| Topic: | Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Traffic wardens | |
| Posted by: | Raymond Havelock | |
| Date/Time: | 01/03/25 23:56:00 |
| Those who grew up in this district may well recall that the key justification for building Gurnell pool away from Ealing Centre as" Ealings town Pool" was to allow parking and access for all under the 'Sport for All' banner so the Longfield Halls Pools all closed. Form many it was a fair old bus ride and no longer in a central area so often more than one bus ride or a pretty horrible walk and an up hill cycle ride in all directions post swim. So only for the super fit. But the big bonus was a large free car park. It was pushed long and hard to win over the users of Longfield and Acton Pools, even though they were old victorian and rather dated and unable to cope with numbers. Acton at least got reprieved as a consequence that Gurnell never really came up to scratch with its promise including being a mere inch too short for Top level competition. But its real decline was parallel to parking charges and time restrictions which became excessive. Like high streets reducing parking and increasing charges has killed passing trade and impulse purchases and larger purchases and thus fallen prey to Amazon. Brentford High St is the same it has been killed almost stone dead by a car park far too far from the shops and the removal of almost all of the stop and shop facilities and the removal of short term free parking of 20 mins. It is impossible to even stop and buy a sandwich without 20 mins driving around to find a 5 min space or any space within a reasonable distance. Even going to my office its often a 15 min plus walk from a parking space for a 10 min pick up of work. It is little wonder that 90% of the clients we had have all upped sticks and moved away...well away along with the decent quality jobs. I wonder where swimming pools fit in to the 20 min scheme of things It certainly did even when bus services hit an all time low in the 1980s. It's impossible now unless you are super fit. Or indeed where and what all these wonderful jobs just 20 mins away are? |