Parking News - August 2024 - Issue 443

Richard Walker considers the opportunities that elections bring

Election fever

Had the President’s Reception taken place on its original and intended date, my speech would have referenced the certainty of an upcoming general election. However, as we all now know, 4 July was selected as polling day by the-then Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.

The results of opinion polls were confirmed by the exit polls, and the election results were confirmed as fact. Some upsets were witnessed, and the election of the erstwhile opposition into power, under Sir Keir Starmer – our new Prime Minister – means a different party is now in control.

The change in administration means a change in direction as manifesto pledges start to be put into policy. With a very large majority, I suspect it will not be too long before items that are referenced in the King’s Speech are put into legislation.

From a local authority perspective, we have been watching with interest. While there is little detail yet, the high-level information available so far seems to indicate a desire for greater devolution of powers, and a focus on developing transport polices.

Notably, the initiatives mentioned by Transport Secretary Louise Haigh MP –including nationalisation of the railway operation, more franchised bus services and delivering greener transport – does seem to indicate a transportation policy shift, although the finer detail, including how any plans relate to parking, is still needed.

We have also recently been involved in our own Association’s elections. Each June,

the familiar cycle of polling begins again and, this year, we welcome new incumbents to the Council of Representatives. We also had elections to the Board of Directors.

We recognise and thank those who have served on our Boards and Council for their hard work alongside busy jobs and lives. Their valued contribution has helped keep our Association thriving and growing –thank you.

We welcome those who take up positions in their areas within the Council, bringing with them innovative and fresh ideas to inject into the mix, keeping the Association alive with input into the latest developments. If you want to work alongside them, I’d recommend getting involved with any of the BPA service boards as a first step.

There are many important issues still at stake that we must take up to ensure a balanced view is heard, as part of our government lobbying, especially with the changes that have taken place at a national level. It is this that our Association has been involved in planning for some time.

Change always makes for an exciting time. I look forward, as incoming President, to hearing from members about their aspirations for our Association, this year and beyond.

Richard Walker BPA President

The ‘e’ word

Where do we go from here? asks Louise Parfitt

For the past few months, the word ‘election’ has been hanging in the air. We were at Parkex when the date for the ‘e’ word was confirmed. Then followed six weeks when it seemed the talk was of nothing else – and now, here we are... new government in power and new policies being formed.

In our lead feature, Sarah Juggins asks what impact this could have on our sector. Although it is still early days, there have been lots of promises from the Department for Transport –turn to pages 3, 6-7 and 12-15 to find out more.

Kelvin Reynolds also takes a wry look at the world of politics – see page 34.

Closer to home, it has been election time at the BPA – see pages 27-28 for more on this. Richard Walker, our new President, opens this issue (page 3) and shares his aims for the next 12 months (see pages 30-31). You can also hear from the new Vice-President, Mike Marrs, and Stuart Harrison, as he hands over the presidential chain to Richard.

Another story that made headline news recently was the launch of the BPA and IPC’s

private sector single Code of Practice. Read more on pages 18-19 and 32-33.

We report from the final BPA Live, which took place in Peterborough in June (see pages 22-23), and hear from the Northern Ireland Country Group meeting, where an all-Ireland conference was announced (see pages 24-25). And remember, the Scotland Expo takes place next month, and is shaping up to be a great event (see pages 32-33)!

If you have any stories to share, please send them to: louise.parfitt@cplone.co.uk

Louise Parfitt reports from the final BPA Live event of 2024 that took place in Peterborough in June

Sean McConnell feeds back on the recent Northern Ireland Country Group meeting

Parking News is published by the British Parking Association

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Louise Parfitt chats to new BPA President Richard Walker and new Vice-President Mike Marrs; plus past-president Stuart Harrison reflects on his year at the top

Rises, says Kelvin

Photography and illustration: p06: Department of Transport p31: Smile Photography All other images: iStock.com We

Update on Surveillance Camera Code of Practice

The Data Protection and Digital Information Bill did not receive royal assent before the dissolution of parliament ahead of last month’s general election. That means there is no legislation in place to dissolve the role of the biometrics and surveillance camera commissioner and the Surveillance Camera Code of Practice. As a result, the Office of Biometrics and Surveillance Camera Commissioner continues to support the commissioner in fulfilling his statutory duties.

The commissioner is now pivoting from working towards the closure of the office and transfer of functions into new structures, to reinvigorating code of practice compliance and oversight of the retention and use of biometrics.

Major devolution programme begins

All regional mayors in England met last month to begin the process of shifting power out of Westminster through a major programme of devolution.

Leaders came together with the Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, and Deputy Prime Minister, Angela Rayner, to discuss a new partnership approach and agree early actions to scale up devolution and empower regions to deliver change for their communities, helping unlock economic growth and tackle regional inequality.

Rayner also used the meeting to mark the beginning of the process of establishing Local Growth Plans across the country. She called on mayors to identify local specialisms, and contribute to work on a national industrial strategy.

Transport Secretary sets out five key priorities

New Transport Secretary Louise Haigh has promised to deliver the biggest overhaul to transport in a generation.

She convened officials to begin work, at pace, across the department on rail reform, further devolution of bus powers, ensuring infrastructure works for the whole country, and supporting local authorities to fix roads for the long term.

In her first address to Department for Transport (DfT) staff on 8 July, Haigh set out her five strategic priorities:

■ Improving performance on the railways and driving forward rail reform

■ Improving bus services and growing usage across the country

■ Transforming infrastructure to work for the whole country, promoting social mobility and tackling regional inequality

■ Delivering greener transport

■ Better integrating transport networks. Her first official visit focused on plans to deliver better buses in every corner of the country, beginning a round of engagement with mayors and devolved leaders, who will be key delivery partners.

Haigh said: ‘It will take all our effort, but the new motto of our department –our purpose – is simple: move fast and fix things.

‘Our department is so clearly central to achieving the missions for government that the Prime Minister has committed us to. Growth, net zero, opportunity, women

and girls’ safety, health – none of these can be realised without transport as a key enabler.’

Haigh said the DfT would ‘think about infrastructure and services together at every turn’.

Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill CBE is the newly appointed rail minister, Lilian Greenwood has been named as the future of roads minister, Simon Lightwood has become local transport minister, and Mike Kane takes up the post of aviation, maritime and security minister.

Andrew Pester, BPA chief executive, said: ‘A change in government presents a unique opportunity to build new relationships and to work with new ministers on projects and policies that will help us deliver parking and traffic management that benefits all road users.’

Read more about what the changes brought by the general election mean for the sector in our lead feature, on pages 12-15.

■ The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities has been renamed the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. It is responsible for the Private Parking (Code of Practice) Act legislation, and the BPA will continue to work with the government to represent the views of its members on this issue.

Funding boost for EV charging in Scotland

The Scottish government is providing more than £7m across Aberdeen City Council, Aberdeenshire Council, the Highland Council, Moray Council and Dundee City Council to encourage greater private investment in the electric vehicle (EV) charging network.

Significant private investment will be required to grow the network at pace and scale in line with the Scottish government’s vision for the public electric vehicle charging network.

The funding will be targeted in a way that draws in private sector investment, with a particular focus on more rural areas of Scotland, which

is reflected in the financial awards.

The funding will enable local authorities in Scotland to work with the private sector to continue to increase the country’s public EV charging network. This will be achieved through partnership working to operate existing EV chargepoints and deliver new ones.

Cabinet Secretary for Transport Fiona Hyslop said: ‘The scale of our ambition to decarbonise transport cannot be met alone, and I expect that our commitment for approximately 24,000 additional public chargepoints by 2030 will largely be met by the private sector.

‘This can only happen, however, if the conditions exist to support this investment – which is exactly what our Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Fund is working to achieve, and with a particular focus in our rural and island communities.’

Councils urged to use parking policy to do more to tackle climate change

Climate charity Possible has developed an online tool to assess to what extent councils in London are using their parking policies effectively to tackle climate change and reduce our reliance on cars.

The research evaluated the parking policy of every borough in London by grouping areas of policy into key categories, such as the cost of parking, controlled parking zones in place, availability of electric vehicle (EV) charging, and accessibility.

It found a wide variation across boroughs, with Camden, Hackney, Haringey, Islington and Lambeth having significantly better parking policies than others.

Possible is calling on every London borough to commit to reallocating at least 25 per cent of kerbside space for more sustainable uses, such as parklets and sustainable transport hire. See moredetails.uk/PNAug24POS

Edinburgh to benefit from FUSION technology

The City of Edinburgh Council has become the first authority in the UK to select FUSION – Yunex Traffic’s multimodal network control management solution – to help improve air quality and reduce journey times.

The council has introduced FUSION on a specific corridor in one of its air quality management areas. Using a range of data sources, FUSION will continuously monitor approaching traffic and develop accurate indicators of congestion and traffic disruption, ensuring traffic management decisions are policy driven.

For example, traffic signal timings can be optimised more efficiently to ensure active travel modes and cleaner air outcomes are prioritised.

