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Introduction and Background

St George’s car park is owned by St George’s and used by multiple users. It is maintained by the PCC and funded mainly by donations from the congregation. Its principal function is to allow anyone using the church or the church centre to park their vehicles. Priority, therefore, will always be given to those attending church services and events, and to those who have hired the church building and/or centre.

 

As part of the church’s close links with Rumboldswhyke Church of England Primary School, it has been agreed between the PCC and the school senior management that the car park can be used for parents to drop off and pick up their children for school, and by certain staff to park their cars on a pre-agreed basis.

 

The car park is also used by all those who volunteer at and attend the fortnightly Friday Community Food Hub run by the charity UK Harvest in partnership with St George’s.

 

The car park is used frequently by occasional users for a variety of reasons with the express permission of the parish priest of St George’s or other church officers.

 

The car park has also often been used by local residents to park their cars, particularly those living in St George’s Court and Cleveland Road. The PCC has allowed this as a show of good faith towards its neighbours. This has historically been on an informal arrangement. Most resident understand that they need to move their cars before Sunday morning when the main weekly service takes place in church. Also, whenever the car park is needed for church services or events at other occasions (e.g. a funeral, a wedding, a feast day, a concert, a Christmas fare), church officers have left leaflets on car windscreens and/or posted letters through letterboxes of nearby residents asking them to refrain from parking their cars in the car park. The car park is also cordoned off a day or two before any significant service or event.

 

Recently, however, the number of vehicles belonging to residents using the car park has increased. Furthermore, these residents have not promptly moved their cars when requested. On a few occasions, cars have been parked without a valid MOT or as registered as off the road (SORN) and the council and/or police have had to be contacted. This has meant that on several occasions there have not been enough spaces for those attending services, events, or for hirers of the church centre. This has impacted the charitable operations and mission of St George’s.

 

Criteria for Using Car Park

These are the criteria for being able to park at St George’s car park: -

1. You are attending a service or event or choir rehearsal on the premises,

2. You are involved in some work or other activity for the church,

3. You are using the car park in connection with a hire of the church building or the centre,

4. You are dropping off or picking up your children from Rumboldswhyke Church of England Primary School,

5. You are a member of staff at Rumboldswhyke School who has been given express permission to park at the church and issued with a permit on this basis,

6. You have been given express permission by the Rector or a Church Officer.

7. You hold a current parking permit issued by St Georges.

 

Procedures for issuing permits

1. A separate application is required for each vehicle.

2. Car park users must supply their current address, email address and telephone number and be willing for church officers to contact them directly, if necessary.

3. A paper version of the permit will be posted directly to you.

4. The minimum recommended donation for a new application for a parking permit is £15.

5. The minimum donation for a renewal of an existing parking permit is £10.

6. Permits are valid for 12 months from 1 September each year.

7. If you apply midway through the year you will still need to pay the full annual donation.

8. Permits are available either 1) to those whose name is on the Electoral Roll of St George’s Church and who have worshipped regularly and frequently at the church during the past 3 months or b) are resident in St George’s Court or Cleveland Road.

9. Payment must be made to St George’s PCC at the current rate before a permit will be issued.

10. The PCC reserves the right to reject any applications.

11. Permits will only be allocated or renewed once the Parish Office have completed all checks and applicant's donation has been received.

12. Donations can be made online at https://www.stgeorgeschichester.org/donations or alternatively by Cheque and should be handed in to the Parish Office. Cheques should be made payable to St George’s Whyke PCC.

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Completed applications will be validated and processed by the Parish Office and you will be contacted if there is an issue with the application.

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Terms and Conditions of Use

By parking in the car park, you accept the following terms of use:

1. You will park within marked bays only,

2. You will display your permit, if you have one, in your car’s windscreen,

3. Permits are non-transferable and access to the car park is restricted for use with only the vehicle registered to the permit in question,

4. If you change vehicle, please contact the Parish Office with details in order that the Permit database can be updated,

5. Please contact the Parish Office at office@stgeorgeschichester.org in the event that you lose your permit. There is a minimum suggested donation of £5 to cover the administration costs of cancelling the old permit on the system and allocating a new permit,

6. Possession of a permit does not guarantee you a space at any time,

7. You may not leave your car parked in the car park at any time between 9am and 1pm on a Sunday,

8. You may not leave your car parked in the car park during the times of school drop off (8:15am-9:00am) and pick up (2:45pm-3:30pm) during the week in term time,

9. You may not park your car in the cark park between 8:15am and 12:00pm on those Fridays when the Community Food Hub is using the church centre

10. On several occasions throughout the year, use of the car park will be restricted for special services or events. The PCC, therefore, reserves the right to apply parking restrictions including limited or no access to car park from time to time and often at short notice for events and services. Typically, parking restrictions will be applied on the following occasions (but not limited to):

    1. Major Church Services

    2. Church Events

    3. Funerals

    4. Weddings

    5. Concerts in the Church

    6. Centre Events including use by hirers

11. This will sometimes mean that the entrance to the car park will be closed off the day before the event. Notices will also be displayed on your car windscreen. If necessary, we will contact you directly asking you to move your car.

12. The possession of a permit does not allow you to park in the bays in front of the church on Cleveland Road.

13. Your vehicle must be taxed and insured and have a current MOT certificate. Vehicles without an MOT will be reported to the police. Abandoned vehicles will be reported to the statutory authorities.

14. Parking in the car park is at the owner's risk and no liability will be accepted by the PCC for damages to vehicles and their contents, loss or injury to drivers, passengers, or third parties.

15. Regular checks will be made and the PCC reserves the right to cancel car park permits if holders fail to comply with these Terms and Conditions. Failure to comply may result in the PCC reporting the owner of the vehicle to the police, local authorities or seeking a court order, as applicable.