Thousands of shoppers are taking advantage of a massive 70% discount at the new Debenhams Outlet store in the Kennet Shopping Centre, Newbury.

Fantastic! Unbelievable! Were just some of the comments passed to newbury.net by delighted shoppers, as they were leaving the store yesterday (Saturday), with carrier bags bulging with bargains.

The new Outlet store replaces the original department store that has now moved to the new Parkway development. An unofficial spokesperson for Debenhams, told newbury.net that these were genuine reductions, many of them on current full price lines, unlike other outlet stores who make a special purchase of discontinued lines to sell at reduced prices.

This has been good news for fellow traders in the Kennet Shopping Centre. One of them told newbury.net that he had been worried that trade would slump when the original department store moved out, and that he would see a substantial drop in takings. “Just the opposite” “This is fantastic, the extra footfall is brilliant” “It’s been like the last Saturday before Christmas” were just some of the comments from other retailers in the centre.

Newbury has seen a massive increase in footfall in the town since the new Parkway shopping complex opened on October 27th. Car parks have been full to capacity, and retailers have indicated that they have seen a substantial increase in business throughout the town.

Quoted from Administrator

Newbury has seen a massive increase in footfall in the town since the new Parkway shopping complex opened on October 27th. Car parks have been full to capacity, and retailers have indicated that they have seen a substantial increase in business throughout the town.

Not according to the electronic signs.  Parkway had 80 or so spaces available.  Kennet Shopping had very few spaces available mind.  Debenhams Outlet had a huge queue, that is true!

Everyone should try to use the KC car park, and you may get money off your parking if you shop in certain stores!!!

Quoted from richard.garvie

Everyone should try to use the KC car park, and you may get money off your parking if you shop in certain stores!!!

Yesterday, KS only had a few spaces left, like 4 or so.  So if you want to spend the whole time waiting (which you are paying for) for a space you should.

Quoted from Greenham Common

Not according to the electronic signs.  Kennet Shopping had very few spaces available mind.  Debenhams outlet had a huge queue, that is true!

The Central car parks in the Wharf have seen the most dramatic rise in popularity, and yesterday gridlock returned to that area because of cars trying to enter and leave inconveniently placed entrances and exits, mingled with a continual procession of buses across Park Way Bridge. WBC lost the opportunity to improve the situation here while the cinema was being constructed.

The only sensible answer (and I have said it many times before) would be a multi storey car park twixt the library and KFC, with DIRECT access to and from the A339. They will certainly have to do something here if they start on their project to restore the canal basin.

As many of you know, I pleaded with WBC for a 2 way bridge over the canal. I also indicated that it was a retrograde step to remove taxis completely from the Market Place. Fair enough during the hours of pedestrianisation. But not sensible after 6.00pm. We now have taxis cruising the streets waiting to be hailed and taxi drivers literally fighting for spaces in the bus stop by the Post Office. (Apparently this bus stop is allowed to be used as a taxi rank after midnight).

Those customers that you can see in Debenhams Outlet, is just the start of a queue which stretched the full length of the store.

I tried to go to Sainsburys, there were about 20 cars driving around looking for a parking space - I have never seen it so full.

On the way I saw a sign that said the KC park had 6 spaces.

Eventually parked elsewhere (the grocery shopping wasn't urgent enough to hang around waiting for a place) and had a stroll around town - very, very busy.

Nice to see the Purple Lounge back as the Bricklayers Arms.

To be honest, I couldn't wait to get out of Newbury, and I thought I would never experience feeling relieved driving to Tesco to do a bit of shopping in relative calm.  Sainbury's was impossible.

Parkway had by far the most amount of easy parking (go to -1, that's where all the spaces are), but beware of the huge queue leading from the Robin Hood.

Before people get too excited, Sainbury's had a 25% offer on clothes, Debenhams Outlook have a 75% discount, it is early in the month (near pay-day for most), Parkway is new and therefore novel, it is getting close to Christmas, KS have their parking discount scheme, and parkway is the most expensive place to park.

Quoted from Greenham Common

Yesterday, KS only had a few spaces left, like 4 or so.  So if you want to spend the whole time waiting (which you are paying for) for a space you should.

The car park has an automated system to control occupancy.  If there are no spaces left, then the system shouldn't let you in.  There will not usually be a situation where parkers queue for a long time inside the car park, waiting for a space.  If this has happened, then it is a rare occurrance.

GM61

Quoted from greenmeanie61

The car park has an automated system to control occupancy.  If there are no spaces left, then the system shouldn't let you in.  There will not usually be a situation where parkers queue for a long time inside the car park, waiting for a space.  If this has happened, then it is a rare occurrance.

GM61

What happens when you have a disabled person who isn't on your ANPR system? He will park in a disabled bay and there will still be a spare bay. unless of course the disabled bays (and there are a lot of them) are included in the number of spaces available. How do you include the mother and children spaces?

Quoted from greenmeanie61

The car park has an automated system to control occupancy.  If there are no spaces left, then the system shouldn't let you in.  There will not usually be a situation where parkers queue for a long time inside the car park, waiting for a space.  If this has happened, then it is a rare occurrance.

But in a multi level car park finding those spaces can be a challenge.  An average of 1 space per level; not good odds.

Quoted from Greenham Common

But in a multi level car park finding those spaces can be a challenge.  An average of 1 space per level; not good odds.