■ Yunex Traffic has been appointed by Star Charge as a certified service partner. Yunex Traffic’s international field service teams will be delivering installation, maintenance and warranty services for Star Charge AC and DC chargers at sites across Poland, Portugal and the UK.

Britannia bought by Q-Park

Q-Park has acquired Britannia Parking Group. It reached agreement for the full purchase of Britannia Parking and underwent a thorough due diligence process, which resulted in the deal being completed on 4 June.

Adam Bidder, managing director of Q-Park UK, said: ‘We are absolutely delighted to be able to confirm the acquisition of the Britannia Parking business. It is a successful and commercially solid business and we welcome our new colleagues to the Q-Park family.’

APCOA and Sandwell partnership win

APCOA was proud to be recognised alongside its client Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council (MBC) as winners of the prestigious Partnership Award 2024 at the ALARM Risk Awards in June.

Sandwell MBC’s Blue Badge misuse initiative team is a joint project with APCOA’s parking team and legal services. It successfully implemented a renewed scheme to target Blue Badge misuse. The team’s actions have resulted in increased prosecutions and community awareness, protecting vulnerable residents.

Kim Challis, APCOA’s regional managing director, UK and Ireland, said: ‘This award reflects the innovative approach and excellent work done by the group and all our frontline colleagues – it is a great example of partnership in action. A fantastic achievement by all involved to tackle an important issue.’

The win coincides with Sandwell Council awarding a further fiveyear contract to APCOA for parking management services across the borough.

Meanwhile, the London councils of Ealing, Harrow and Hounslow have come together to sign a joint contract with APCOA to tackle problems such as littering and other enviro-crime offences. APCOA environmental enforcement officers will be able to report and arrange clearance of incidents of fly-tipping promptly, prevent cases of littering and dog fouling, and issue on-the-spot fixed penalty notices to offenders where necessary. The patrols will support the councils to be better able to respond proactively to known environmental problems.

■ APCOA is set to install electric vehicle (EV) chargepoints from global specialist CTEK in its UK car parks. The company’s first installations of CTEK chargepoints have gone into car parks owned by Hillingdon Council. APCOA is also installing CTEK chargepoints at 37 of the railway station car parks it runs for Govia Thameslink Railway.

Main image: New charegpoints for APCOA car parks Inset: APCOA and Sandwell won the Partnership Award 2024 at the ALARM Risk Awards

CitiPark reveals next-generation parking technology

Leading parking operator CitiPark has announced a pioneering development in its cutting-edge in-house parking technology.

At the core of the solution is a state-of-the-art ticketless parking system that streamlines the customer experience, enhances overall operational efficiency, and offers multiple payment methods. One of the highlights of the new system is a 90 per cent improvement in automatic number plate recognition read rates. This improvement is achieved through artificial intelligence int egration, ensuring smooth and easy entry and exit for visitors.

Existing options of prebooking your stay, season permits and corporate accounts, including CitiPass, are still available. However, the new system introduces features such as extending a current booking and paying for parking up to 24 hours after exiting, and improved invoicing options that ensure a seamless parking experience for corporate and individual customers alike.

In addition to on-site kiosks and a user-friendly mobile app, CitiPark now offers customised tariffs based on vehicle type and emissions.

Peter Dowling, head of systems and infrastructure at CitiPark, said: ‘Every aspect of the new CitiPark process has been meticulously crafted with the end user in mind. We are confident that this investment will not only meet, but exceed, the expectations of our customers, setting a new standard for parking convenience and efficiency.’

New EV payment survey

Electric vehicle (EV) drivers face many issues when booking and paying for chargers, which could hold back EV uptake according to a new survey by EV payment specialist Paythru, conducted in partnership with The EV Café.

The poll of 200 drivers revealed many frustrations that will need to be addressed to support faster EV uptake:

■ 87 per cent have had to download a new app in order to pay

■ 80 per cent have experienced app payment problems because of connectivity issues

■ 61 per cent have left an EV chargepoint because of unacceptable payment options

■ 49 per cent have waited more than a day for a pre-authorisation fee to be refunded

Download a copy of the report at moredetails.uk/PNAug24PT

Fife and Rugby councils’ parking charge changes

Fife Council’s Kirkcaldy Area Committee has agreed to a trial removal of on-street town centre parking charges between Kirk Wynd and Oswald’s Wynd, and to continue with the reduced-price season ticket for car parks in the town.

The discounted season ticket was launched in October 2019 and has proved popular. The ticket would usually cost £130 per quarter and has now been cut to £60 per quarter. The reduced price will continue until 31 March 2025.

Meanwhile, councillors at Rugby Borough Council have backed plans to install new ticket machines at town centre car parks. They have also agreed to axe the 20p ‘convenience charge’ for motorists who pay for parking via the RingGo smartphone app, with the council now set to cover the cost of the charge for at least a year. Councillors also agreed to give the council’s chief officer for regulation and safety delegated powers to change car park opening times and charges. The move aims to give the council greater flexibility to extend car park opening times or offer discounted/free parking to support town centre events.

Waltham Forest to pilot accessible chargepoints

Waltham Forest Council is to bring more accessible electric vehicle (EV) chargepoints to hundreds of residents, including disabled people.

The East London Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI)-funded pilot is designed to support disabled people who may find that impractical or inaccessible charging bays are a barrier to EV adoption.

The innovative project will see the rollout of 120 fast chargepoints across Waltham Forest and one other East London borough.

Brighton and NEPP win PATROL’s first Driving Improvement Awards

Brighton and Hove City Council and North Essex Parking Partnership (NEPP) were joint winners of the first PATROL Driving Improvement Awards.

PATROL (Parking and Traffic Regulations Outside London) launched the accolades this year, to inspire and recognise local authority public awareness activities that bring about positive change in the delivery of enforcement services and engagement with communities.

The awards offer authorities the chance to submit a bid for funding to carry out a campaign or activity to effect change in their local area and be replicable nationally for other councils to use. Bids are encouraged around a specific theme each year, based on current or pressing events, issues or trends in parking and traffic enforcement. This year focused on abuse experienced by civil enforcement officers and other enforcement staff.

Brighton and NEPP proposed creative and thought-provoking campaign concepts to educate the public on the true nature of enforcement and the staff involved, to dispel common myths that may lie behind abuse, as well as to foster respect and empathy.

PATROL felt that the combination of Brighton’s multi-stakeholder approach and NEPP’s proposal to develop a suite of interactive resources would deliver a compelling edge, and make any eventual campaign materials adaptable for use by other authorities.

The other shortlisted councils were Arun District Council, Halton Borough Council, and Telford and Wrekin Council. The winning authorities were announced at PATROL’s Annual Reception, held in London on 9 July.

■ Details of next year’s theme and the entry process for the awards will be announced in October. A report on the learnings of the joint campaign by Brighton and Hove City Council and NEPP, together with any associated materials, are expected in early 2025.

The team from Brighton and Hove receives PATROL’s new Driving Improvement Award

Cameras will help tackle parking officer abuse

Body-worn cameras will be used by every parking enforcement officer in East Sussex to tackle increasing levels of abuse, violence and harassment.

Last year alone, 22 officers were physically harmed or felt they were in serious danger while patrolling the county’s streets; 19 reported verbal abuse.

The cameras will capture incidents as they happen, with footage available to the police to help with any investigations. It is also hoped the cameras will deter people from becoming abusive towards officers.

Cllr Claire Dowling, East Sussex County’s lead member for transport and environment, said: ‘Parking enforcement

officers should not have to face abuse, threats and violence while helping to keep our roads safe and clear for traffic, including emergency services. Hopefully, the presence of a camera will deter people from becoming abusive, but, if it doesn’t, the footage captured will help the police take action against those responsible.’

Pilot NPP scheme to provide greater choice

Drivers in the Wycombe area of Buckinghamshire are now able to pay for parking using the National Parking Platform (NPP).

The NPP is a national pilot that aims to provide customers with greater flexibility in paying for parking. It will run in all council car parks in Wycombe, Princes Risborough, Bourne End and Marlow, and will allow customers to choose the supplier from which they purchase their parking time.

Richard Barker, corporate director for communities at Buckinghamshire Council, said: ‘The idea behind the scheme is to give customers a choice in how they pay for their parking and to go for the option that best suits them. This is part of a pilot, so we will be monitoring how it is used and will feed back our findings.’ Buckinghamshire is the latest addition to the growing number of councils in the UK using the NPP. Current participants include Manchester, Oxfordshire, Cheshire West and Chester, Coventry, East Suffolk and Peterborough.

New parking machines in Wiltshire

Wiltshire Council is investing £380,000 in new car park machines.

The machines will give customers the choice of paying for their parking using cash or contactless with a card or mobile device. People can also continue to pay using the MiPermit app or by text. The new machines are compliant with the Equality Act 2010 and all locations have been reviewed in line with the

Department for Transport Inclusive Mobility guidance, with ramps installed where appropriate.

