Access to AP
Interested in picking the brains of those here.
Were the access problems at AP highlighted before we moved over from LP? It seems strange that nothing was thought of moving to the end of an industrial estate with one road going through it.
Is there anything (realistically) that Couhig and co could do to aleviate these issues and stop the long wait for those in the carpark?
From conversations I've had, I feel like this is the key issue that dissuades many from attending.
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This was deemed the best choice, so goodness knows what that the other "less suitable" sites were! Anyone from the time know where they were?!
Aside from the very unlikely idea of getting the road out the back up the hill going, dare I say we learn from the rugby goons? As in creating an atmosphere more people want to stay and enjoy after the game, so people leave in a staggered fashion?
From what I recall, WDC blocked other sites that were proposed by the club - e.g. Abbey Barn, H7 at Hazlemere maybe Little Marlow too (?) - because they were marked for residential development.
Yes, consideration has been given to building a road out through towards West Wycombe. I believe, allegedly, this was a non starter because planning permission wouldn't be given for housing along its route which the landowner wanted.
The only time we've consistently had better egress was when they allowed 2 lines of traffic to leave via Hillbottom Rd. But that is no longer allowed.
Much smaller capacity when first built.
The solution is a track from top car park through woods out onto back Stokenchurch road, won’t happen no money in it for land owner.
Road in through trading estate can’t be made one way pre and post as a public highway.
Maybe ‘speedy boarding ‘ premium parking for those keen to get away could be introduced?
Twizz is right in his recollection. If my memory serves me correctly, the club had several potential sites rejected by the local authorities and even had to go to appeal on the site where Adams Park is now.
I also think Perfidious Albion is right in his comments about Hillbottom Road etc.
‘Speedy boarding’ sounds a good idea, I’ll mention it to Mark Palmer once bloody BT restore my email service.
Forgive my ignorance, but why can't Hillbottom road be made one way for 20 minutes every other Saturday? Roads get closed for events all the time, and it would pretty much sort the problem.
I believe Hillbottom Road has to be two way in case an ambulance or fire engine needs to come up.
@Username, as above because it is the only access road up to WWFC both lanes can't be egress only for emergency service vehicles.
Other places where roads are closed, will either have alternate access for emergency services or they will open up the closed road for them.
Re the speedy boarding idea, as the club cannot control when the other car parks allow vehicles out onto Hillbottom Rd you will always have some degree of queueing.
Getting more cars parked at the Park and Ride and eg at Mill End Road School, Verco site (is it still there?) would reduce those parked at WWFC too.
Makes total sense.
Even keeping the road as single file traffic and not letting any of the idiots drive up would massively help things though, and maintain emergency access. Amazes me the amount of cars who try to drive against the flow of 1000s of people.
I definitely remember Hillbottom road being one way after games in the mid and late 90s. Have I made that up?
Getting a much larger number of people to use park and ride options could be a key to reducing the numbers wanting to park at the ground and, consequently, the delays getting away from it. However, significant increases in park and ride usage will be achieved only if the park and ride options are reliable, as convenient as, cheaper than and get people to and from the ground more quickly than parking at the ground itself.
A possible option would be to raise the price of parking at the ground and use any additional monies raised to subsidise the park and ride, but I acknowledge that wouldn't be popular with everyone.
Later repeat bus journeys would also be required if people are to both use the park and ride and respond to the current encouragement to stay and have a drink in the "Village" or bars after the match. I think I am correct in thinking that anyone staying for a drink and a chat at the moment would likely miss the park and ride bus.
As a 60s child I was expecting to be travelling around in hover cars by 2019. Anyone else feel cheated?
A later bus back to town might not be a bad idea, encourage people to stick around for a few beers after the game
6 or half 6 maybe
That is a good idea @eric_plant.
All good ideas, but in reality, most people are still going to drive and don't want to park and ride, so an improvement to traffic flow is needed.
There are “dirt tracks” that approach the ground from West Wycombe and the Lane End road. Has there ever been any thought to trying to improve these with a small extension towards the ground car park? At best only 4x4s could probably use them right now and local residents / land owners may not be pleased. Just wondering if the club has ever seriously tried this?
Another alternative could be a back route on the Woodlands Stand side of the industrial estate.
The bus ideas are good. Work out the cost and stick it on the car park price. Then the bus could be included in an advance purchase ticket (or at a nominal charge).
A later service is a great idea and what about priority exit for the post match bus - you could even get one that leaves bang on the final whistle for all those who like leaving with 5 mins to normal time remaining!
People tend to get very upset when their right to park within metres of where they’re going is threatened but there are very few of us who aren’t capable of a 20-30 minute stroll.
Also, some cycle provision should be looked at, with incentives like a free drink or something similar. There are usually a few grants around from local authorities for getting bike racks installed. I know if I lived in Wycombe I would definitely cycle to the match if there was somewhere secure to park the steed.
I think it is something these people only do once!! Always feel sorry watching their sinking feeling faces recognise the situation!!
A later Bus would be an excellent idea, it would be able to pick up outside the Caledonian bar.
When we played Darlington a few years ago at their then new stadium. They had a cabaret singer come on about 5.45. The large bar remained packed as the singer belted out classics from Elvis,Oasis,Neil Diamond,Dexy's ect. It made for a real feel good factor as everyone sang along and quaffed the beverages of their choice.
The first match attended thread AND the beer bus idea in the same day. Truly magical times.
Yeah I’m a gasroomer.
Roads capable of coping with that volume of traffic are astonishingly expensive I’m afraid. I suspect would need to facilitate development to be affordable and while I know little about planning (....) that feels just as unlikely as getting residential planning consent for AP.
The council were incredibly unhelpful while LP was likely to be repossessed, even publishing s plan for HW with a football club conspicuous by its absence - not their job to find a site apparently.
Is this the Abbey Barn site that almost 30 years on, is only just getting close to being a residential site now?
Can't even imagine where in Little Marlow you'd bung a whopping football ground and parking!
Reality is, the access problems to and from AP are probably too great and too costly to resolve. Certainly, if the Couhig’s are aiming for and achieve Championship football, I cannot see it being long before the notion of a new stadium rears it’s head again
Nah, hovercars are the answer
@Malone
H7 does now have planning but as yet no building work. Last I heard there was debate about the access road off the Amersham Road.
Little Marlow might have been where they have actually built the Wycombe District Athletics Complex (but, in truth, I'm not sure).
Abbey Barn South area, to my knowledge, doesn't yet have planning.
Perhaps we should have built Adams Park at Booker?
Just to note that Rob Couhig suspended operations of the last soccer club he owned pending a move to a new stadium. That was the end of them, two seasons after he bought them.
How much is astonishingly expensive? A road capable of handling emergency access only could unlock more free flow on Hillbottom Road.
Did you pen some programme notes in the 90s mentioning the possibility of a railway line extension to the ground, or did I imagine that?
Good thinking, it would only need to be a maintained track that ambulances / services could use, then no reason Hillbottom could be fully used as an exit only road