Lewes Forum thread

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Doing the Continental

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On 12 Nov 2014 at 8:35pm Rob wrote:
What bright spark at the council thought it was a good idea to close the Friar's walk Car Park so that Continental could throw a Party.Much appreciated by all the local traders who's customers had nowhere to park!
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On 12 Nov 2014 at 9:10pm jo wrote:
well what bright spark let the Ploice have a new station on one of the main car parks in lewes..
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On 12 Nov 2014 at 10:23pm Continental wrote:
Thanks to all our local traders (67 of you) personally informed and forewarned of our event and who were very supportive. Thanks too to the Council for their support in bringing inward investment to create jobs and in turn boost spending in our local shops. Sorry for any inconvenience caused
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On 12 Nov 2014 at 10:29pm msport wrote:
Well never mind that, did you see the Lambo?
That was definitely worth closing the carpark for
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On 12 Nov 2014 at 11:02pm izzy wrote:
Well I thought it was really well organised. I had to collect something from the antique shop and the friendly security man explained and guided me to a space on the street. If only I had that every day! Hope he's still there tomorrow! And besides it only took up about 10 spaces.
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On 13 Nov 2014 at 7:30am Resident wrote:
This is just a taster of what will happen if the proposed Premier Inn is passed by the planners. The 60 bedroom hotel and attendant shops will take over the 80 space public car park.
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On 13 Nov 2014 at 8:51am Rob wrote:
I'm one of the 67 Local Traders.In the Cliffe for 30 Years. I certainly wasn't informed or forewarned by anyone.
Continental had to pay the Council to close the Town Center Car Park,obviously to compensate them for loss of revenue for the day.
therefore didn't it occur to them that the car park is also a revenue stream for the other businesses in the Town.
Probably too much for a Company that made £1.5 Billion profit (2012).No small business in the Town would dream of cutting off their and their neighbors customers in this way, are you sure the new building is big enough to house your ego and arrogance ?
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On 13 Nov 2014 at 8:59am Border Control wrote:
There are more than 67 traders in Cliff High Street, one antique centre alone has over 60 dealers in it !!!!
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On 13 Nov 2014 at 9:21am Clifford wrote:
Interesting post Rob. I'll be interested to see if we get any more marketing garbage talk in Continental's response.
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On 13 Nov 2014 at 10:58am Grandma wrote:
Does this mean we can all rent the car parks for weddings etc.? Seriously, the area taken up was most of the car park...not 10 but 37 spaces Izzy and you were pointed to on street parking, so potential customers couldn't come to shop or browse. Other businesses were not told or warned either. I'd like to know exactly how many people will be working at Continental... if 90 where will they park? Friars Walk car park is not long stay.
Our rates have always been high in Lewes. So are parking fees. The council seam to work against us all.
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On 13 Nov 2014 at 11:24am izzy wrote:
I was pointed to and parked in Court Road, about 50 yards way. There were lots of spaces there. I picked up my purchase and went to Bills where I met friends, no problem. Honestly, I thought it was well done and I don't know why we residents are so fast to knock. Can we only get excited and close our shops for bonfire night?
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On 13 Nov 2014 at 11:29am Fifty Sheep wrote:
I'm a local trader and I wasn't "forewarned" (not consulted). I would like thank Continental though for single handedly saving the local economy and saving us local traders whom without them would certainly fails they are going to bring so much footfall. Albeit at the sacrifice of parking spaces.
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On 13 Nov 2014 at 12:04pm Welshman wrote:
I`m excited by the image of 50 sheep - but I think a Bull is more involved
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On 13 Nov 2014 at 4:58pm Historian wrote:
it just proves the Council is really not interested in the retail business in Lewes. Restrictive parking scheme, high street closed for the opening of an envelope, parade, whatever reason they can come up with ! It really is appalling.
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On 13 Nov 2014 at 9:50pm Ed Can Do wrote:
I didn't realise there were people who don't drive down Court Road to look for spaces before they try the car park. The on street parking there is significantly cheaper than the car park for the cost of a 90 second walk.