Cllr Nick Holder, cabinet member for highways, said: ‘We’re excited that the installation programme has now started. The new machines will be more accessible, robust and resilient, and will be powered by solar or other sustainable means.’

Bath and NE Somerset consults on parking charge proposals

A range of parking charge proposals are being consulted on in Bath and North East Somerset. People are being asked to comment on the rollout of the proposals, which aim to improve air quality through a shift to sustainable transport, walking and cycling, and incentives to reduce the use of more-polluting vehicles.

Under the proposed changes, all parking charges would see a modest increase over the next two years. Emission-based parking charges were introduced in the council’s Bath car parks last year, and the authority is proposing a wider rollout of the scheme at all its other car parks and on-street pay and display locations in Bath. A review of parking charges across Bath and North East Somerset was agreed earlier this year.

Councillor Manda Rigby, cabinet member for transport, said: ‘Our review of parking charges was agreed in February. Our aim is to improve air quality, reduce congestion and encourage other ways to travel. These proposals would be another step in the right direction to achieve this.’

The consultation closes at 5pm on 8 August. See moredetails.uk/PNAug24BNES

■ A statutory public consultation relating to new parking tariff proposals in Hertfordshire’s Dacorum Borough Council area was held last month. The tariff increases form part of an ongoing review of fees and charges, and is related to the council’s need to recover costs and manage its budget effectively.

Straight to the point

Sarah

Juggins asks if the change in government will work for the parking sector

t’s a new dawn, it’s a new day for politics as Labour take control after a landslide general election victory. Whether it is the success of the England men’s football team in reaching their first major final on foreign soil, or the return of summer after a record-breaking wet winter and spring – or, indeed, the hope of a new kind of politics – there does seem to be a sense of optimism in the air.

IAs Louise Haigh steps out of the ministerial shadows to become Transport Secretary, she will be met by a chorus of voices all demanding to know what she and her department have in store for the sector. As a key part of the UK’s travel network, parking and enforcement are equally keen to know what the future holds.

Infrastructure transformation

Among Haigh’s strategic priorities are promises to transform the infrastructure to promote social mobility and tackle regional inequality, deliver greener transport, and integrate transport networks.

In her first speech to Department for Transport (DfT) staff, Haigh said: ‘It will take all our effort, but the new motto of our department – our purpose – is simple: move fast and fix things. Our department is so clearly central to achieving the missions for government that the Prime Minister has committed us to growth, net zero, opportunity, women and girls’ safety, health – none of

these can be realised without transport as a key enabler.’ (For more on Haigh’s speech, see pages 6-7.)

Emphasising the need for a joined-up approach to transport strategy, she added: ‘The DfT should think about infrastructure and services together at every turn.’

Evident in Haigh’s early public announcements is a commitment to making swift changes to railway services and public bus networks. While these are not the primary concern of parking operators, they will have a knock-on effect as local authorities and private operators seek to offer seamless journeys that comprise multiple modes of transport. With more efficient train services and a drive to get people onto public bus services, parking options will need to mirror that efficiency. This could open the way for more transport hubs and the exciting opportunities these offer.

Thumbs up from Wales

The commitment to improve rail services has been met with approval in Wales. Chair of the BPA Parking and Transport Wales Group Peter Lowe points out that it currently takes two hours less to travel by train from North Wales to London than it does to get from North Wales to Cardiff. Improvements to links across the principality would be very welcome, because, says Lowe: ‘Currently, transport links from North to South Wales are in dire need of improvement.’

Equally, Lowe and his fellow parking

“The

new motto of our department – our purpose –is simple: move fast and fix things”

“Hopefully, we will see much better cooperation between London and Cardiff. There has been an obvious disconnect for the past few years between parties”

industry professionals will be looking for a wider impact across the whole of the parking sector.

‘The Welsh Labour Transport Minister, Ken Skates, is keen to move the transport sector forward,’ says Lowe. ‘If he can secure funding, then some ideas will become reality.’

With his own optimistic take on the election results, Lowe adds: ‘In Wales, there is real hope in the air. Hopefully, we will see much better cooperation between London and Cardiff. There has been an obvious disconnect for the

past few years between parties with opposing policies and ideas.’

All about growth

Former BPA President Jade Neville is market engagement strategist at Trellint. She is also joint chair of the BPA Technology Group and her reaction to the new government was even-handed: ‘We don’t know how the new administration will impact our sector yet. However, from the initial days of this Labour government, its manifesto and [Chancellor]

Rachel Reeves’ initial press conferences, we expect measures in place to support business growth in the UK, and parking will, ultimately, benefit if more budget is allocated to support small businesses.

‘On the flip side, changes to zero-hours contracts could impact the ability of operators to employ seasonal staff as CEOs [civil enforcement officers] or on-site staff in car parks. The commitment to build more houses adds to an existing situation that the parking industry faces around housing. With car-free developments becoming more prevalent, the issue of where people park legally and safely as part of this should not be ignored. It’s up to us to ensure parking is part of the conversation.’

Another arm of the parking industry is civil

enforcement – where is plenty for the new government to think about.

Alan Wood is a well-known figure in the enforcement sector. As CEO and founder of the National Persistent Evader Database (NPED), he has developed a system that centralises information about vehicles that are evading the law – whether that’s having no MOT, road tax or keeper details, or a combination of chargeable offences. For more than 10 years, Wood has been researching the state of our vehicle community and the links between persistent evaders of parking offences and criminal activity and antisocial behaviour.

He says: ‘We have achieved two parliamentary roundtables under the

Conservative government, but have not been able to gain any traction. With Labour coming to power, a window of opportunity has been presented. Even as I speak, we are preparing to meet with representatives from the Lords, new members of parliament, TfL [Transport for London] and the DfT, pushing forward our proposal for new legislation.

‘Our vehicle community is a mess, with up to 10 million non-compliant vehicles on the network. Many of the vehicles are hiding in plain sight and we need to bring them out of the shadows into the light. We are pushing for what we have called the Vehicle Compliance Management Act. This would be a self-funding piece of legislation to enable issuing authorities to manage their vehicle community in a fair and proportionate way. Education will be at the core of these new powers.’

With Keir Starmer’s government appearing to welcome experts from each sector, Wood’s promise that a working group comprising industry experts, police and government officials is being set up to tackle this huge problem will be well received.

No clear view on clean air

For Hannah Fuller, who co-chairs the Technology Group with Neville, the lack of a commitment to the Clean Air Act was a notable omission from Labour’s manifesto.

‘This leaves room for doubt on where the government stands on this issue, especially given previous pledges to support clean air initiatives,’ she says. ‘That said, this wasn’t a vote winner, and while I expect that this will be a hot topic of conversation over the government term, it is unlikely to be one of the first things that the new government addresses.

‘More importantly for the sector will be maintaining the momentum on key initiatives that are well under way, including the single code, National Parking Platform (NPP), DTROs [digital traffic regulation orders] and NPED.

‘The NPP and DTRO initiatives are well under way now. While I don’t think either will be affected by the new government, there may be changes that could affect timelines – hopefully in a more positive way.

‘Both initiatives will deliver robust data, something that the government requires to demonstrate success, so the more participants that are involved, the more data we can deliver – and value we can demonstrate – to government to garner its support.’

Wish lists

When it comes to a wish list from the parking sector to the new government, Neville and Lowe have a common desire to see the value of penalty charge notices (PCNs) rise.

‘I’d like to see the public and private sectors align more, and learn from each other to drive compliance,’ says Neville. ‘We’re seeing more and more motorists risking a PCN, as the value of the PCN (if paid within 14 days) is around the same price as the parking. It’s a problem for both local authorities and private operators, and should be looked at sector-wide.’

At the top of Fuller’s wish list is a plea for parking to take its place at the heart of transport strategy.

‘I hope that parking is looked at as part of a wider transport strategy that can play its part in growing the UK economy – it’s important that we align with other transport associations to ensure that we are working as one with government.’

Louise Haigh et al, take note!

View from the BPA

Speaking just a few days after the election, Isaac Occhipinti, BPA head of external affairs, set out the Association’s ‘to-do’ list for Louise Haigh and her team to consider: ‘The BPA welcomes the election of a new government. We are looking forward to engaging with them on our key policy areas, such as increasing penalty charge notice amounts, the single sector Code of Practice, allowing local authorities to use ANPR [automatic number plate recognition] cameras in off-street car parks, managing hospital car parks, rolling out electric vehicle charging infrastructure and the National Parking Platform – along with the many other key areas that the BPA and our members are working on every day.’

On the right track

Andy Gough, car parking manager at Stevenage Borough Council, tells us more about the council’s award-winning car park, Railway North

Stevenage Borough Council’s Railway North was named ‘Best New Car Park’ at the British Parking Awards 2023, along with Cheshire West and Chester’s New Market Parking.*

It opened in May 2023, with construction beginning the year before.

Formerly a surface-level car park that was always at capacity, the new multi-storey Railway North car park has almost doubled the amount of parking available (from 339 to 622 spaces).