Sounds like Parkway is really popular, which is good news.

Quoted from user23.3

Sounds like Parkway is really popular, which is good news.

Drove down the A339 this afternoon just after 14.00 and the signs were saying there were 475 parking spaces in Parkway and Northbrook street. So what is the capacity of these car parks?

Quoted from user23.3

Sounds like Parkway is really popular, which is good news.

Not based on car park usage it isn't.

Quoted from Greenham Common

Not based on car park usage it isn't.

Eh? Didn't you just say there was an average of 1 space free per level.

Quoted from user23.3

Eh? Didn't you just say there was an average of 1 space free per level.

There we go again, he just doesn't read things properly before he posts.

Quoted from Cognosco

Drove down the A339 this afternoon just after 14.00 and the signs were saying there were 475 parking spaces in Parkway and Northbrook street. So what is the capacity of these car parks?

Northbrook multi storey has 320 spaces, and I think Parkway has about 600 spaces, but dont quote me on that one!

Ive also been told that Northbrook car park just about reached 50% full today.

Quoted from BrianB

What happens when you have a disabled person who isn't on your ANPR system? He will park in a disabled bay and there will still be a spare bay. unless of course the disabled bays (and there are a lot of them) are included in the number of spaces available. How do you include the mother and children spaces?

We pro actively manage the car park occupancy.  We don't just sit in our office and drink tea all day you know!  If we weren't there to control the multi storey car park occupancy on very busy days, there would be chaos.

Quoted from greenmeanie61

Northbrook multi storey has 320 spaces, and I think Parkway has about 600 spaces, but dont quote me on that one!

Ive also been told that Northbrook car park didn't even reach 50% full today.

Thanks GM. So car parks not doing too well for visitors today then it seems. Wonder how KC car park was doing?

Quoted from greenmeanie61

We pro actively manage the car park occupancy.  We don't just sit in our office and drink tea all day you know!  If we weren't there to control the multi storey car park occupancy on very busy days, there would be chaos.

Does that include the KC carpark or the Parkway carpark.

Quoted from brian

Does that include the KC carpark or the Parkway carpark.

I'm mainly talking about the Kennet Centre, but we actively manage all of the pay on foot car parks.   We have no connection with the parkway car park.

Quoted from Cognosco

Thanks GM. So car parks not doing too well for visitors today then it seems. Wonder how KC car park was doing?

Most of the car parks were at capacity today, however Northbrook car park is rarely full to the rafters, even when it's free to use!

Quoted from greenmeanie61

Most of the car parks were at capacity today, however Northbrook car park is rarely full to the rafters, even when it's free to use!

That's the car park to use then, and it's only as short walk from Parkway.

Quoted from user23.3

That's the car park to use then, and it's only as short walk from Parkway.

At 12:45 there was ~450 spaces in Northbrook St/Parkway.  Why the heck are those two carparks aggregated when they are roughly 0.6 miles drive a part?

Quoted from Greenham Common

At 12:45 there was ~450 spaces in Northbrook St/Parkway.  Why the heck are those two carparks aggregated when they are roughly 0.6 miles drive a part?

So if Greenmeanie is correct there are 920 car parking spaces avaiable between them. So less than half full between them. I was informed that not all the spaces are yet available in Park Way. Does the current boards allow for this does anyone know? Or have they just allowed the figure of six hundred on the boards for Park Way?

Quoted from Greenham Common

At 12:45 there was ~450 spaces in Northbrook St/Parkway.  Why the heck are those two carparks aggregated when they are roughly 0.6 miles drive a part?

Because they were both in the direction your were travelling and 0.6 miles isn't really that far apart?

Quoted from user23.3

Because they were both in the direction your were travelling and 0.6 miles isn't really that far apart?

And WBC are well know for making something quite simple seem very difficult indeed!  

Quoted from user23.3

Eh? Didn't you just say there was an average of 1 space free per level.

In the Kennet Centre car park - it seems that cheap stuff and parking discounts are more to Newbury folks' taste than the new shops.

Quoted from blackdog

In the Kennet Centre car park - it seems that cheap stuff and parking discounts are more to Newbury folks' taste than the new shops.

The opening of the Debenhams Discount Store had something to do with this, no doubt.

Quoted from user23.3

Because they were both in the direction your were travelling and 0.6 miles isn't really that far apart?

The Wharf is even closer and in the same direction, but is not aggregated in, so I would challenge that idea.

Quoted from Greenham Common

The Wharf is even closer and in the same direction, but is not aggregated in, so I would challenge that idea.

It's not closer when driving, it is on foot though.

Quoted from Greenham Common

At 12:45 there was ~450 spaces in Northbrook St/Parkway.  Why the heck are those two carparks aggregated when they are roughly 0.6 miles drive a part?

The signs chosen have three displays - there are six car parks monitored.  The three on  the wharf are aggregated (makes sense to me).  So coming from the south you see the KC Park, Wharf and the two north of the river as the three numbers. Can't see how they could do it otherwise once they have a 3 number display.

Perhaps they should have chosen 4 number displays, perhaps there is some research that says the fewer numbers they show the more likely a driver is to take in the infomation?

Actually it makes sense.  As you make the journey, you can make your choice to proceed or not.  The journey to N'brook St and PW is the same, until you see the sign just after the roundabout where it tells you the spaces for each.