Also, can any of the Cliffe traders confirm roughly how many shoppers they get on a weekday during the day in Lewes and how many of those drove in? I'm not digging, just genuinely interested as to the cost to businesses in lost trade due to the car park being half full versus the benefit from extra people in town that day and going forward thanks to Continental being there.
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On 14 Nov 2014 at 3:09am Lopster wrote:
Continental are going to attract THAT many shoppers are they?
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On 14 Nov 2014 at 6:46am Numberjack wrote:
A few years back their was outrage when Roche pulled out of Lewes, now we get a new multi-national company investing in the town and low, outrage.
People moan about antique shops and twine emporiums, now big industry is the villain.
Make your minds up!
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On 14 Nov 2014 at 8:23am bastian wrote:
Who the hell are Continental? I can't see what their product is, I've been trying to work it out, is it just another buisiness where you have to be rich enough to use it to know what they do?
I can't be *rsed to look it up online (a sI am sure I will be encouraged to do as it will count as a hit on their website and I don't like doing that).
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On 14 Nov 2014 at 10:16am Oldbutintouch wrote:
Due to my great age, and to remaining in touch, I can confirm that neither LDC or Continental consulted or forewarned either of the town's two traders groups. Neither the chamber of commerce, or the Cliffe Traders Asoc. Knew anything about the closure. Perhaps Continental asked the Saturday Girls at Superdrug! LDC owe ALL the traders a huge apology - what about a refund of the days business rates? Continental are very welcome to Lewes, but they should not start out by arrogantly upsetting local traders. Would it be racist to point out that they are a German company?
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On 14 Nov 2014 at 11:39am Rob wrote:
Very succinctly put "Oldbutintouch"
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On 14 Nov 2014 at 3:51pm bastian wrote:
but what are they? what is their product?
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On 14 Nov 2014 at 4:33pm Old Bloke wrote:
I think they deal in something called "driver assistance systems" that sounds like some new fangled replacement for everyday driving skills.
In other words - very boring and very German - even more boring than much of Lewes.
Lewes certainly could do with an injection of new and interesting shops - far too many opticians, junk shops, estate agent, charity shops, tatty old book shops, over priced and samey coffee/cake shops and useless restaurants.
Hardly the tourist attraction it's cracked up to be.
Not a decent hotel in sight for those tourists (wherever they may be) either so please let the Premier go ahead.
None of this alters the fact that local traders appear to have been treated disgracefully again
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On 14 Nov 2014 at 6:48pm bastian wrote:
So there product is "driver assistance equipment"...Hmmm!
That gets me no wheer, becuase I don't have alicence-means nothing really, hardly an industry or a product unless you are a petrolhead-even then you would hav eto afford it. Odd what constitutes "good for the town".
We could do with a top notch bakers, not mealy bread or tooth breaker-pies, proper pies.
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On 14 Nov 2014 at 7:53pm Horseman7 wrote:
They produce the technology used by manufacturers of driver-less vehicles, including trains, trams and... oh yes, cars, vans and lorries. Ooh-err.
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On 14 Nov 2014 at 7:57pm lewes wrote:
Their main original product was car tyres. You may even have some on your car right now.
Fantastic that they choose lewes and that they employ a large number of local people who live in lewes so surely we should try and support them and our locals that work for them. It would be useful if we had more hotels which should benefit everyone as tourists are good for most of the local businesses and local people who jobs may be created for. Come on lewes let's embrace change! Perhaps it could be good for all of us. Let's try to say yes where we can and look at the positives and the bigger picture.
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On 14 Nov 2014 at 11:06pm Old Bloke wrote:
Exactly how many local people do they employ.
Is it hundreds?
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On 15 Nov 2014 at 12:02am Ed Can Do wrote:
I know a guy who works there who was working on computer software for rear parking sensors that can tell the difference between thick grass (That you can reverse over) and brick walls (That you can't).
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On 15 Nov 2014 at 8:23am Oldbutintouch wrote:
does this software detect the difference between a private function area & a public car park?
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On 15 Nov 2014 at 10:54am izzy wrote:
Or between a warm, welcoming society and bah-humbug, grumpy, racist old men. Honestly, I am ashamed to be a Lewes resident reading this.
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On 15 Nov 2014 at 12:14pm Grandma wrote:
What's wrong in saying Continental is a German company? Continental, according to the Express, acquired ASL early last year, which is Lewes company and now, I guess, moved next door as Continental. Continental is Billion£++ company....upset the French when they were given tons of money to open up a business there.....then closed leaving very angry workers. Not saying that will happen here but so far the PR was poor, so has our council's treatment to local independent businesses. As for being ashamed of Lewes, I like it, it's a much sort after place to live and houses at a premium....so if you'r ashamed to live here...move.
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On 15 Nov 2014 at 12:31pm the kronic wrote:
Oh come on Grandma, you know how people take offence on behalf of others !!! It's racist don't you know to call something German.
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On 15 Nov 2014 at 12:56pm Old Bloke wrote:
@izzy - well done you've shown in a brief sentence a perfect example of the hand wringing self hating take offence at anything attitude that infests Lewes. Exactly what propels me to the Royal Oak at Barcombe for lunch where it's possible to listen to normal nice people chatting about normal things rather than the Guardianista thought Nazis in the over priced and poor food outlets of the town (with apologies to the very few that are decent eg the Magazine))
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On 15 Nov 2014 at 6:59pm Clifford wrote:
I'm about as left as you can get, Old Bloke, but your comment hit the nail on the head and I couldn't agree more.
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On 16 Nov 2014 at 11:57am Izzy wrote:
The whole thread is an example of "take offence at anything"... and nothing. Your own Barcombe comment "Traders treated disgracefully again". I was actually there and it was done sensitively, and from my own experience, I conclude that far from " customers having nowhere to park" (the thread opener), the opposite was true. I was guided to somewhere I probably wouldn't have considered out of habit. They didn't create those spaces, the spaces were already there.
Our efforts could be better put into lobbying the council to train their parking enforcement officers to use their radios to find empty car park spaces and to help people. Or to add signage about carpark spaces free.
There is a problem to solve here (parking) and the way i see it is that someone came along and showed us how we can make more efficient use of our limited space.
Whether individuals received the message (Rob et al) or not, may indeed be a reason to take offence (of not knowing it was going to happen), but it surely only becomes an outrage when there is an impact, e.g on the parking, which from my own real experience, i believe there was not.


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On 16 Nov 2014 at 12:24pm Old Bloke wrote:
So the traders and others are lying about their treatment?
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On 16 Nov 2014 at 1:26pm izzy wrote:

Who, what, how, when traders were or were not informed is not a question or comment of mine. Neither do i have a preconceived notion that big bad German continental must be lying.
My comment is about parking on the day (the first post) and to my experience, customers had places to park.
Think about it. If all shoppers in Cliffe High Street only ever park in the half of the Friars Walk car park closed by Continental, firstly,trade must definitely be poor and secondly, where are the people going who park in all the other parking spaces, since they are not shopping in Cliffe high street?
There were more people in Bills alone than the number of spaces closed, so they must have parked somewhere.
It is not true that there was nowhere to park. Being consulted is another matter.



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On 16 Nov 2014 at 1:32pm Clifford wrote:
Is 'Izzy' another name for 'Continental' by any chance?


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