DBC Megathread

[Kopek]

...and dcorp could hire someone to pump the tyres up and touch up the rust patches???

[Amadeus]

It does say that in the article but of course people don’t read things anymore. The real influence in the RG committee chair role is that you sit on the exec committee. 

[Amadeus]

7 hours ago, Max Power said:

It doesn't really take much effort, sell a permit, say £200 for the winter period, allocate a space, someone walks round once a week and checks permits valid, hey ho, 50 x 200 = £10,000 per annum. Parking problems around the town solved, a good use of the space, reasonably secure spot for owners.

The sums presented to us were significantly lower. Also, what is the right price to let someone park their £50k toy for six months? £200 sounds too low. Come on, give me some more crowd sources figures and I bring them in when it comes up again, which it will. How many people would really use it? What vehicles? What expectations in terms of access, security, etc? Willing to pay how much per month / winter? 

[Passing Time]

3 minutes ago, Amadeus said:

The sums presented to us were significantly lower. Also, what is the right price to let someone park their £50k toy for six months? £200 sounds too low. Come on, give me some more crowd sources figures and I bring them in when it comes up again, which it will. How many people would really use it? What vehicles? What expectations in terms of access, security, etc? Willing to pay how much per month / winter? 

Isn't this something you should be doing and not expecting others to do it for you. The parking problems around Douglas and Onchan are well documented and the number of mobile homes increasing. Your lot let plod park up there for next to nothing (that is if you even bothered charging them) so getting anything has to be a bonus. Take your blinkers off and stop hiding behind the "before my time" excuse. You put yourself forward to make changes, Just get on with it and be part of the solution and not the problem

[Raffles]

10 minutes ago, Amadeus said:

The sums presented to us were significantly lower. Also, what is the right price to let someone park their £50k toy for six months? £200 sounds too low. Come on, give me some more crowd sources figures and I bring them in when it comes up again, which it will. How many people would really use it? What vehicles? What expectations in terms of access, security, etc? Willing to pay how much per month / winter? 

"£50k toy"? What a great attitude from a councillor.

Mine cost less than 10kand I saved for it for many years.

I parked it in peel campsite before  i had a drive and it cost £120 for the winter. Isnt the charge £1 a day? So it should be less than 200 for a 6 month permit for any vehicle. 

[Amadeus]

18 minutes ago, Raffles said:

"£50k toy"? What a great attitude from a councillor.

Mine cost less than 10kand I saved for it for many years.

I parked it in peel campsite before  i had a drive and it cost £120 for the winter. Isnt the charge £1 a day? So it should be less than 200 for a 6 month permit for any vehicle. 

Context on the 50k figure: we were initially told the types of motorhomes to be parked there would be smaller, low value ones. Another councillor, one much in favour of the scheme, then pointed out that his vehicle cost 50k and it would be more that type. 

Unless you are using it as a daily driver, a campervan is a toy. A nice to have. Something for the summer. Not that there's anything wrong with it. I have toys as well. A convertible for the summer instead of a camper van, but the idea is the same. It's a luxury and I also have to find somewhere to park it. 

You also need to understand the different interests and views people have and that we are tasked to represent and respect. You want motorhome parking on the cheap because you like them and own one. Others complain to us about cars being parked in nobles as it is meant to be a space for people, not a car storage facility. 

If we make it too cheap, people will complain the corpy lets rich people (true or not) park their toys there for next to nothing. If we make it too expensive people won't do it and park up streets instead. On the latter subject, I've been informed that some changes may be on the horizon, with the DOI likely extending enforcement this year and looking at bigger vehicles blocking residential streets. 

[Raffles]

Actually I think all parking should be cheap or free because vehicle owners already pay tax, which should include being able to park. Parking should be provided as standard. I also don't see why those well off enough to own homes with large drives should get free parking for any number of vehicles, whilst flat dwellers have to pay.

DBC needs to remember it is there to provide services to rate payers. It seems too many councils forget this, let's ban people with dogs, motorhomes ,playing football, cycling, basically lets ban everyone who wants to use facilities because we might get complaints if they use it! Better let everything sit empty and unused, like all the parks in inner Douglas. 

