A Parking Solution for Buckingham?

7/29/2019 A Parking Solution for Buckingham?

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A Parking Solution for Buckingham

Concept image of Park and Ride Shuttle Bus in Buckingham

Source: Circles Design and Build

Park and Ride

Buckingham

30 March

2009

Copyright 2009

All images, text and concepts contained within this document remain the material and intellectual property of Circles Designand Build and Marcus D. Busby unless cited or referenced as the property of another party.

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When faced with radical crisis, when the old way of being in the world, of interacting witheach other and with the realm of nature doesnt work anymore, when survival is threatenedby seemingly insurmountable problems, an individual human or a species will either die

or become extinct or rise above their limitations with an evolutionary leap. This is the state ofhumanity now, and this is the challenge.

Eckhart Tolle, (2005) A New Earth (Penguin Books, London).

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A Parking Solution for Buckinghamby Marcus Busby CertHE DipEP

In addition to the short-term parking solutions suggested, would a LONG-TERM

solution be to create a small-scale park-and-ride system with a high-efficiency shuttlebus?

Concept

Two car parking sites could be created; one located at the Page Hill end-of-town, and

another at the Tesco/Industrial Estate end. The shuttle bus would stop at the towncentre bus stop and run between the two sites. See diagram 1.

The journey time from car park to car park would be approximately 20 minutes,

meaning users would only face a maximum of 20 minutes wait to return to theirvehicle.

Encouraging people to use our shops and services in the town centre is greatlyaffected by accessibility hassle free accessibility which is all part of the

experience of visiting a town centre. If the total experience is good, people will use,

and return to i.e. continue to use- our town centre, contributing to its sustainability.

Diagram 1: Shuttle bus route in Buckingham

The shuttle bus would provide public transport for the elderly, disabled, children, and

all residents not wishing to drive into town and of course visitors and tourists increasing mobility, and the opportunity to use the town centre. Instead of driving to

MK for instance, town residents could get the shuttle into town, to Tesco, or even to

work at the industrial estate avoiding parking issues and traffic jams thus reducingtraffic locally and elsewhere. This type of solution would also encourage people to

utilise public transport.

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Practicalities

A multi-storey option would cost 10,000 per parking space, according to AVDCParking Services Manager Stephen Harding, speaking at the BTA parking meeting on

27 February 2009. Therefore, a hundred multi-storey parking spaces would cost1million.

The creation of provision for 200 standard car parking spaces, plus the purchase orconstruction of vehicles and shelters would be cheaper than this.

A small fee for the use of the park-and-ride would generate an income to cover drivers

and maintenance, and secure funds for future development if necessary.

Diesel-powered buses could be converted to run on vegetable-derived oil, which

would be cost effective. Alternatively an electric shuttle bus with a solar charging unitmight be considered.

Renewable fuel sources such as recycled vegetable oil are increasingly available. Forexample, there is a company near Winslow which produces and delivers recycled

vegetable-oil-derived bio-diesel at 1 per litre per 1000 litres including fuel tax.Bought in bulk, the cost could be greatly reduced. And also, according to an article

published on 11th May by Buckingham Advertiser see:

http://www.buckinghamtoday.co.uk/bicester-news/Bio-fuel-factory-plan-for.2872459.jp a local farm in Bicester has applied to convert its property into a Bio-

Diesel production plant. Thus there are bio-diesel producers in Banbury, Winslow,and potentially one in Bicester. The prospect of using a local bio-diesel supplier to

fuel the vehicle is extremely viable. This would also support local business and the

local economy. Perhaps Buckingham could make its own bio-diesel plant. Bio-dieselproduction is very easy and cheap to set up. Alternatively, if we chose a solar-

powered option, there are already suitable vehicles and solar charging units available.

Examples of solar-powered electric buses already exist, for example, in Adelaide,

Australia; the Australian solar-powered bus is called the Tindo Solar Bus see:http://www.adelaidecitycouncil.com/scripts/nc.dll?

ADCC:STANDARD::pc=PC_151048. There are often concerns that the UK does notreceive enough sunlight to utilise solar power effectively. However, much

advancement in solar technology means that panels generate significant wattage even

on overcast days. In addition to this, surplus energy is stored in specialised batteries,

or cells, ensuring energy is available even at night time.

