Parking at Glentress

joeelston I hope and pray that you fight that fine right until the bitter end, I know I would

rene59 – Member

shortish man

Can’t be Andy Wardman then, unless he was wearing stilts.

£5 for all day isn’t bad really. I’m sure all day at Whinlatter is £9 or so.

I was down a GT for the first time in ages yesterday, only did half a day as I didn’t have change and didn’t notice the machine takes cards.

The new car park layout down there is crap though, why design it so you’re unable to drive around looking for a space, if you don’t find a space in the new bit you have to reverse back out. Just join it up at the end FFS. 👿

joeelston I hope and pray that you fight that fine right until the bitter end, I know I would

+ lots

Sounds like they’re in danger of royally pissing people off with their approach. I agree that there is no excuse not to pay, but these parasitical parking companies are determined to chance their arm at every opportunity, rather than target folks that are actively avoiding paying, as the cases highlighted above show. I assume they are on commission

I remember they issued me with a fine when I visited the doctor. I’d accidently put one digit wrong in the machine in reception when entering my reg, and despite I was the only car in there (so it was an obvious mistake) they still issued me a fine. I sent them an e.mail telling them where to go and threw the fine in the bin. I’ll be taking a similar approach if the parking nazis try it on at GT.

I hope everyone else does the same.

Not sure bigjim

And that’s £5 for a car, regardless of the number of occupants. It’s £6 per person at Drumlanrig – though for that you do also get the use of the kids playground 😆

Ugh. Parking Eye are an utter shower and I’m really disappointed that the FC has hired them. Suspect it would be more cost effective to put up a load of passive/aggressive signs and guilt more people into paying.

The other week at kids club we had at least one parent fined when they were dropping their kids off, so not there for more than a few minutes. There were problems with the machine not taking cards as well.

I won’t apologise for pendantry, as I know it is expected on here, but the organisation you are dealing with now is Forestry ENTERPRISE Scotland. Read into that what you will.

I live near Glentress so don’t generally drive there, but in my wee sedate spin around on sunday I noticed a lot of car parking fee evasion. The layby just outside of Peebles was full to overflowing with some git parked kind of sticking out on a 60mph road. And quite a lot of sneaky parking on the fireroads. Not cool.

Scotroutes – Drumlanrig is a private estate, you’re paying to use the trails not just for parking.

£5 for Glentress seems pretty good value to me. A lot cheaper than the cinema.
Does annoy me people not paying for parking, excuses of not having change is pretty poor as you know you are going to have to pay before you set off.
The attitude of these parking companies does suck though. Since its a private company operating on publicly owned land, do we have a right to complain anywhere other than the to the company itself? Things like upside down tickets is just petty, as is ticketing when just dropping off. Are they parking guys just there at weekends or is it during the week as well?

Actually, scrap that line about good value. Just read the link on the previous page and found this bollocks.

“The increase will also support the 7stanes CIC, who are responsible for the marketing and promotion; website and social media; and customer care, of the 7stanes trails, by donating £1 per £5 day ticket.”

I won’t be paying the fine. I have a ticket bought with a credit card dated and timed two hours before I got the penalty ticket. But I sense a game of hungry hungry hippos at Glentress at the moment. From the food to the wigwams to the bike repairs it’s becoming an over priced fast. No one asked the forestry commission to spend excessive amounts of money on a fancy car park and ugly buildings, so why should the car park fees have gone up and 1.60 for a coke!! I for one are boycotting the weak lattes and odd car park design. Cycling in from Peebles now with a flask 😉

Clubby, can we fine them for misuse of the semicolon ? That in itself should be punishable by death.

No problem paying the £5 for parking but private parking companies are scumbags of the highest order. Their exorbitant fees aren’t enforceable. If you get a ticket, just ignore it. They’ll send a few threatening letters then go away. All they can claim for is losses suffered for breach of contract. the contract being you buy a ticket and display it. penalty clauses in contracts are illegal . They can only claim for losses due to breach of contract not penalise you. They’ve lost a maximum of £5 by you not buying a ticket, and the £50 charge is a penalty.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunlop_Pneumatic_Tyre_Co_Ltd_v_New_Garage_&_Motor_Co_Ltd

Sadly, most people getting tickets will be intimidated by the bully tactics from the parking company and will cough up without realising it’s a scam.

