only one pay machine on each floor so cant cope with 300 theatre goers trying to pay to get there cars out, the ques to pay went from machines up the stairs to the next floor and the same on that floor, no signs directing people to levels, on my visit there was 30 to 40 people wandering round both inside and out side looking for a way to get to their cars. after you get to your car all the way out signs are bent in the wrong direction or missing. then came the long Que to get your car out, this is the worst thought out, confusing, and frustrating car park I have ever been too. and I had to pay £10.00 to park in this hell hole.
Waleed Siddiqui
Reasonable charges in Orchards Shopping Centre in Dartford, easy access to Aldi, Theater, shops in Orchard centre like New Look, Primark, Best Bargain, Carphone Warehouse, EE Mobile, JD sports etc. Instrestingly this place free to park your car on Sundays for 2 hours. See details below in picture
V3mol154 days ago
one of the worst car parks i have been to in my 50 years of driving can't pay with a card i had to line up foe 20 minutes then when i did start to put in £3 in coins it stopped taking them then you have to start talking to someone with 50 people looking at you" make going to a show a bad night out!!!
Javed Ahmed245 days ago
If I could get 0 star for this worst car par ever I been in my life. You must have a coin to pay ridiculous amount of £3 just for 5 minutes on Sunday after 4 o’clock. Will never go there again and will not recommend anyone.
Wayne George276 days ago
Exact cash only. No contactless payments. Exit barrier was open and people were driving out without paying.
Lorna Villiers-Jones2 years ago
Utterly ridiculous that in 2023 there is a car park where the ONLY option is to pay in cash. No change either, just correct money. The Orchard car park is next door to the Orchard Theatre in Dartford and also serves a shopping centre. Pretty sure it's constantly busy. But it would seem that either the private owners or council can't be bothered to invest in a cashless system. Very very poor.
If you read this, the nearest cash point is over the bridge by Dartford Station and THEN you need to get change.
Bella2 years ago
Getting worse every week we're out of the pandemic.
Orchards parking team force the gym staff to chain up the fire/access doors on the first floor. This means if you park there, and then staff chain the doors, then theres a long walk to your car and your parking may expire by then, or worse, the side door to access the building out of hours jams and you're locked in until someone types their PIN from the outside.
(Dont get me started on the fact that its also it's a safety/fire hazard... but still no meaningful response from the orchards team)
Secondly the parking team essentially do whatever they want, including switching off the entrance barrier as they please so you cant even access the gym in the first place!
They say aldi carpark is available but it only offers 1.5hr free and many gym users joined on the premise of 2hrs free parking. Theres no leeway in Aldi carpark without getting a £70 fine! You cant just pay for extra time there.
If the multistorey carpark isnt full and the gym has a contract with the facility, why deny users? Because you cant be bothered?
I love the Gym here but the Orchards parking team just seem incompetent and lazy. They make the experience frustrating and their management doesnt seem to care. People just want to use the gym in peace.
Marc Pearce2 years ago
If you go to the theatre park elsewhere, this car park is atrocious, not enough machines making que time horrendous.
Centre in Dartford, easy access to Aldi, Theater, shops in Orchard centre like New Look, Primark, Best Bargain, Carphone Warehouse, EE Mobile, JD sports etc. Instrestingly this place free to park your car on Sundays for 2 hours. See details below in picture
If you read this, the nearest cash point is over the bridge by Dartford Station and THEN you need to get change.
Orchards parking team force the gym staff to chain up the fire/access doors on the first floor. This means if you park there, and then staff chain the doors, then theres a long walk to your car and your parking may expire by then, or worse, the side door to access the building out of hours jams and you're locked in until someone types their PIN from the outside.
(Dont get me started on the fact that its also it's a safety/fire hazard... but still no meaningful response from the orchards team)
Secondly the parking team essentially do whatever they want, including switching off the entrance barrier as they please so you cant even access the gym in the first place!
They say aldi carpark is available but it only offers 1.5hr free and many gym users joined on the premise of 2hrs free parking. Theres no leeway in Aldi carpark without getting a £70 fine! You cant just pay for extra time there.
If the multistorey carpark isnt full and the gym has a contract with the facility, why deny users? Because you cant be bothered?
I love the Gym here but the Orchards parking team just seem incompetent and lazy. They make the experience frustrating and their management doesnt seem to care. People just want to use the gym in peace.