It has also introduced charging facilities for electric vehicles (EVs), secure storage for bicycles, and 30 Blue Badge spaces on a site where there was previously none.

Overcoming challenges

The car park was designed and built by Huber Parking. It is a hybrid structure of steel columns and beams. The metal decks are infilled with concrete, and the two stair cores are made of pre-cast concrete.

The construction involved a large quantity of steel. Before works started on site there was an inflation surge on the price of steel. The consequence of not obtaining enough steel would have meant a two-phase construction, with the metal façade at risk. This challenge was overcome by accepting the higher inflated steel prices and the build was able to proceed as normal.

In addition, the car park is located in a tight site, bound by a busy road on one side and the

railway line on the other. Partnership working was essential to ensure challenges relating to the location were overcome without delay to the programme.

Special features

The unique metal façade on the exterior of the facility features images to highlight the achievements of Stevenage in the fields of

Solar panels above bike storage (left) There are 30 bays for EV charging (above)

science and technology, alongside celebrating the people of the town.

There are no columns in the car park, a design that creates more unobstructed space for ease of parking and manoeuvring.

In a dedicated, covered space adjacent to the car park, there is secure storage for 80 bicycles. There is also space for three larger cycles. This facility is operated by bespoke operator Spokesafe.

There are 30 dedicated EV charging bays. Other spaces have the necessary infrastructure to be converted to EV spaces as demand increases.

The 30 disabled parking bays are mainly on the ground level, although there are some on each level located close to the lifts.

Park Mark Plus

We received the Park Mark Plus Award, demonstrating our commitment to safety and a range of environmental, structural, operational and customer services criteria. A number of interventions help make this building environmentally friendly and sustainable, including LED motionsensor lighting. There was also clever use of offsite fabrication of some elements, to reduce time and cost, limit vehicle

movements, reduce site waste and use fewer materials.

In addition, 76 425W photovoltaic panels were installed on the available roof space. These have yielded 23MWh of electricity so far, which – along with a battery system – have helped to power the lighting, lifts and EV chargers.

Gateway to sustainability

The car park is adjacent to the railway station and is primarily used by commuters making the most of the excellent transport connections. It uses automatic number plate recognition to calculate how long a vehicle has been in the car park and adjusts the cost of parking accordingly. Customers can pay at one of the pay stations or at the exit barriers. Our railway car park seasonticket holders get access to all our town centre car parks.

The railway station forms part of the gateway to the town centre, and provides a unique facility for Stevenage that incorporates some of the best features of the town. Together with the Stevenage Bus Interchange, this new car park has helped to create a sustainable

travel hub for Stevenage and people from across Hertfordshire who use the station. By investing in sustainable facilities – including an easy connection to the Bus Interchange, Stevenage’s 45km of cycle networks and the town centre – people have easily accessible and connecting active-travel options.

*See Parking News May 2024, pages 40-41 or bit.ly/PNJune24NM

Calling all car park managers!

Do you own or operate a car park that deserves celebrating? If so, we want to hear from you. Maybe it is in a remote location or has exemplary green credentials; maybe it has been serving the community for a long time, or is bang up to date, embracing all that technology offers; maybe it doubles as a leisure space at weekends, or the team that runs it has exemplary customer service. Please drop us a line and we’ll get in contact to find out more: louise.parfitt@cplone.co.uk

The metal façade on the outside of the building

OTeaming up

Rachel Airriess and Derek Millard-Smith, from BPA Lawline, look in more detail at the BPA and IPC’s single Code of Practice for the private sector

n 26 June 2024, the BPA and IPC published the private parking sector single Code of Practice to be used across the entire private parking sector. The new single Code aims to raise standards and deliver greater consistency and transparency for the benefit of motorists.

To whom does the Code apply?

The Code is applicable to all parking operators who are members of the BPA or IPC. Members must comply with the Code, which includes the requirement to cooperate with their DVLA-accredited trade association and comply with any requests made by them. It is applicable in all areas of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

Changes in the new Code

The new Code will bring in the following changes to the private parking sector:

■ Introduce an appeals charter, creating clear parameters for motorists to appeal against a parking charge

■ Mandate a 10-minute grace period for motorists

■ Provide consistent rules for private parking operators

■ Require clear signage to help motorists navigate parking on private land

■ Ensure the protection of the most vulnerable in society, with no

decrease in the deterrent for abuse of Blue Badge bays or those who choose to park selfishly, putting their own convenience above the needs or rights of others

■ Maintain a cap on the parking charge at £100, reduced to £60 if paid within 14 days.

Aims and vision

The single Code aims to benefit all compliant motorists and will present clear consequences for those who decide to break the rules. An aim that is shared across the sector is the need to present an effective deterrent in response to non-compliant motorists to ensure the proper management of private land.

The new Code will also certainly provide some relief to those that

“The Code permits a period of transition, where DVLA-accredited trade association members will be required to

meet the new standards in full by December 2026”

find themselves rushing back in a panic after misjudging the time and worried they will receive a possible fine – the dreaded parking charge notice.

Private parking operators have faced backlash in the past for issuing parking charge notices for a variety of reasons, but by introducing the new Code, the BPA hopes that this will bring many positive changes. These include a tailored appeals charter that protects motorists from genuine mistakes. The sector understands and appreciates that people make honest mistakes and, as a result, has introduced the Code to make it fairer for motorists, with more avenues to appeal.

When do we need to comply?

The Code permits a period of transition, where DVLA-accredited trade association members will be required to meet the new standards in full by December 2026. All signage, which gives the motoring public clear instruction, must be compliant with the Code for all new sites and locations from 1 October 2024.

UK government’s Code of Practice

In February 2022, the UK government introduced, and subsequently withdrew, the Private Parking Code of Practice. Since then, the BPA has been working hard to create a single code that achieves the intentions

of government, while still functioning on a practical level in the real world. The sector is awaiting an updated version of the government’s Private Parking Code of Practice. However, the BPA has united with the IPC to ensure the key elements of the government’s code are implemented as soon as possible.

With the newly appointed Labour government, we are hopeful that a new Private Parking Code of Practice will be introduced that supports the single Code developed by the BPA and IPC.

The information included here is for reference only. If you require advice on this issue, or have any other legal queries, please contact BPA Lawline at bpa@jmw.co.uk or call 0345 241 3024.

Remember, BPA members can get 30 minutes of free legal advice from BPA Lawline.

Derek Millard-Smith

BPA Lawline

The right support

Louise Parfitt meets Chris Newman, head of UK operations at Trellint, to find out more about his parking journey and what is next for the company

Why parking?

After college, I got work experience on the technical support side, back when Trellint was Spur Information Solutions [it later became Xerox Parking and eventually Conduent]. I worked my way through different project manager roles, including regional director for Conduent for more than five years. I am now head of UK operations for Trellint, which is more of a leadership role. That is a big change, because I have always been very hands on with the technical side, but it’s been really refreshing to have a wider strategic view.

Conduent sold the business to Modaxo at the beginning of the year and you have recently rebranded as Trellint. Can you tell us more about this?

I have been through several company acquisitions during my time in parking, including when we were bought by Conduent. But this is different – Modaxo is all about letting businesses develop in the way they feel best. Rather than feeling as if we have been bought by another company, we have real ownership of it. We are all really proud of the Trellint brand, because we created it.

What’s changed for you as a business?

The problem we had as part of Conduent was that the company was so diverse the parking technology side got lost, so people didn’t really understand what we did. With Trellint, our focus is solely parking and technology; we are going to carry on doing what we have been doing, but with more emphasis and support. Our mission for the next two years is to showcase our innovations and not let them get overshadowed by the noise of being part of a huge corporation. For example, in the past year we’ve launched three products: an enforcement camera, an automatic number plate recognition bike, and a known-vehicle list, which is a dynamic registration-number database, based on things such as vehicle emissions. I don’t think many people are aware of these, however, so we need to make sure our innovations get shared with the sector.

What are your proudest achievements?

I am really proud of our move into delivering enforcement contracts, which we currently do for Oxfordshire County Council. It marked a change in our direction from being solely an IT provider to being a technology and enforcement provider. Oxfordshire took a leap of faith when it signed up for our service, and we are so proud to have delivered on it, enabling the council to have the benefits of our new technologies to better manage the kerbside.

What can you offer the parking sector?

We use what we refer to as the three pillars: taking the data, taking the analytics, and then adjusting what we’re doing on street, to deliver a more efficient service. It’s having that one system, so we can put all

“[My new leadership role] is a big change, because I have always been very hands on with the technical side, but it’s been really refreshing to have a wider strategic view”

the data in one place and get the analytics back to help inform the next decision – for example, if you extend a low-emissions zone, what impact will that have on surrounding areas?

We give a holistic, analytical view, whether it’s for an in-house enforcement contract or a third-party one. The technology is not there to cut the number of staff; it’s there to do more with what you’ve got and help inform the next round of thinking.

If you could give your younger self any advice, what would you say?

