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Cars at Durham

accidental

Thanks for your help.

Reply 1

Heavs

3

I don't think cars are allowed. Durham is really too small and ancient to be able to cope with potentially 9000+ cars through its infrastructure if everyone was able to bring them and there's also no room to park near most of the colleges. Don't worry, everything is within walking distance I actually can't imagine needed a car here.

Reply 2

arkbar

12

Surely you also applied to Castle and Heavs will correct me if I'm wrong but surely there's hardly any parking space at Castle in particular? More importantly, unless you were a member of some sports team with incredibly bulky equipment and lots of away matches- why would you need one?

Reply 3

oblivious

13

isn't there some congestion charge aswell?

Reply 4

Heavs

3

There is certainly no room anywhere near the castle for en masse student parking, only palace green which gets filled up with tourists and theres no way in hell the university/cathedral would let students park there long term, and the courtyard for staff. I suppose if someone was desperate to have a car here they could investigate long term parking permits in Prince Bishops car park, but I think it would be very expensive and you really don't need a car in Durham as a student.

Reply 5

Mattmoy_2000

9

Unless you have some specific reason for needing a car, they're totally superfluous.

Reply 6

durhamdosser

4

Mattmoy_2000

Unless you have some specific reason for needing a car, they're totally superfluous.

It's useful to have at least one friend with a car in second year, so you can scav lifts to Tesco...

Reply 7

*Flower*

I have a first year friend at Collingwood who's taken a car with her, so it maybe possible at a hill college.

Reply 8

dobbs

17

*Flower*

I have a first year friend at Collingwood who's taken a car with her, so it maybe possible at a hill college.

Interesting - does she have any disabilities or do a course in which she'd need a car (e.g. some education ones as they need to go to schools and stuff). If not then she's probably risking being clamped parking her car in the Collingwood car park, unless she parks it in the Elvet Hill Road Car Park (by Trevs) which you still need a permit for but I think is less regulated than the direct college car parks.

To be honest - no-one needs a car in Durham. OK so there are benefits, especially in 2nd year, but no-one NEEDS one (except people as I explained above with disabilities or specific course needs).

Cars are very anti-social anyway, half of the fun of the day are the journeys to and from lectures, and seeing people you know on those journeys. My travels from Gilesgate up to college and back are always filled with people I know. It's good :smile:

Reply 9

hanadeka2002

I was told not to bring a car-they asked me whether I was thinking of bringing a car and then told me they prefer you not to-also I think the guy said that getting a permit is very difficult.Plus there's a £2(?) congestion charge.

Reply 10

dobbs

17

cherrychocolate

I was told not to bring a car-they asked me whether I was thinking of bringing a car and then told me they prefer you not to-also I think the guy said that getting a permit is very difficult.Plus there's a £2(?) congestion charge.

The congestion charge is to get onto the Bailey, so if you're in Castle, Hatfield, Chads, Johns or Cuths (Bailey accom.) then you'll be spending money to get to your colleges. Otherwise all the other colleges don't have congestion charges BUT all the car parks are heavily enforced by some private company and will clamp your car/give you a hefty fine if you don't have a Durham Uni permit, which is very very very very very hard to get! :rolleyes:

Reply 11

Piggsil

16

dobbs

The congestion charge is to get onto the Bailey, so if you're in Castle, Hatfield, Chads, Johns or Cuths (Bailey accom.) then you'll be spending money to get to your colleges. Otherwise all the other colleges don't have congestion charges BUT all the car parks are heavily enforced by some private company and will clamp your car/give you a hefty fine if you don't have a Durham Uni permit, which is very very very very very hard to get! :rolleyes:

NB congestion charges don't run after about 5pm or on Sundays.

Reply 12

Nel48

I'm thinking of living at home (about 40mins from Durham) so i was planning on driving in everyday. Would there be somewhere for me to park? (I've applied to St. Aidan's) Also, with all the parking fees and congestion charges would it actually not be much more expensive to live in Durham itself?

Reply 13

dobbs

17

Nel48

I'm thinking of living at home (about 40mins from Durham) so i was planning on driving in everyday. Would there be somewhere for me to park? (I've applied to St. Aidan's) Also, with all the parking fees and congestion charges would it actually not be much more expensive to live in Durham itself?

You can't live at home if you're going to St. Aidans, you should check this stuff out beforehand.

Basically, you can only live at home in your first year if you go to St. Cuthberts. At every other Durham college (not sure about the new one - Butler) you have to live in college in your first year. Sorry! :rolleyes:

In 2nd, 3rd and 4th years you can live out if you like.

Also places to park - you could park at the park and ride and get the bus in. Something like that. Not many parking spaces in town you're not going to spend quite a bit on!

Reply 14

arkbar

12

Dobbs: As a (relatively) local person to Durham, what're your views on people living at home?

Reply 15

Piggsil

16

arkbar

Dobbs: As a (relatively) local person to Durham, what're your views on people living at home?

I'm not Kev but I'll give my views anyway :p:

I think that if you live at home, yes you'll save money but you'll miss out on so much more. Living in college is a unique experience, and if you lived at home I think you'd feel very isolated.

Reply 16

Mattmoy_2000

9

To live at home would be a wasted opportunity.

Reply 17

Nel48

dobbs

You can't live at home if you're going to St. Aidans, you should check this stuff out beforehand.

I did actually know that. I've only recently thought that living would make more sense financially as i know have a car and the option to drive each day. If i was to decide to live at home i'd have to find out about switching colleges.

Reply 18

Mattmoy_2000

9

Please don't live at home! The price difference between running a car for a year and living in college is so small in comparison to the benefits you'll have from living in as to be negligible. As I've said before, the most important thing about university is not studying, but learning how to live and who you are. You won't do that if you're still living with Mummy and/or Daddy.

Reply 19

Nel48

I know what you mean, and this has posed a huge dillema for me but i think i will live at Durham although the costs of accomodation are very worrying!

Cars at Durham

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