Another alternative to the use of diesel oil is Hemp oil. Please see the photograph

below of a group that drove 10,000 miles in a Mercedes powered by Hemp oil. Being

a similar family to the common stinging nettle, Hemp already grows in the UK.Indeed a field of Sativa Hemp was even grown just outside of Maids Morton. Hemp

can offer an additional renewable fuel resource. An additional advantage to hempcultivation is the plant naturally rebuilds and rejuvenates soils which have been

damaged by excessive chemical, intensive and monocultural farming techniques

improving the fertility of our local agricultural land, which in effect increases itseconomic potential.

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http://www.buckinghamtoday.co.uk/bicester-news/Bio-fuel-factory-plan-for.2872459.jphttp://www.buckinghamtoday.co.uk/bicester-news/Bio-fuel-factory-plan-for.2872459.jphttp://www.buckinghamtoday.co.uk/bicester-news/Bio-fuel-factory-plan-for.2872459.jphttp://www.adelaidecitycouncil.com/scripts/nc.dll?ADCC:STANDARD::pc=PC_151048http://www.adelaidecitycouncil.com/scripts/nc.dll?ADCC:STANDARD::pc=PC_151048http://www.adelaidecitycouncil.com/scripts/nc.dll?ADCC:STANDARD::pc=PC_151048http://www.buckinghamtoday.co.uk/bicester-news/Bio-fuel-factory-plan-for.2872459.jphttp://www.buckinghamtoday.co.uk/bicester-news/Bio-fuel-factory-plan-for.2872459.jphttp://www.adelaidecitycouncil.com/scripts/nc.dll?ADCC:STANDARD::pc=PC_151048http://www.adelaidecitycouncil.com/scripts/nc.dll?ADCC:STANDARD::pc=PC_151048


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Hemp Powered Car: Source: www.hempcar.org

Failing the use of an alternative fuel source, normal diesel would be fine. However, it

must be stated that utilising an alternative fuel source would create a real buzz and

intrigue, according to Hopkins book Scientific Advertising, curiosity is one of thestrongest of human incentives. Any sort of buzz holds potential for gaining media

coverage for Buckingham which would increase the number of visitors. Interest couldalso be enhanced by creating an image or icon such as a unique vehicle it has

long been noted by marketing and public relations specialists that humans respond to

icons, symbols and images.

Economic Potentiality

Regarding the actual shuttle-bus vehicle; one can be bought, or alternatively, using the

creative engineering skills and facilities contained within our community, we couldmake our own. With the economic down-turn effecting local F1 companies there are a

number of highly skilled engineers currently out of work. There are also many skilled

engineers located within Buckingham Industrial Estate. If we were to design our ownsolution, there exists huge potential to sell the package to other towns creating jobs

and income for Buckingham.

A more economical alternative to solar power would be to simply convert an existing

diesel-powered shuttle bus. Perhaps this is something local bus company Langstonand Tasker would consider - with the prospect of diversifying their business potential.

Hopkins states that The product itself should be its own best salesman. Not theproduct alone, but the product plus a mental impression, an atmosphere, which you

place around it. In the instance of Buckingham, the atmosphere is the fact that thisrepresents a sustainable, ecologically sympathetic solution that so many are desperate

to see. The product is the Buckingham Experience, and an icon of this would be afunky-looking eco-bus. Funky by its material design, inventive decoration and its

underlying eco-ethic. Again an icon sells products; models of the iconic Buckingham

shuttle-bus, stickers and t-shirts could be sold at the Old Gaol museum shop actingto spread the Buckingham word and give people a nice memento of their Buckingham

experience.

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Outcomes of a park-and-ride for Buckingham

reduce traffic/parking issues in the town centre

increase town centre accessibility

provide much needed public transport

set a green (national) example

attract visitors from miles around

create employment and opportunity

address environmental issues

With car parking located outside the town centre, future expansion of parkingprovision is viable and avoids the problems of freeing-up or finding space to convert

into car parking within the town centre problems we already have, and have no

LONG-TERM solutions to.

Satellite parking sites, or parking sites located outside the town centre also hold greatpotential to provide infrastructural links to national public transport networks such as

rail and coach travel excellent for tourism, and excellent too for reducing excessive

car dependency.

Future developments could include increasing the number of stops on the route, and

extending the service route potentially providing transport links with often isolatedlocal village communities. Other developments might include additional shuttle buses

and increasing the number of parking spaces, if required.