Slow down a bit, and take time to learn more about the bigger picture. When I was younger, I was always so keen to get things done, get promoted, move on. Now I spend a lot more time researching best practice, looking into things, and increasing my knowledge. It’s a big part of the Modaxo ethos.

We currently supply and have vacancies around the UK for Permanent and Temporary positions:

• Civil Enforcement Officers

• Environmental Enforcement Officers

• Parking Back Office (Appeals/Notice Processing /Correspondence)

• Parking Change Management

• Interim Parking Managers

• Car Park Attendants/Marshalls/Stewarding

• Parking Supervisors (Both Enforcement and Back Office)

• Parking Management (Both Enforcement and Back Office)

• Heads of Parking /Directors

• Parking Technologies (Business Development and Project Managers/ Field Service Engineers/General Managers)

• Off Street Parking (Business Development, Contract Managers and Regional Managers)

• CCTV Operators – SIA and BTEC qualified

Looking for staff or need employment?

Please contact our experienced team on:

Tel: 0203 668 5680

Email: parking@unity-recruitment.co.uk

Web: www.unity-recruitment.co.uk ***Parking Experience Essential***

Ongoing inspiration

Louise Parfitt reports from the final BPA Live event of 2024

Iwas fortunate to attend the first session in Leeds, back in February, hear the conversations continue during the BPA Live Hub sessions at Parkex in May, and be at the final BPA Live of 2024 in Peterborough, on 20 June. These events have enabled a wider pool of BPA regional groups to come together, with experts from across the private sector and government representatives, to discuss some of challenges the sector is facing – especially with a general election in the mix – and, of course, share best practice and ideas.

The Peterborough event followed a similar schedule to the other BPA Live events, with several all-delegate sessions and breakout forums for specialist discussion.

Burning issues

The first session of the day was a regional forum, where – in the words of Zulfi Ali, chair of the Eastern region – ‘a variety of topics and burning issues for local authorities and the private sector will be discussed, so we can benefit from each other’s experience’. Delegates were brought up to date on new BPA guidance that has been issued on fire risk assessments in car parks, results from the recent National Blue Badge Day of Action, challenges and possible solutions for managing pavement parking, creating digital traffic regulation orders, and a case study from Cambridge City Council on its electric vehicle (EV) charging strategy.

‘Are we being strategic enough?’ was one of the first questions put to the panel – and to the room – by member of the audience Nicolina Cooper, of Future Traffic Solutions. Her question was concerned with place making and ensuring cross-industry working so that parking decisions are linked in with other services, such as housing and network management.

Russell Simmons, chair of the BPA Parking Structures Group and CEO of Ballast Nedam, and Roy Tunstall, BPA North West regional chair, contributed opinions on urban development plans and aligning with organisations such as the Chartered Institution of Highways and Transportation. Hannah Fuller, from Zatpark, and BPA Women in Parking (WiP) founder, shared her experiences of cross-sector working through WiP forging strong links with Women in Transport. ‘Think who, in your network, could provide advice and support – not just in our industry, but across others too,’ she said.

The Great Big Parking Debate

The second session continued the earlier smorgasbord of meaty topics to cogitate. The challenges of responding to present-day issues while ensuring the sector is embracing the future was a central component of all topics, ranging from engaging with the media and a new set of MPs and civil servants post-election, to funding for, and ensuring accessibility of, EV chargers, and the wellbeing of public-facing workers.

Clear communication – be it around the reasons for consulting on a new traffic management scheme or responding to a negative news story – came up several times. ‘We need to be more proactive,’ said Isaac Occhipinti, BPA head of external affairs. ‘Once we have to start an explanation as a response to a negative story, we are already on the back foot. We weren’t helped by the narrative from the last government, using language such as “war on the motorist”. These are things that the BPA and wider industry need to address with the new government.’

A need for a BPA toolkit to help with responding to the media was proposed as a possible action for the BPA team.

Several troubling statistics came up during the day, one of which was that less than one per cent of the EV chargers currently in use meet PAS 1899 accessibility standards, which is presenting a real problem for disabled motorists. Another worrying statistic for ensuring accessibility came from Tom Gallagher, deputy head of parking at the London Borough of Lambeth and founder of the National Blue Badge Day of Action (see July’s Parking News, moredetails.uk/PNAug24DA). In the earlier session, he said that only 18 per cent of Blue Badge misuse is detected by local authorities – 82 per cent goes completely undetected.

Scott Gow, chair of the BPA EV Connect Group and sales director at Urban Fox Networks, spoke about the government funding available for installing EV charging, and advised: ‘This is still an embryonic industry – it will accelerate and change, such as conductive charging. We need to remain on the front foot and educate industry and the marketplace.’

The conversations also included a case study from Richard Walker, BPA President and head of parking at the North Essex Parking Partnership, on a new approach to recruitment issues (see Parking News, June 2024, moredetails.uk/PNAug24RT ).

Best practice

The afternoon was split into three sessions: a forum for local authority members to share best practice and knowledge on parking policy and regulatory issues, including penalty charges, adjudication, persistent evaders and moving traffic enforcement; a Parking On Private Land Appeals (POPLA) workshop for AOS members; and a collaborative session by the co-chairs of the Parking Technology interest group on the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of artificial intelligence.

The BPA Live sessions have done a great job of evolving discussions and enabling action to be taken around some of the key issues being faced by BPA members – as well as, of course, providing that allimportant networking opportunity. Looking forward to 2025’s events!

■ BPA Live will be back in 2025. More info will be shared nearer the time. Keep an eye on britishparking.co.uk/Events

Gold Sponsor Silver sponsor

Clockwise, from top: audience participation was high throughout the day; key speakers in the first session encouraged debate; the Parking Technology Group session on artificial intelligence; Parking Technology co-chairs Hannah Fuller and Jade Neville; BPA staff welcoming members to the event

Joined-up approach

Sean McConnell, chair of the Northern Ireland Country Group, reports back on its recent meeting

he BPA Northern Ireland

TCountry Group met at the end of June, in Cookstown –a location favoured for its accessibility for our members who come from across Northern Ireland. We had an excellent turnout again this year and were at almost full capacity, with a good mix of public and private sector representation.

Gavin Bell, from Belfast City Council, presented a great report on the first 100 days of its new private-sector off-street enforcement contract (see box). It’s good to see how far this has come, but there is still work to be done so that the 11 Northern Ireland councils can collect cross-border debt from vehicles registered in the Republic

of Ireland. The licensing authority there is unwilling to share keeper data with anyone other than central government departments.

Sian Kerr, from the Department for Infrastructure, led a session on the department’s plans for rolling out more support for electric vehicles (EVs) and to encourage active travel. These are both issues that we will carry to the All-Ireland Parking Show in November, when we will come together with the Irish Parking Association for the first joint Ireland parking conference.

New ideas and continuing conversations

Isaac Occhipinti, BPA head of external affairs, presented an interesting piece on public

perceptions of parking, which gave a good flavour of where we are at and the work we need to do to challenge the narrative around parking.

We ended the day with a presentation by Tom Gallagher, from the London Borough of Lambeth, on the Blue Badge Day of Action that took place at the end of June. The day’s reach has not yet extended to Northern Ireland, so it was good for the information to be presented to the local authorities here so we can build on that for next time.

I’d like to thank all who attended, and especially the BPA’s Alison Tooze and Isaac Occhipinti for all their hard work in making it such an interesting day. It was really great to have people coming up to us afterwards to say what a good agenda it was, with a range of topics covered.

We are now looking forward to continuing the discussions at the November All-Ireland Parking Show. There are clearly areas where the sector would benefit from a more joinedup approach so we can lobby our respective governments about issues that are of concern to towns and administrators on both sides of the border – such as sharing keeper details and the EV charging network. That’s a really big political issue to get right.

A lot comes down to quality standards and ensuring that, as a parking service, we can deliver a seamless experience on both sides of the border.

The conference promises to be really interesting. I expect members from both organisations will have questions and will be able to learn a lot.

■ To find out more about the AllIreland Parking Show in November, see britishparking.co.uk/Events

100 days later

Gavin Bell, off-street car park manager, Belfast City Council, explains more about the authority’s first 100 days under the new off-street parking contract

Although our foray into off-street parking started in 2015, with car park management transferring to the 11 Northern Ireland councils through Local Government Reform, there was always the comfort blanket of the Department for Infrastructure (DfI). Through an agency agreement, the DfI provided enforcement of council car parks and the processing of any subsequent penalty charge notices (PCNs).

Other than scrutiny of the agreement with DfI, in the form of monthly invoicing reports and a regional meeting, councils were divorced from the day-to-day enforcement. Complaints about service, challenges to PCNs, problems with cashless parking, and elected member queries were all passed through to the department for action.

This was never meant to be a long-term agreement: councils were supposed to adjust to this new responsibility, seek out an enforcement contract that met their needs, and test the market. In 2019, three councils moved away from the agency agreement, leaving eight councils – including Belfast – within the agreement.

