of (members) coffee for parking is neither here nor there to most of us, but it does effectively increase the cost of my membership by about 20% and absorbs most of the reduction I was expecting to accrue as compensation for becoming "old".
Maybe the charge is going towards keeping it open on every match day, even those occasional 4th days ?
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Thanks for post
We have had to pass on some of the cost from the Council for the car park.
We have negotiated every day for the car park including day fours.
Thanks for your support
Danny
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We have negotiated every day for the car park including day fours.
I bet the Council had a good laugh about that.
Negotiating a clause for 2 days usage a year.
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Will we be charged for parking each day at Colchester as well?
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When were consulted about changes to Membership terms?
I presume life members won't have to pay as 'free parking' was one of the perks we signed up to.
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Will we be charged for parking each day at Colchester as well?
Plans for Colchester will be confirmed ASAP, thanks
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I presume life members won't have to pay as 'free parking' was one of the perks we signed up to.
I always assumed watching a competitive cricket team was a perk too.
Those hopes were cruelly dashed.
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When and where was this news made available ?
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Hello,
Via website and members magazine, thanks
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Danny - this is disgraceful.
I'd appreciate an answer to my question. I don't live in Essex any more and free parking is a benefit I value.
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Afternoon,
The decision was taken with approval from the committee. We face a large annual bill from the City Council every year for Meteor Way. We have introduced the £1 a day charge per car so we can invest more money into the playing budget. We have not taken this decision lightly, this also enables us to increase the number of car parking spaces for Disabled Members. We were increasingly turning away Members who could not attend without being able to park, we have received some encouraging feedback with this from disabled Members and potential Members.
We will make parking available where we can at The E.C.G, this will be communicated via the website where applicable. I was not aware this was ever offered to Life Members forever. I will follow this up with Committee and advise.
To help we have negotiated use of the car park for ALL days on First XI cricket at The E.C.G. Furthermore, we have included midweek T20 Blast game parking at Our Lady Immaculate School, just a 1 minute walk to the ground.
More than happy, as ever, to discuss further - 01245 254039 / 07500 860197 / danny.macklin@essexcricket.org.uk
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Danny - this is disgraceful.
I'd appreciate an answer to my question. I don't live in Essex any more and free parking is a benefit I value.
I appreciate the concern on this but is this the right forum to discuss such issues?
We keep getting told that it is an unofficial site so it seems a bit strange to be demanding official answers from the club on certain subjects.
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Danny - this is disgraceful.
I'd appreciate an answer to my question. I don't live in Essex any more and free parking is a benefit I value.
I appreciate the concern on this but is this the right forum to discuss such issues?
We keep getting told that it is an unofficial site so it seems a bit strange to be demanding official answers from the club on certain subjects.
Unofficial or not, Danny is good enough to provide a valuable form of communication through it.
In the absence of an "official forum", this is good enough for me.
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So, the issue is that people are being charged £1 a day, I repeat £1 a day, to park in Meteor Way?
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So, the issue is that people are being charged £1 a day, I repeat £1 a day, to park in Meteor Way?
Unless you are a Premier Suite member, who will continue to get it free.
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So, the issue is that people are being charged £1 a day, I repeat £1 a day, to park in Meteor Way?
Unless you are a Premier Suite member, who will continue to get it free.
OK. Revolutions have started over less. Well, actually they haven't but I suppose it provides mental mental stimulation for older members of this forum - at least before they become soylent green.
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Morning
I have checked - there was never reference to free parking to Life Members forever. Please see thread above for the reasons we have, after much consideration, introduced this charge.
I don't want to sound like a broken record but we want to keep every Member we have and invest in the playing squad. Any queries please do let me know.
Thanks Danny
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Morning
I have checked - there was never reference to free parking to Life Members forever. Please see thread above for the reasons we have, after much consideration, introduced this charge.
I don't want to sound like a broken record but we want to keep every Member we have and invest in the playing squad. Any queries please do let me know.
Thanks Danny
OK I'd accept the parking charge if there was investment in the playing squad. Please would you advise where there has been extra investment for 2015 when several players have left and only junior players have been recruited?
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I cannot answer questions regarding the playing side, that is the purpose of the Members forums. Thanks, Danny
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Danny - how far back have you checked? It was certainly there ....
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Andy - it's not the amount it's the principle.
I joined when I could park at the ground itself which is important for a female who often travels over two hours to matches on her own or with a child.
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As far back as one can with one of our most longest serving committee members
Thanks
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Andy - it's not the amount it's the principle.
I joined when I could park at the ground itself which is important for a female who often travels over two hours to matches on her own or with a child.
Whilst entirely sympathetic to your predicament, a lot has changed over the years (for good or ill) with the ground and it would appear that free parking was custom and practice but not art of the package.
