Commuter-packed car parks cause problems for Twyford businesses

The Elizabeth line celebrates its first anniversary this month.

The GBP19billion Crossrail project officially opened in May 2022 with the west Berkshire extension coming online six months later.

Figures from Transport for London show that there have been more than 100million journeys across the entire service since it launched, with 600,000 journeys being taken every day - 80 per cent of those journeys involve the 'central section' between Paddington and Abbey Wood.

Curiosity and a bit of Christmas shopping may have initially encouraged the uptake (Tottenham Court Road still reigns one of the busiest stations on the network) but as a gradual, post-pandemic,

'return to office' pattern emerges many more could be using the convenient service as a link between commuter villages such as Twyford to the city.

A daily record of 'entries and exits' at Twyford Station shows passenger numbers reaching above 3,000 on some days since the line started serving central London in November.

The knock-on effect of this activity has meant, however, that the village's infrastructure has taken the strain.

On most weeks, Monday-to-Thursday, both of the main paid-for car parks in Twyford (located at the Station and at Polehampton Close) are full during commuting hours, with parking spilling out on to residential streets and even into private church car parks.

The hardest-hit car park is Polehampton Close, where an attractive GBP4 for a 10-hour stay has its 39 spaces filled by 7.30am.

Frustrated by the lack of car parking spaces, charity workers, business owners and shoppers are speaking out.

Debs Heffernan, centre manager for Age Concern Twyford and District, whose building butts onto the Polehampton car park, said that she and her members and staff have been affected.

"The parking for Polehampton Close has always been an ongoing battle. Mainly because of commuters that stay all day. We do have parking permits for our staff but they cannot even get a place to park.

"Our volunteer drivers and families are having to drop off our members by parking for a few minutes in an empty disabled bay then they are issued with a parking fine.

Some of the traffic wardens are rude and not sympathetic towards our frail elderly members that cannot walk a long distance."

Business owner Amy Goodall-Smith, of Goodall-Smith Wealth Management on the High Street, said that she needs good access to parking for staff.

She said: "Car parking in Twyford is a huge problem. I have raised it at a Twyford Together meeting, I've raised it with the council and I have approached other local businesses and churches, who have huge car parks, asking if we can have a few spaces for staff but no one is co-operating.

"It hinders me employing staff as people don't want to take a job when there's no parking.

"The council needs to

address this issue. They need to think about businesses or the businesses will close."

Twyford's local councillors are well aware of the growing problem, and have conducted a traffic and parking survey to gauge the pressure the village is under.

Cllr Stephen Conway (Lib Dem) said: "On the trains, yes they're getting busier.

The car parking problem in the village has grown worse as a result.

"The council consulted some months ago on new parking schemes in various parts of the village to tackle commuter parking in residential streets.

"At the same time, the council is speaking with the rail authorities about extending the capacity of the station car park.

This is a necessary accompaniment to parking restrictions to deter in-street commuter parking in residential roads near the station."

Results from the council's survey will be published later this month and a Traffic Regulation Order could enforce new restrictions on parking.

Whilst this may alleviate some of the pressure posed on the village, action from Great Western Railway (GWR) could take longer.

A spokesperson for GWR, which manages the car park at Twyford Station, said: "It continues to be our aspiration to make improvements to Twyford Station and we are working with Network Rail and local partners to bring forward solutions.

"There is however no current funding and with taxpayer subsidy from the Department for Transport, quite rightly, reducing there is unlikely to be any additional spaces in the short to medium term."