We decided to form a consortium and engaged AECOM to assist us. AECOM had developed a specification for one of the councils that exited in 2019, and we were able to use this as a basis for our tender. The tender was successfully won by Marston Holdings (NSL), and included enforcement of 106 car parks, processing any resulting PCNs, and providing cash collections and a cashless parking app. Five months later, when the contract went live, we encountered what we had been shielded from for nine years: the parking public.

Internally, it was an uphill struggle to get what I believed was adequate corporate communications out to the public to inform them that the enforcement regime was changing. Enforcement is never a good-news story, but, to the public, these changes were big, problematic and, according to some, not legal.

Some people believed the change in enforcement meant that PCNs could be ignored; that – because the colour of the attendants’ uniforms changed – enforcement was invalid, and we had no legislative grounds to do it. These sentiments were not just relayed to us, but also put on social media. Some elected representatives jumped onto these ‘injustices’ and promised to rectify matters, especially issues with the new parking app. According to accounts on social media, this app did not work. I can’t speak for other councils but, in Belfast, we have more than 900 cashless transactions across 15 car parks daily. Most complaints with the app were because of user error, not a technical issue, and elected members were duly satisfied that the public were receiving

a functional service. In hindsight, I should have had a better engagement strategy with my elected representatives in Belfast, which would have helped address any concerns beforehand.

Our public-facing customer service hub in Belfast now has to deal with parking complaints from the public. Again, with hindsight, I should have worked directly with the team in advance, but having been previously spoilt by DfI providing this problem-free service, I was naive to the extent of public outrage and confusion that the change would bring.

With any new service, there is always a bedding-in period. Now we have passed our first 100 days, the new enforcement contract has established itself and the queries and complaints have subsided. However, as I write this, I am going to view an appeal with the Traffic Penalty Tribunal in Belfast. This is also new to me and something I will have to get to grips with rapidly.

Bay Monitoring

Election time –the results are in!

Dave Smith, BPA head of marketing and events, reports on the results from the BPA’s recent elections

It’s been a very busy period for elections, nationally and internationally, and at the BPA it’s been no different!

In recent years, we have streamlined our governance processes so that we now run all of our elections during a focused period between May and July each year. These include a call for nominations to Council, service boards, and BPA Board positions if any have reached their end of term.

BPA Council and new President

Full proportional representation is now in place for our Council, having been agreed in 2019 and the transition completed in 2022 (including a two-year delay caused by the postponement of elections because of the Covid pandemic). This is now reflected in the revised regulations. For the first time in the Association’s history, the BPA’s Council comprises 41 elected representatives, plus a Vice-President and an immediate past-president, who are not elected representatives of specific membership groups. Council is permitted to elect a VicePresident from the entire membership, which it did this year by electing Mike Marrs, a former BPA President, who took over the post from Richard Walker last month at the most recent BPA Council meeting, alongside the newly elected Council representatives.

Our current past-president, Stuart Harrison, is entitled to maintain a non-voting position for one year after his presidency.

Following this year’s nominations and elections, we have welcomed seven new Council members, including Jake England and Alexandra Hobbs, who are filling one-year vacancies because of resignations by Graham Titchener and Maria Woolford. Congratulations to the following:

1. London Regional: Sarah Randall

2. Parking on Private Land Operators: Steve Clark

3. Parking Technology: Sarah Hubbard

4. Scotland Regional: Stewart Skene

5. Local Authority: Jake England

6. Local Authority: Alexandra Hobbs

7. South-East Regional: Marc Yearling

We still have one vacancy to fill for the Parking on Private Land Operators Group, following Jamie Ashford’s resignation, and this will be done by asking Council to coopt a member for one year, until June 2025, in accordance with standard procedures. Additionally, Manny Rasores retains his co-option as European Parking Association representative at Council until June 2025.

Thank you to all outgoing Council members; we value and appreciate the service you have provided while in post representing your Association.

Service board chairs and Board directors

A call for nominations for four BPA service board chairs and two Ordinary Members of the BPA Board have now concluded. A ballot was required for the two ordinary Board member positions as well as the chairs of the Professional Development and Standards Board and the Business Services and Accreditations Board.

Congratulations to our newest Board members: Andrew Luck, chair of the Communications and External Affairs Board; Sarah Randall, chair of the Technology, Innovation and Research Board; Ken Prior, chair of the Business Services and Accreditations Board; and Steven Foster who will continue to chair the Professional Development and Standards Board.

Congratulations also to Phil Hammer and Zulfiqar Ali who will continue as Ordinary Members of the BPA Board. Thank you to Mark Anfield and Conor Greely for their service as Board members.

Special interest group update

We also issued a call for nominations for chairs of special interest groups, who elect more than one person to represent them at BPA Council.

Our regulations require that the groups elect one of these to be chair of the special interest group. Each BPA Council representative in the respective groups is automatically a candidate, but may choose not to be a candidate. These positions are three-year terms and subject to the successful candidate remaining on Council for the period.

It should be noted that all other interest groups and regional groups have one representative, who is also chair of the group. In each case, the group has confirmed just one candidate:

■ Russell Simmons will carry on as chair of the Parking Structures Group

■ John Mason will carry on as chair of the Enforcement Agents Group

■ Gary Osner will act as chair of the Parking on Private Land Operators Group

■ Jade Neville will become chair of the Parking Technology (PT) Group

■ Richard Walker will not continue as chair of the Local Authorities (LA) Group during his BPA presidency. A replacement will be elected by the group in due course

The LA and PT Group representatives tend to work as a team and run group meetings accordingly.

Service boards

This autumn, we’ll offer any vacant positions on service boards for nomination and confirm any co-opted members in each service board. This will conclude the 2024 elections process. We will start the process again next May with any Council positions reaching their end of term.

You can see a full table of Members on Council and for each Service Board on our website britishparking.co.uk/Council

The full list of Board members is available at britishparking.co.uk/board

The power of three

Louise Parfitt speaks to the past, present and future BPA Presidents – Stuart Harrison, Richard Walker and Mike Marrs – about the role, their key focuses for it, and any surprises along the way

What did you enjoy most about your vice-presidency?

Richard Walker, new BPA President (RW): It’s a lovely role, being Vice-President. I met a lot of new members from across the sector, which was great. I thoroughly enjoy hearing people’s stories – finding out how they got into parking, the changes they have made, what they want to achieve. During the year, you gradually have unveiled to you what the President’s role will entail. I have been on the BPA Board and Council before, but the President has a slightly different role to play on those. I have also got more involved with the BPA events as the year has gone on, which is something I am really looking forward to continuing during my year as President.

What will be your focus during your presidency?

RW: The safety of frontline staff is an issue that is very close to my heart: in the North

Essex Parking Partnership, where I am head of parking, we run a large operation, with around 50 public-facing staff, plus those working in the back office and those doing technical roles, all of whom can face abuse. People are our most valuable asset and we need to look after them, so I want to continue the work that Jade Neville [President 2022-23] started and Stuart continued to champion. I also want to build on the work around diversity on which they have both worked so hard, including supporting Women in Parking. I want to drive up standards and have a coordinated approach – for example, with issues such as footway parking. Stuart’s focus was very much on ensuring

“It’s a humbling process to go through in becoming President, because people put their trust in you when they vote for you”

implementation of the BPA’s strategic plan, so I am also going to ensure that continues to get the attention it needs. One way could be through setting up a past presidents’ alumni, to gain insight from this important group and maintain good governance processes for BPA.

Do you think your younger self would be surprised you are now BPA President?

RW: I think my younger self would probably be surprised, but also proud that I am taking on that responsibility. It’s a humbling process to go through in becoming President, because people put their trust in you when they vote for you. I hope I can do it justice.

Why did you decide to go for the role of President again?

Mike Marrs (BPA Vice-President): My previous tenure was during the Covid pandemic, so I didn’t get a proper run at it: there were no physical meetings, so I don’t feel I was able to do the role justice, because I wasn’t able to meet people. The most important part of being President is representing members and being a conduit between them and the BPA: as President, you are the voice of the people and you need to be out there, being seen and approachable. Teams meetings post-pandemic were not the same.

What would you like to focus on?

MM: The next year, as Vice-President, is about being the best support I can be to the President. I have great respect for Richard –he is one of the oracles of the parking world in my eyes. More broadly speaking, we need to ensure that we represent the views of members on issues that are important – such as the Private Parking Code of Practice. The BPA groups, such as Women in Parking and

Mike Marrs is the next BPA Vice-President

Veterans in Parking, that gathered momentum during my first Presidency – thanks to the hard work of some key members – are both close to my heart. Then there are all the other issues in which parking plays such a key role – air quality, electric vehicles, the National Parking Platform – plus the challenges and opportunities of having a new government. Also, at the BPA, I think we sometimes need to look inwards and ensure we have the best structure in place to remain current and agile, and to support new people and talent.

Were you surprised to be voted in for a second time?

