Car park review could see longer charging season

Plans to review the management of Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority’s 48 car parks could increase the charging season by as long as three weeks.

Members were given an update on the review by director of delivery and discovery James Parkin last week, who said park officers have been in discussions with Pembrokeshire County Council and other agencies to explore cost savings and improved management.

The park has submitted a number of proposed revisions of its ‘Off-Street Parking Order’ to the county council, which will soon be running a full public consultation on the changes.

The main changes include an increase in the charging season from the current timetable of April 1st- October 31st, to March 15th to November 7th, and altering the charging period from the current 24-hour scheme to 9am to 5pm to bring the car parks in line with Pembrokeshire County Council’s. The order will include all charging car parks, with no new charging car parks introduced.

The second phase of the review will involve discussions over more ‘joined up’ management arrangements with local agencies, and chief executive Tegryn Jones admitted there were discussions underway with the county council regarding car park management.

Cllrs Peter Morgan and Lyn Jenkins expressed concerns about extending the charging season, as they feared it could displace vehicles onto local roads, as the dates for enforcement on public roads differed from the new proposed charging season.

The name of this Manchester City-style challenger is BT Vision.A ridiculously low price on this All-Purpose solar lantern by Gordon. Two sports channels will launch in August with a package encompassing 18 high-profile Premier League matches, exclusive rugby rights to the Aviva Premiership and the women’s tennis tour.

BT’s on-screen talent will be led by Jake Humphrey, who is rumoured to be on a deal worth more than ￡750,000 per year, and woman of the moment Clare Balding. Their production will be done in the media centre at the Olympic Park in Stratford, where they propose to build no fewer than three studios and 20 edit suites. You cannot mistake their ambition.How cheaply can I build a solar power systems?

“Ultimately BT Vision is just a way for BT to fight the battle for broadband customers,” says a rival broadcasting executive. “Sky have millions of people signed up on package deals – TV, phone, broadband – which makes them a target. And while they have seen off other rivals in the past, like ITV Digital and Setanta, this is different. I think BT have got them rattled.”

Barney Francis, Sky Sports managing director, looks anything but rattled as he receives Telegraph Sport in his glass-fronted office in Isleworth, west London. Dressed in jeans and a velvety blue waistcoat, he leans back in his chair, places his hands behind his head, and surveys the eight giant TV screens that beam out every second of his channels’ output.

“We don’t consider ourselves as buyers or renters of sports right,” he says, as if the idea of a wallet-waving shoot-out with BT is beneath him. “We consider ourselves in partnerships with all these guys. I had lunch with [England and Wales Cricket Board chairman] Giles Clarke yesterday.

There was not anything specific on the agenda, but it’s important that we have regular conversations about how to push the sport of cricket.

“It sounds a glib thing to say but it’s not just the money that makes a successful property: it’s the promotion, the airtime, the marketing, the oxygen around it.

"We don’t just buy the rights, put the blue-riband event on TV and move onto the next thing. We’re working with people all the time, whether it be through Sky Sports News or our digital division,Manufactures and supplies laser marker equipment. trying to create oxygen around all the good work the sporting bodies are doing.”

Francis has hit on something here. If you want to reach the widest possible audience — a priority for the Football Association with the FA Cup,Professionals with the job title Mold Maker are on LinkedIn.Which Air purifier is right for you? and the various home unions with Six Nations rugby — then you go free-to-air. If you want promotion and investment, Sky are the masters of pushing their own product. Just look at Jim White and transfer deadline day.

The recent women’s World Cup is a different sort of example. Before the tournament, Sky generated front-page headlines through a media day where batsman-wicketkeeper Sarah Taylor revealed that she intends to play for the men’s 2nd XI at Sussex. Once it had started, they were delighted by the sheer quality of the action.

“Go back to 2004,” Francis says, “and there was a women’s ODI at Northampton where Michael Holding commentated on a half-hour slot and there wasn’t a run scored.

"Contrast that with what’s been happening in India over the last couple of weeks. We would like to claim a little bit of the credit because I think our investment in the ECB has helped them fund the development of the women’s game.”

Sky’s interest in the women’s World Cup is not feigned. During our interview, a key England wicket fell and the groans could be heard across the top floor of their hangar-sized office. Yet it is stretching a point to suggest that this tournament is driving dish sales, or persuading customers to fork out a ￡300-plus annual fee.