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As far back as one can with one of our most longest serving committee members
Thanks
At least 25 years then.....on that subject, will the members of the No Change Essex Politburo continue to receive free parking? - ::)
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As I understood it. The members benefit used to be described as free parking, where available. There never was unlimited free parking forever and ever amen.
The car park in New Writtle Street needs to be reviewed to at least tell the parasites who never use their place to use it or lose it.
If there are the full number of 4th days. I will save more than I pay on train fares getting to the ground. I will not mention car parking charges after the experience last year. I drove home and turned up again slightly late by train. So I did not get ripped off by the Council.
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Good news that the club has been able to cover all playing days this time .
Would you rather pay a pound to park at Meteor Way or a kings ransom to the NCP ?
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I agree that having Meteor Way available for all four days is a boon ( Although up to now I thought we had been told that planning prevented us having more than a given number of days access a year) but describing the introduction of a charge that has previously not existed as a member benefit,in the membership pack is taking 'spin' a bit far !
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The 1980 handbook states under the benefits of membership "free parking is granted where the facilities permit it".
As far as I can recall this has always been touted as a benefit of membership (and I have been a member for over 36 years).
The facilities permit it (on a first come first served basis) at Chelmsford, because Premier Suite members will get it for free, so I would suggest Life Members who have joined BEFORE 2015, when this charging decision has been made, should also get it for free.
It does not affect me as I am not a life member, but I would have thought life members should be treated as well, if not better than a Premier Suite member.
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Good evening,
The reality is that with the ground development we have a limited amount of spaces and approx. 600 Life Members.
We will advertise where space is available, thanks
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Perov, thank you for looking that up.
Clearly parking is available at Meteor Way and therefore should be free for current Life Members.
Why should Premier suite members have this 'perk' when we don't?
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Perov, thank you for looking that up.
Clearly parking is available at Meteor Way and therefore should be free for current Life Members.
Why should Premier suite members have this 'perk' when we don't?
Because they pay £574 per annum I'd guess. Assuming Life Members take out their membership between the ages of 20 and 50, they are paying less than a quarter of that if they near normal life expectancy and don't lose interest ?
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Wel,, having had my attention drawn to this new charge via this site ...... IMHO it's NOT clear on the website nor could I find a reference in the latest issue of the Members magazine ........ I do wonder about the economics.
Presumably someone will have to collect this charge, and will be on duty, and paid, whether or not play actually takes place.
Having said that I very glad to see Meteor Way open on the 4th day, and if a charge is necessary, then £1 isn't too bad.
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Thanks will make clearer on website
Parking is made clear in magazine on page 3
The introduction of the charge will cost no more to the Club than previous seasons
Thanks
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Found it on p3. Talk about the small print!!!!
Is there a tinier font available?
There are issues about legibility elsewhere in the magazine, too, especially when light colours are used on white. Looks very artistic, and well designed, but good design includes functionality.
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Thanks for your comments
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Danny, how many spaces at the Immaculate School (I wonder if Ofsted have a problem with that name!) ?
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Hi, approx 100, will have to do first. T20 game to test this. Thanks
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"Because they pay £574 per annum I'd guess"
Life membership is not cheap and implies a long-term commitment to the club. Given inflation and the fact that the club have the money 'upfront' I think we deserve the conditions we bought into to be honoured.
The promise was free parking when available and clearly Meteor Way is available.
Personally, aside from commitment to the club, part of why I got Life Membership was because after a long drive the last thing you need is to be looking for a parking space. Public transport is not an option as my nearest train station is half an hour away and the journey would involve a minimum of three changes.
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"Because they pay £574 per annum I'd guess"
Life membership is not cheap and implies a long-term commitment to the club. Given inflation and the fact that the club have the money 'upfront' I think we deserve the conditions we bought into to be honoured.
The promise was free parking when available and clearly Meteor Way is available.
Personally, aside from commitment to the club, part of why I got Life Membership was because after a long drive the last thing you need is to be looking for a parking space. Public transport is not an option as my nearest train station is half an hour away and the journey would involve a minimum of three changes.
They might say that there is no free parking available .... it's being bought from the council and costs passed on.
Without knowing how much they're paying the council, I don't know if they're passing on the full costs, passing on part of the costs or making a fat profit.
Given that the Committee had decided they no longer wanted to include free parking in the prevailing membership cost, they were faced with the option of increasing membership or charging to park. Probably fairer to make the users of the facility pay rather than all members.
When life members enrolled (personally I wasn't prepared to tempt fate!) I would imagine that they were expecting to receive all benefits accruing to members going forward for the rest of their lives rather than expecting to ring fence any benefits which might subsequently be withdrawn out of choice or necessity.
In my opinion, I'd rather the extra money didn't go into the playing budget as I have no confidence in Grayson's ability to spend it wisely, but that's another matter.