The LLDC have a documented strategy to discourage West Ham fans from parking close to the Olympic Stadium when we move there in two years time.
The Olympic stadium itself has just 257 car parking places of which 49 are reserved for disabled badge holders and 39 for VIP’s. A further 25 are dedicated to athletics..
There are a number of local off-street car parks near to the Olympic stadium venue that will have parking management strategies to ensure that the short-stay parking needs of shoppers and other customers are accommodated whilst the longer-stay parking demands on match days are restricted. Each of these smaller car parks will restricted a maximum stay of two hours before facing a financial penalty and possible towing away as a deterrent.
A number of areas have been also highlighted as potential sites that may encourage unofficial, or pirate car parking during match days. These are areas of land that are privately owned. They believe many of these areas identified areas will undergo redevelopment and any remaining areas will face planning restrictions to prevent illegal parking.
Westfield Stratford City shopping centre has a total of 4,997 parking spaces.
The report says it will be necessary to ensure that the use of Westfield car parking is discouraged for spectators on match days. They acknowledge that some spectators will make use of the shopping centre as well as the stadium, either by shopping (or drinking/eating) before or after the event, or by sharing a car with someone who uses the shopping centre whilst they visit the stadium.
They want to give sufficient discouragement to spectators to ensure significant numbers do not use the Westfield car parks on event days whilst allowing Westfield customers to make use of the car parks on event days without financial penalty.
To achieve this, drivers will be able to re-programme their parking token during the period of the match so it will subsequently allow them to depart without incurring increased charges. This will be facilitated by the provision of “event day” token machines provided across each level of shopping and retail. Those who have attended the stadium event will be unable to re-programme their token as this facility will only be available whilst the event is on. The spectators will face punitive parking charges on departure if they have not re-programmed their token during the period that the event is on. The re-programming facility will be made available from ten minutes after the beginning of
an match (Start + 10) to visitors to Westfield who have existing parking tokens. Any driver who arrived earlier than ten minutes after the beginning on a match (Start + 10) and intends on departing the car park any time between ten minutes prior to the end of a match (End – 10) and two hours after the end on a match (End + 120) will be told that they must re-programme their token using the machines available during the event period to avoid significantly higher exit charges.
If you want to park in Westfield on match days you obviously need to bring a wife, husband, partner or friend and leave them with your credit card to do the shopping while you watch the match in the Olympic Stadium.