An FOI enquiry would be really interesting to see where the revenue from these tickets ends up. I suspect it’s split between the parking company and FCS. Very dissapointed to see the FCS introduce these scumbags. A polite reminder to pay would have been sufficient.

BoardinBob – Member

A polite reminder to pay would have been sufficient.

It’s never been in the past unfortunately, the huge majority of visitors don’t pay. None too impressed with the new approach but I think you can argue riders have brought it on themselves. It is a Glentress cliche, the £4000 bike on the roof of the Audi but couldn’t possibly pay £5 to park!

None too impressed with the new approach but I think you can argue riders have brought it on themselves.

Pay to enter at a barrier would’ve been a nicer way to do it imo, and would do away with the need for any parking nazis (which lets face it, are what everyone hates the most)

Whilst I said on the previous page its only an hour and a bit drive for me I’m not feeling such a draw to go there now…

Agree to all that. When I’ve been to GT, folk paying to park were very much in the minority.

That’ll be Johann Lamonts “something for nothing” culture at work!!

don’t care for the parking charges at glentress myself. that’s how I ended up here then perused what people are saying then tried to informed myself and in a nut shell its up to you guilt or not. so as far as I can tell here’s how it works the parking charges appear to be applied through a application from f.c /local authority to Scottish ministers for Decriminalised Parking Enforcement (DPE) on witch transport Scotland state.
Penalty charges are considered civil debts, and revenue generated accrues to the Local Authority to finance the enforcement and adjudication of the scheme. Any surpluses are used firstly to improve off-street parking facilities and secondly for general traffic management and public transport purposes. – See more at: http://www.transportscotland.gov.uk/road/policy/legal-requirements/road-and-traffic-orders/decriminalised-parking-enforcements#sthash.LRwnnRhW.dpuf
Straight forward . now if you also check this link out here’s what the f.c have to say in response to a comment on there website about the parking situation Glentress Forest is a better place to go now as there are added facilities such as GoApe which attracts more visitors to the businesses in the Tweed Valley which helps with their economic viability. Glentress Forest has had parking charges for over ten years, GoApe have only been on site for two. All the car park income contributes to the ongoing trails maintenance and improvements as does your taxes. Sadly, taxes are insufficient to cover the cost of the vast quantity of trails and that’s why we have always asked for visitors to pay and display
http://www.forestry.gov.uk/website/recreation.nsf/LUWebDocsByKey/ScotlandScottishBordersForestsoftheScottishBordersGlentressForest..
Considering the assertion that all monies from parking are ploughed straight back into the trails there appears to be a difference of opinion between the 2 gov bodies about where what the income generated is used for that’s what twisted my knickers . Ultimately any Business has its model that has its target punters as they fit the mould. so without getting into the law/COMMON LAW its up to you as a individual to decide/consent wither or not to pay parking charges or subsequent fines hope you may find this helpful or at least interesting and remember you can ride for free just by getting on yer bike cause we all like a freeride

Thanks for coming

no bother. I urge people to inform them self’s about statutes and consent. there signs are nothing more than a offer for you to agree to or not and as with all offers you don’t need to accept it. it may be tantamount to pennies to those with the h/p bikes and cars (that they don’t even own)but pennies are not principles. now here’s another link that should get anyone interested well on there way understanding some basics http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contract I know its wiki but seems like people need to start somewhere. see where it takes you. as for those that assert that having a sign makes it all above board geese your money you read this there for you agree to pay think I should call it £50 i can right threating letters as well. appeals will be ignored in the first instances in the hope you roll over and pay. by order of the estate of sovereigncyclist its as legal as there offer. now I just kick back and let the monies acrue

sovereigncyclist – Member

i can right threating letters as well

I beg to differ.

