Short parking times at Alresford Train Station criticised

The train station on Station Road charges £1 for an hour, £2 for two hours and £3 for up to three hours. However, the option to park for longer than three hours, charged at £4, is only available to Watercress Line customers.

The parking charges (Image: Newsquest)

These charges, which were introduced last July, have been criticised by some members of the public.

Val Bond, who works at the nearby Alresford Surgery and regularly parks at the station due to its convenient location, said: “It’s difficult for me because I’m a part time nurse at the surgery, and if I come to work for, say, a four or five hour clinic, and the surgery is full, I don’t know what to do, I don’t know where to park.”

Jessica Aghataher said: “Parking in Alresford is a bit of a nightmare in general, but I think for most people – for me certainly – I don’t need to be here for more than three hours and there are other alternatives if I do.

Jessica Aghataher (Image: Newsquest)“So, for me, it’s never been an inconvenience, but I can perhaps see other residents and people coming in, it’s quite a touristy town, it might be a bit of a barrier for them.”

Sarah Ward also said that the time limit didn’t really affect her. She told the Chronicle: “I don’t use the car park that often, but I think it’s fair enough, because the station needs parking and there is other parking around the time.”

Sarah Ward (Image: Newsquest)Lexa Palfroy said that the time limit for parking does not affect her as she has a parking permit. She continued: “It forced me to buy a permit, I used to just pay by the day, but now I buy a permit and I think it encourages people to walk in.”

When asked for comment Winchester City Council said Mid Hants Railway and The Watercress Line decide the tariffs as part of the agreed lease.

Concessions are available at the overflow section of the car park, which is wholly owned by the city council, on Sundays and bank holidays to allow for some free parking on site.

The Watercress Line’s CEO, Rebecca Dalley, said: "The car park is leased to Winchester City Council and they decide the tariffs.

"We recognise that it is not ideal for the Watercress Line visitors and we mitigate this by issuing a separate pass that allows visitors to exceed the three-hour limit if they are using the railway."