[Rhumsaa]

2 hours ago, offshoremanxman said:

He hasn’t left. 

really enjoyed the user name

[Banker]

28 minutes ago, Raffles said:

! Better let everything sit empty and unused, like all the parks in inner Douglas. 

Every time I walk past in decent weather woodboyrne park etc are in use, we need green spaces in town , what do you want concrete jungles?

[Rhumsaa]

29 minutes ago, Raffles said:

Actually I think all parking should be cheap or free because vehicle owners already pay tax, which should include being able to park. Parking should be provided as standard. I also don't see why those well off enough to own homes with large drives should get free parking for any number of vehicles, whilst flat dwellers have to pay.

All vehicle owners should get free parking but people who have a drive should not get free parking?

[joebean]

I am a motorhome owner who doesn’t (wouldn’t) live in Douglas and who parks his vehicle on his own property, so I have no particular axe to grind. I would offer the comment that it is good that a councillor expresses his opinion on MF and let’s encourage that. However, a quite typical attitude is being displayed here in two ways. First, councils across the UK and now Douglas, tend to view motorhomes as a problem rather than an opportunity and policies they adopt reflect that. The “Toy” comment is a demeaning one that also reflects the psychology directed at owners and ratepayers who are trying to follow their hobby. 
Secondly, rather than embracing issues with an open mind, people in authority (whether real or perceived) tend to explore their 101 reasons why not to do something, rather than the one reason why they should. It often takes courage; a willingness to commit some effort and a genuine desire to help to take the Yes option. These are the assets usually most scarce in Government and Council buildings. When voters elect they expect better than that. 

[Raffles]

11 minutes ago, Rhumsaa said:

All vehicle owners should get free parking but people who have a drive should not get free parking?

No, the point I am making is that high parking charges impact unfairly and proportionally higher on lower income individuals and those of lesser means who haven't got big houses with off road parking. 

@Joebean, I totally agree with you. DBC for example fund a golf course, sporting facilities, swim pools, children's facilities etc yet look down their noses at people enjoying the outdoors by way of their motorhomes. 

I agree it's great we have councillors posting here, but to see one smugly mentioning of potential plans to stop residential parking whilst also being part of stopping parking in car parks kind of beggars belief and shows the attitude motorhome owners face. 

[The Bastard]

3 hours ago, Amadeus said:

The sums presented to us were significantly lower. Also, what is the right price to let someone park their £50k toy for six months? £200 sounds too low. Come on, give me some more crowd sources figures and I bring them in when it comes up again, which it will. How many people would really use it? What vehicles? What expectations in terms of access, security, etc? Willing to pay how much per month / winter? 

It's more complex than "50k toys". For someone confined to a small flat in town with little hope of affording the half-million plus to live out of town, a cheap campervan for some weekend escapes isn't unreasonable. But thanks to some North-Korean-style regulation you can't get a parking permit for one, even if it's small enough that it already fits under the car-type-van constraints, so an alternative would be providing valuable amenity and quality of life. A small camper makes a good alternative-to-a-car daily drive too, for shopping, trips to the tip and large families, so it's not just a "luxury". For a budding entrepreneur in town, their starter business will be held back by not being to park anything larger than a mini-van, which is probably holding back the economic development of the island too.    

Edited February 18, 2022 by The Bastard

[AOR]

1 hour ago, Raffles said:

Actually I think all parking should be cheap or free because vehicle owners already pay tax, which should include being able to park. Parking should be provided as standard. I also don't see why those well off enough to own homes with large drives should get free parking for any number of vehicles, whilst flat dwellers have to pay.

 

1 hour ago, Rhumsaa said:

All vehicle owners should get free parking but people who have a drive should not get free parking?

Roads are for driving on for through traffic, not for parking on. They were never built for parking.  

I know nothing will change but maybe more double yellow lines will help.

Edited February 18, 2022 by AOR

[hissingsid]

So what are people who live in flats or houses without drives supposed to do ?   Are they not allowed to own a vehicle ?   What a dreadful attitude to have.