An alternatively fuelled/powered shuttle bus would be a shining example of proactive

design. THIS WOULD PUT BUCKINGHAM IN THE NATIONAL NEWS.

Buckingham Shuttle Bus: Source: Circles Design and Build

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National Planning Guidelines

With reference to Planning Policy Statement 6: Planning for Town Centres, thisproposal would aim to satisfy the following national planning guidelines:

Paragraph Criteria/Quotation Function

2.3 - making better use of

existing land

Freeing up town-centre sites which may

be proposed for parking, allowing retail,office and/or residential uses thus

increasing economic productivity ofavailable land.

2.5 - to accommodate other towncentre uses

This service would providetransportation for non vehicle owners,

elderly etc who may wish to use the

town centre to visit friends, go to thepark, or even just get to the other side of

town.

2.6 - easy access on foot The proposed sites are situated next toBuckinghams two most denselypopulated residential areas, allowing

people to walk to the park-and-ride and

catch the shuttle into the town centre.

2.8 - promote the diversification

of uses and improve theenvironment

- retain opportunities for vitallocal services such as post

offices

The environment of the town would be

improved by that fact that there is thepotential to reduce traffic, lowering

noise and pollution issues.Expansion of public transport service to

local villages would make

Buckinghams P.O. more accessible.2.9 - a need to avoid over-

concentration of growth- the need to address

deficiencies

By building car parks in the remaining

free spaces in the town centre the urbanenvironment may be over-concentrated.

Satellite-parking addresses the currentparking deficiencies within the town.

2.14 - out-of-centre shoppingcentres have a substantial

impact over a wide area and

can harm vitality andviability of existing centres

- a need to improve publictransport

By locating one of the park-and-ridesites next to Tesco, it may encourage

people to visit the town centre as well.

One additional effect is that somepeople may utilise the free parking

facilities at Tesco, for a longer period.Thus the parking congestion problem is

removed from the town centre.

2.15 - adopt a positive and

proactive approach to

planning for the future

The alternative fuel source and nature of

the proposal addresses proactive

forward thinking necessities.

2.16 - assess the need for new

floor space- identify centres in decline

where changes need to be

managed

Existing town centre land is retained for

potential development into new floorspace.

Increasing numbers of shops are closing

in Buckingham.

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2.16 cont. - develop strategies fordeveloping and strengthening

centres within their area

This project would strengthen theviability of the town centre as a local

centre for surrounding villages, tourists

and residents alike.

2.19 - It is essential that town

centres provide a high-quality and safe environment

if they are to remainattractive and competitive

which are fit for purpose,

comfortable, safe, attractive,accessible and durable key

elements which can improve

health, vitality and economicpotential of a town centre.

- improve the character and

quality of the area

By avoiding more traffic driving into

the town centre, or at least alleviatingvehicle catchment into the central car

parking areas, there will be a reductionin the likelihood of pedestrian injuries.

Fewer cars means less noise, smoke and

harmful emissions making the towncentre more desirable for all creatures!

Accessibility is increased significantly.

The character and quality of the towncentre would increase due to the

approach at solving this generic

problem.Etc.

Rationale

This document was written with the Governments guiding principles of sustainabledevelopment in mind; based upon living within our environmental limits in a just

society by means of ensuring a sustainable economy through good governance and theuse of sound science. Please refer (below) to Diagram 2: Guidelines of Sustainable

Development.

This proposal utilises the application of scientific advances in technology and theunderstanding of risk assessment, health issues and environmental concerns. It would

establish a sustainable income for interested parties and provide sustainedemployment through maintenance, vehicle operators and future developments. There

would be an additional positive effect upon local businesses and for residentsproviding transportation to and from places of work and places of leisure, improving

opportunity and prosperity for all. The use of locally produced efficient resources is

incentivised and there is great potential to tender the project to local design,engineering and transportation businesses.

The fruition of this project would promote creativity, energy and diversity in manyrespects and would enhance the public perception of the local authorities.

Ultimately we would be attempting to address the issues of living within ourenvironmental limits and working towards creating a healthier more cohesive society

with images or attractions/examples to be proud of by creating a service that isavailable to all.

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Diagram 2: Guiding Principles of Sustainable Development

(Source: Securing the Future: Delivering UK Sustainable Development Strategy , p16)

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A Parking Solution for Buckingham?