Well since the thread restarted 😉 I got a ticket as my pass had fallen off the screen, I’ve decided to take the ignore option and so far not a peep out of them. So I’m not in favour of not paying- frankly, if you ride the trails but don’t pay you’re a ****. But there’s other ways you get tickets.

Now whether that’s a good idea, to just ignore it, I can’t say for sure but it’s working for me.

That spelling is so horrific I might just shed a tear for the state of education today

I still find it surprising that some people will argue over parking charges at a trail centre. I think the most I’ve ever had to pay was £9 at Whinlatter. Okay, £9 is quite a lot for parking (although cheaper than parking in most city centres all day), but you’re not just getting parking. For less than a tenner you’re buying access to purpose built and maintained mountain bike trails that are rideable in most weathers, for however many people you can fit in your car, for a whole day. There aren’t many other sports facilities that cheap.

The issue is not how much it costs to park, but where the money goes.
I’ve only been to GT once but I would be amazed if parking eye (who run the parking there) put ANYTHING back into the facilities.
I have no problem if it’s the forestry commission who charge, and use profits on upkeep but parking eye are a commercial company, and a very big one. They aren’t known for there community work.

gamatical erores or no its a mtb fourum no the skhoool only said whit isaid to con-fuse the isue for those idiots that cant or wont inform them self . just so you no I do pay if only so these parisites don’t take up any of my time as they try to hooodwink or scare me. its a lot of corospondence to tackle the issue honistly and directoly as they can play the ignoring game to

Going to all the effort to join the forum just to troll, chapeau sir 🙄

I don’t agree with the parking charges at Glentress due to the destination of funds. The cafe is rubbish compared to the old one, the shop is a self-sustaining enterprise, bike wash needs extra cash to pay for it, it’s all a bit stupid really. Let’s not forget the old debate that the government (FC is funded by this mob remember!) is meant to be encouraging and investing in sport, especially in this here year of home Commonwealth Games.

I’d like to see the trail maintenance program. I bet it would surprise a lot of people how little is carried out. Think the skinnies on the climb being taped off for perhaps a year (I don’t know how long it was for) due to ‘maintenance’. Think the few short sections of fallen trees that I personally could clear in a day with 1 saw. Think collapsed lips and degradation of jumps in the freeride area.

There is a shocking waste of money going on at Glentress, and I won’t fund it. Whether that means parking and ignoring tickets, or parking outside and cycling in, that’s what I’m doing on the 1-2 occasions a year I go there to ride the unpisted trails.

Whether or not you think the money is being wasted is besides the point. The fact is that a huge amount of money was spent on these trails and there is time and money going into maintenance, and you’re whinging about a few quid to park for the day. Don’t show your disapproval by using the trail centre for free, do it by avoiding the trail centre and cycling somewhere else – you’re in Scotland, buy a map and make the most of your open access laws.

So presumably £4 was acceptable but now £5 isn’t.

Seems churlish to argue over a quid, (I know a lot of Edinburgh types use the trail but not even they are that tight).

Charging stupid sums for incorrectly displayed tickets is obviously not on but then its not like you really need to pay those penalties anyway.

You are of course welcome to make as many arguments as you like about the direction the Glentress is taking, Go Ape, new cafe etc etc. But if you turn up with you car and ride the trails then you should pay for parking.

I don’t get why there isn’t just a barrier (or two) at the entrance. Pay to get in, no policing required, no fines issued, simple surely?

legend – Member

I don’t get why there isn’t just a barrier (or two) at the entrance. Pay to get in, no policing required, no fines issued, simple surely? Might be issues with backing up audis onto the main road – agree it would seem a simple solution.

Is there any movement to put some serious resource into the trails there – expand the network etc? Seems like a travesty to rely on the good will of volunteers (who must be impossibly stretched over a large area), whilst the FC ploughs millions into extraneous bollox around the periphery.

glasgowdan – Member

Think the skinnies on the climb being taped off for perhaps a year (I don’t know how long it was for) due to ‘maintenance’.