MM: I was surprised and humbled. I was up against some big names, so I feel very privileged. It’s obviously a huge honour: I don’t think anyone’s ever been voted in twice in the Association’s history. But you get in on merit at the end of the day, so now my focus is on doing the role justice and showing all the people who voted for me that they made the right decision.

The last word

Stuart Harrison, BPA President 2023-24

It has been an incredibly busy year! Despite being actively involved in the Association’s governance for many years, I was still surprised by how involved the role is. There is a huge amount going on at the BPA and it was a juggle to get to all the events and be involved in all of the discussions. Being from the private sector, I have had a huge interest in the work on the Code of Practice. I would like to recognise and celebrate the working group that has worked tirelessly to try to ensure the best outcome for the sector. The time that they contribute is phenomenal.

The year has also given me greater insight into the issues faced in other areas of membership. I have travelled across the UK and have chaired national and local conversations about areas of concern for membership, particularly local authorities that are going through tough times. I especially enjoyed the events in Scotland and Wales, and was very pleased with the feedback from BPA Live.

As with all organisations, there are challenges to deal with. The role of President is largely ambassadorial, but there is a need, as chair of Council, to ensure things are done correctly and in a timely manner. I have thoroughly enjoyed working closely with the BPA Board to ensure this. I would like to thank Anjna Patel, Richard Walker and Gary Osner in particular, for their dedication behind the scenes. The year has flown by, but I am excited that the work will continue with Richard Walker as your new President. I am looking forward to the past-president role, where I can close off some of the work started and support Richard and Mike however needed.

Richard Walker (left) and Stuart Harrison pictured at the BPA President’s reception last year. This year’s President’s reception was postponed because of the general election and will be rescheduled for the autumn

AM-GO is taking off soon

Coming soon to major airports, the BPA’s new Approved Meet and Greet Operator standard (AM-GO) will make the UK’s airport meet and greet parking safer. It will give confidence to customers, who will be able to verify meet and greet parking operators on their safety and customer service.

AM-GO will be the only policesupported, on-the-ground assessment of meet and greet parking operators. The BPA is working with its members, major airports and key stakeholders – including the police – to deliver this scheme, which will become the nationally recognised standard for airports and off-airport meet and greet parking operators.

If you are interested in being accredited, you can register by visiting moredetails.uk/PNAug24AMGO

Staff news

The BPA said a fond farewell last month to Emily Tomkins, who worked in the BPA’s events team for 18 months. Emily has moved to a new role in events for an organisation that helps transform the lives of disabled children and their families through the power of play. We wish Emily well in her new career and thank her for her service.

Meanwhile, Cris Davies has joined the BPA team as area manager for South West England and South Wales. He was previously at Britannia Parking, so has a wealth of knowledge in the parking sector and is a great fit for the area managers’ team.

Staff away day

The BPA team enjoyed a fun away day last month, when they attempted to free themselves from a series of escape rooms at Tulleys Farm, West Sussex. The day started with a focus on membership engagement development activities, before teams tried their luck escaping from different-themed rooms.

Private sector Code of Practice published

The BPA and the IPC published the private parking sector single Code of Practice at the end of June. It will be used across the entire private parking sector to raise standards and deliver greater transparency and consistency for the benefit of motorists.

The new single Code:

■ Introduces an Appeals Charter, creating clear parameters for motorists to appeal against a parking charge

■ Mandates a 10-minute grace period for motorists

■ Provides consistent rules for private parking operators

■ Requires clear signage to help motorists navigate parking on private land

■ Ensures the protection of the most vulnerable in society, with no decrease to the deterrent for abuse of Blue Badge bays or those who choose to park selfishly, putting their own convenience above the needs or rights of others

■ Maintains a cap on the parking charge at £100, reduced to £60 if paid within 14 days. Private parking operators will have to implement the new single Code by 1 October 2024, with all existing sites updated by December 2026.

Andrew Pester, BPA chief executive, said: ‘We are delighted to release a single Code across our private parking sector. This is a key milestone as we work closely with government, consumer bodies and others to deliver fairer and more consistent parking standards for motorists. We will continue to push for a positive outcome for all.’

The new sector Code can be downloaded from moredetails.uk/PNAug24CPP

Read more about the Code in our legal feature on pages 18-19.

Sara Roberts, head of Conformity Assessment Body Transition at the BPA, was interviewed on BBC’s Breakfast about the new Code. You can watch again at moredetails.uk/PNAug24BB

AOS Census is ‘vitally important’

The AOS Census opened on 15 July for all Approved Operators to submit data for the period between 1 January and 30 June 2024.

Sara Roberts, head of Conformity Assessment Body Transition at the BPA, said: ‘The data provided in previous censuses has proven invaluable, especially as we look toward the next round of consultations on the government Code of Practice, and ongoing participation in this census by Approved Operators remains vitally important.’

The BPA initiated the AOS Census in 2019, to collate robust evidence to inform its associated communications and lobbying activities. In particular, the use of aggregated membership data supports the Association’s messages on why parking management is essential and how it is important that an effective deterrent to selfish parking is maintained.

If you are an AOS member and have any queries related to the census, please contact aos-member-enquiries@ britishparking.co.uk

See you at the Expo!

Next month brings the return of the popular Parking Scotland Expo, a forward-thinking conference with valuable knowledge sharing and networking.

The day will include a series of panelled discussions, headed by newly elected Parking Scotland chair Stuart Skene, parking and civil contingencies team leader at Perth and Kinross Council. Topics to be covered will include:

■ Improving compliance

■ Pavement parking ban

■ Low-emission zones

■ Digitising traffic regulation orders

■ Moving traffic enforcement

■ Blue Badge enforcement

■ Frontline officer welfare

■ Learning and development, including BPA City and Guilds Assured programme

■ Community outreach via Women in Parking and Veterans in Parking

■ Fire safety standards

■ Inclusivity and accessibility

■ Engaging with media and government

■ Payment systems

■ Cyber-crime and fraud.

The Expo is on 18 September at the Radisson Blue Hotel in Perth. Book your place at moredetails.uk/PNAug24Expo

To exhibit, or for sponsorship opportunities, email communications@ britishparking.co.uk

Well-deserved accolades in Paisley and Lancing

The Paisley Centre Car Park, operated by Horizon Parking, has been awarded the Park Access award. Park Access brings together the Disabled Parking Accreditation and People’s Parking Award to automatically become the UK’s industry benchmark for accessible and inclusive parking and electric vehicle charging facilities. John McLean, regional manager at Horizon Parking, said: ‘This recognition is testament to our commitment to inclusivity and creating an environment that is welcoming to all. It demonstrates our dedication to delivering high standards in parking facilities and specifically acknowledges the car park’s provisions for disabled visitors.’

Lancing Beach Green Car Park, operated by National Parking Control (NPC), has achieved the prestigious Park Mark and Park Access awards. Jonathan Smales, NPC CEO, said: ‘Gaining these accreditations required diligent effort and substantial investment. Some of the key measures we implemented to meet the high standards required include new lighting and a regular security patrol to deter criminal activities and ensure the safety of all users. We have also made significant enhancements to accommodate users with disabilities. This includes designated parking spaces, clear signage and a user-friendly payment system, including free-of-charge parking for anyone displaying a Blue Badge.’

Choose our new charity

Members are invited to vote for a new charity partner following the conclusion of the BPA’s partnership with Macmillan. While working with Macmillan, members raised more than £15,000, which has helped pay for essential medical, practical and emotional support for people living with cancer and their families.

Your nominated charity must:

■ Operate UK-wide

■ Have strong links with members lives and/or their work in the parking profession

■ Help people from all walks of life

■ Have no political or religious allegiances.

Your nominated charity would also make best use of funds, with low levels of administration charges, while demonstrating a commitment and ability to make the most of the opportunities the BPA can provide for membership engagement across the country.

To nominate a charity, please visit moredetails.uk/PNAug24CN to complete the survey. All nominations will be evaluated against our full criteria, to create a shortlist of no more than six charities. Members will then be asked to choose their preferred one.

Dates for your diary

■ Women in Parking webinar: 11 September

■ Parking Scotland Expo: 18 September in Perth

■ The TTF Smarter Parking Group meeting: 20 September (virtual)

■ The EV Connect Group meeting: 26 September (virtual)

■ Parking and Transport Wales Conference and Expo: 9 October in Swansea (sponsored by Andrew James Enforcement)

■ Parking Structures Interest Group meeting: 10 October (virtual)

See britishparking.co.uk/Events

(l-r) John McLean, Horizon Parking regional manager; William Clark, BPA area manager; Paul Goodwin, Horizon Parking team leader

(l-r) Paul Watson-Charles, NPC director; Warren Bradshaw, BPA area manager; Jonathan Smales, NPC CEO

A New Parliament Rises!

What’s the difference between a manifesto and a King’s Speech?

Amanifesto is a public declaration of intent issued by a political party, making ‘promises’ if it were to be elected. In theory, a King’s Speech is the first manifestation of how the government intends to deliver on those promises. I’ve no doubt that our external affairs team will be dissecting the recent King’s Speech and its implications for the parking sector generally, and the BPA specifically.

The previous Conservative governments have been fixated on ANPR – their parking policies were formulated on Anecdotes Niceties Posturing and Rhetoric – a whole new meaning for ANPR (which we know as automatic number plate recognition).

Now, A New Parliament Rises. What can we see through the lens of a Labour government, with a significant majority, empowered by the people under the banner of ‘time for change’?

Are New Possibilities Real?

The introduction of the English Devolution Bill, the King says, will ‘give new powers’ to metro mayors and combined authorities to help ‘support local growth plans’. I wonder what this means for local transport planning. Could these powers include setting penalty charges locally? The London Mayor already has those powers,

Kelvin Reynolds considers Answers Nestled inside Political Rhetoric

as well as franchising of bus services. Will we get a more integrated approach to traffic management and travel planning?

Acceptance of New Parking Regimes

Will we now see new systems and services, perhaps allowing barriers at ‘paid for’ parking to be removed to provide free-flow entry and exits, with motorists able to pay for their parking up to 48 hours afterwards. It operates in other jurisdictions and has proven popular; less so with UK governments and the DVLA, where the ‘enforcement model’ prevails.

The King also promised closer working relationships with devolved nations. Let’s hope this underpins more consistent parking and traffic management policies and procedures. Cross-border enforcement issues should not arise in the UK, but they do, because of differences in legislation and legal arrangements, and nuances in motorists’ understanding of their rights and responsibilities. Mandatory 10-minute grace periods in England, but not Wales or Scotland; differential penalties in England and Wales, but not Scotland or Northern Ireland.

And

Now Parking Realities

The King spoke about reform in the NHS. Let’s hope this doesn’t include a free for all

in parking management in England. It already exists in Scotland and Wales; Northern Ireland has delayed the introduction of free parking at hospitals.

The King says that ‘securing economic growth will be a fundamental mission’.

There are all kinds of other dynamics coming into play: the size and shape of demand for the use of car parking in a world where more active travel, increasing pedestrianisation, remote working and repopulation of the high street is taking place.

A Need for Parking Rules

All governments speak about hard-working people and the need to support them. I can show you hardworking parking people, keeping our streets free from obstruction caused by indiscriminate, sometimes selfish parking; improving road safety; protecting spaces for residents and disabled people; enabling deliveries to take place in high streets that would become congested if parking wasn’t managed. Let’s hope all this talk isn’t just Another Nice Piece of Rhetoric.

BPA chief technical services officer and company secretary kelvin.r@britishparking. co.uk

Appyway

Helping cities decarbonise, from the kerb up. Faster, more accurate digital traffic order management. Automated, centralised tariff management. Driver-centric parking payments and connected car services. Real-time bay occupancy and insights. EV charge point integrations and data-led rollout.

Buchanan Order Management

The leading Map-based Traffic Order Consultancy that specialises in delivering accurate and comprehensive Traffic Order Reviews and Support work. Please contact us to discuss how we can work with you.

Cammax Limited

sales@appyway.com appyway.com

01635 290790

Enquiries@buchananorders.co.uk www.buchananorders.co.uk

Cammax offer innovative payment systems to today’s ever changing parking market. Providing our partners with tailored pay on foot, pay & display and hybrid parking payment systems. With our intuitive customer-facing applications and data rich back end systems, Cammax offer flexible solutions along with outstanding customer service.

Carflow

Carflow provides car park management services to retailers and landowners throughout the UK, specialising in Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) parking systems. Our services help our clients to increase car park utilisation and revenue.

CSL

CSL has been providing secure connectivity for critical IoT applications for over 25 years. Their fully managed, end-to-end connectivity innovations utilise technologies such as 4G and are secure, reliable and hassle-free, whilst their expert support teams are here for you 24/7.

DESIGNA

DESIGNA design, manufacture and install fully automatic “Pay-on-foot” car parking systems. DESIGNA provides the answer to your parking needs with more than 16,000 installations worldwide; from simple standalone systems, to large, citywide networks, entire airport complexes, hotels, shopping centres and hospital estates.

Direct Collection Bailiffs Ltd

High Court Enforcement as seen on TV’s Can’t Pay? We’ll Take it Away! Letter cycle recovery service with a collection rate 25% higher than our competitors.

01977 669946

info@cammaxlimited.co.uk www.cammaxlimited.co.uk

Conor Greely 0208 819 7451

sales@carflow.co.uk www.carflow.co.uk

+44 (0) 7909 991 090

Hiran.Ravat@csl-group.com

01932 784040

sales@designauk.com www.designa.com

Pam Robinson 0203 298 0201 pap@dcbltd.com

Advertise in our Marketplace

James Martin 01727 739185 james.martin@cplone.co.uk

G24

G24 specialises in providing car park management solutions specifically tailored to suit retailers, retail parks and other corporate and independent organisations throughout the UK.

HUB Parking Technology

HUB Parking Technology develops, manufactures, installs, and provides after-sales support for HUB Parking Access and Revenue Control Systems. The company creates state-of-the-art systems that make parking efficient, profitable and easy to manage.

Caroline Sargeant 0370 0427 215 caroline.sargeant@g24.co.uk www.g24.co.uk

Sarah Cosby sarah.cosby@faac.co.uk

Intelli-Park

We are Intelli-Park, the leading provider of innovative car park management solutions. We provide tech-led, including our data-driven iHub Insights; eCam, ANPR, Total Parking Management and EV charging. Our services enhance the overall customer parking experience and increases business revenue.

sales@intelli-park.com contactus@intelli-park.com intelli-park.com

Makers Construction Limited

Leading experts in car parking refurbishment with over 40 years of contracting experience. Offering life care planning, testing and investigation with full turnkey solutions to the parking industry to refurbish, maintain and enhance your parking facility.

Nagels

Nagels is the world’s largest parking ticket manufacturer. We supply pay-onfoot and pay and display tickets, enforcement stationery, RFID and plastic cards, parking signage, cones, barriers and many other products to parking companies in the UK and Ireland.

NMI

NMI develops trusted payment software for mobile, online, and in-store payments. You’ve probably used it without realising it when booking a ticket, paying for parking, or making a charity donation. Its Payment Gateway is used by developers worldwide to add payments to their solutions enabling them to focus on what they do best.

08458 994444 enquiries@makers.biz www.makers.biz

Jim Williamson (+44) 01482 873597 sales@nagels.co.uk www.nagels.com

www.nmi.com hello@nmi.com 0117 930 4455

NSGL

NSGL Parking believe that parking should be simple and stress free. After all it is the most insignificant part of any journey but usually the part that is the most emotive.

03333 201 858 admin@nsglparking.co.uk www.nsglparking.co.uk

Advertise in our Marketplace

James Martin 01727 739185 james.martin@cplone.co.uk

Smart Parking

As an award winning and market-leading provider of car park management technology and services our aim is simple, to make life easier for clients and their customers. Specialising in ANPR technology, we deliver end-to-end parking solutions to customers across the UK and beyond. Our insight and reporting tools put real-time parking data at your fingertips.

Swarco Traffic Ltd

Experts in parking systems, electric vehicle charging solutions, signage & safety systems, and traffic control & management. SWARCO solutions improve quality of life by making the travel experience safer, quicker, more convenient and environmentally sound.

Tagmaster UK

TagMaster UK Limited is a leading manufacturer and supplier of traffic monitoring equipment, a wide range of instrumentation and software systems are available ranging from temporary deployable radar devices through to full real-time ITS systems.

Total Parking Solutions

0845 230 3081 sales@smartparking.com www.smartparking.com

info.uk@swarco.com 01748 824624 www.swarco.com

01438 347555

Sales.uk@tagmaster.com

4, Caxton Place, Caxton Way, Stevenage, Hertfordshire SG1 2UG www.uk.tagmaster.com

The strength of Total Parking Solutions Ltd lies within its long and wide-ranging experience in the parking sector. With over 40 years’ combined experience the company has achieved a reputation as one of the leading providers of car parking solutions, throughout the UK.

Twin

The smart choice for any organisation in any parking and EV charging environment. Our contactless payment terminals and our mobile phone app, Twinpay, offer a seamless payment platform with dual functionality to pay for parking or EV charging. Supported by a unique back office system, the Twin range of products is fully OCPP compliant.

WPS UK

WPS focuses on practical innovation and brings together technology to provide our customers with smart but primarily reliable and future-proof Parking Solutions, ready to face the connected world of today and tomorrow.

ZatPark

Market leading parking enforcement, administration and management software, incorporating an ANPR-enabled street enforcement mobile app. World class features provide complete control of the full life-cycle of parking enforcement data, from issue to recovery action and every step between.

01536 680107 info@totalparking.co.uk www.totalparking.co.uk

0114 3497070 enquiries@twinpay.com www.twinpay.com

+44 84 50 94 15 43

info@wps-uk.com www.wpsparking.com

03333 440834

info@zatpark.com www.zatpark.com