There was actually quite a lot going on there, they were also testing out grip paint alternatives, drying methods etc. In the end, that amounted to a lot of failures but was still useful to learn. It did look like it was forgotten for months on end but there was drying/seasoning time etc and some of the work was very non-obvious. (and yeah, probably some dead time too to be fair)

Thing is, it’s not about the maintenance, even if FC turn a profit on the site day to day, will that pay for the construction costs, the loss of earnings from other activities (the trail centre impacts forestry work in a bunch of ways)

At the end of the day, £5 for a day’s riding at glentress is a bargain in most people’s books and if it’s not in yours, why not ride somewhere else? Even if it’s a free place, presumably if you’re spending a day riding there you think it’s worth more than a fiver right?

Everyone’s got the right to not use a service if you think it’s bad value, you don’t have the right to use it and not pay because you think it’s bad value.

gamatical erores or no its a mtb fourum no the skhoool only said whit isaid to con-fuse the isue for those idiots…

Best sentence (for want of a better description) ever.

At the end of the day, £5 for a day’s riding at glentress is a bargain in most people’s books and if it’s not in yours, why not ride somewhere else?

My problem isn’t that I think it is bad value, on the contrary. It is the thought that an awful lot of this is going on paying for the new cafe etc which I didn’t want in the first place. I know that opinions are divided on the Hunb, but the contract for the cafe was IMHO based on unrealistic visitor numbers. It appears to make up for this error prices have increased. At a fiver I think GT is great value but I don’t like paying for a mistake.

Whether or not you think the money is being wasted is besides the point. The fact is that a huge amount of money was spent on these trails and there is time and money going into maintenance, and you’re whinging about a few quid to park for the day. Don’t show your disapproval by using the trail centre for free, do it by avoiding the trail centre and cycling somewhere else – you’re in Scotland, buy a map and make the most of your open access laws.

Yes a huge amount of money was spent on the trails, can anyone tell me if Parking Eye (who run the carpark and dish out the parking charge notices) put ANY of the profit back into the FC, the trails or the facilities.
I guess they don’t so moaning about the cost of parking is fair Because it doesn’t benefit anyone other than PE

Exactly. If they put out a donation bucket for trail maintenance, or even staff tips, I’d happily pay when I go there, but I don’t agree with the set up and will not pay for parking here. I’m a very principled person and doing something just because someone says so isn’t a factor in that.

I put back into biking by clearing blocked trails with my chainsaw and building new ones where I can. if everyone did a little bit each time they were out the trails around whatever areas we live in would be much better. This is relevant because it shows that not paying a private parking firm doesn’t make someone a net ‘taker’ from the sport!

MartynS – Member
Whether or not you think the money is being wasted is besides the point. The fact is that a huge amount of money was spent on these trails and there is time and money going into maintenance, and you’re whinging about a few quid to park for the day. Don’t show your disapproval by using the trail centre for free, do it by avoiding the trail centre and cycling somewhere else – you’re in Scotland, buy a map and make the most of your open access laws.
Yes a huge amount of money was spent on the trails, can anyone tell me if Parking Eye (who run the carpark and dish out the parking charge notices) put ANY of the profit back into the FC, the trails or the facilities.
I guess they don’t so moaning about the cost of parking is fair Because it doesn’t benefit anyone other than PE

glasgowdan – Member

Exactly. If they put out a donation bucket for trail maintenance, or even staff tips, I’d happily pay when I go there, but I don’t agree with the set up and will not pay for parking here. I’m a very principled person

So if you’re so principled, you won’t be parking there obviously?

MartynS – Member

can anyone tell me if Parking Eye (who run the carpark and dish out the parking charge notices) put ANY of the profit back into the FC, the trails or the facilities.
I guess they don’t so moaning about the cost of parking is fair Because it doesn’t benefit anyone other than PE

Are you working on the assumption that the FC don’t get any money from this? That’s kind of mad to be blunt, why would they have Parking Eye operating there in that case?

Do Parking Eye put any of their profit back into the FC? Probably not, they’re a parking company. Is it going to be raising revenue for the FC? It’d be incredible if it doesn’t.