Parking Review, issue 339: July 2020

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July 2020 | #339

www.parkingreview.co.uk

BACK ON THE MENU: THE DRIVE-IN Fast food and films spell fun in hard times PA R K I N G • T R A FF I C • K E R B S I D E

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WHAT’S IN JULY 2020 Editorial Managing editor: Mark Moran Tel: 020 7091 7871 mark.moran@landor.co.uk Deputy editor: Deniz Huseyin Tel: 020 7091 7872 deniz.huseyin@landor.co.uk Editorial director: Peter Stonham

Advertising Jason Conboy Tel: 020 7091 7895 jason@landor.co.uk

Production & Design production@landor.co.uk

Subscriptions Christina Pierre Tel: 020 7091 7959 subs@landor.co.uk

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CARS AND STARS. The coronavirus pandemic has changed the way we live, work, shop and, now, play.

The gradual easing of lockdown restrictions is both welcome and challenging.

Rather than simply avoiding contact, individuals, businesses and public bodies now have to balance risk, deciding how social interactions should be managed in the home, the workplace and in public.

This dilemma is particularly pronounced in the realm of entertainment. Could one solution lie in drive-in plays, gigs and, of course, cinema?

Mark Moran, Editor

TICKETMASTER

Accounts Irina Cocks Tel: 020 7091 7854 irina.cocks@landor.co.uk

Business manager Rod Fletcher Tel: 0191 280 1410 Parking Review was launched in 1989 and is published twelve times a year. It is the only independent magazine dedicated to the UK parking sector.

Richard Walker

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Heidi Turner

252

Tomer Meirom

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ISSN: 0962 3599 Published by: Landor LINKS Ltd, Apollo House, 359 Kennington Lane, London SE11 5QY Printed by Pensord Tram Road, Pontllanfraith, Blackwood NP12 2YA © Landor LINKS Ltd 2020

CONTENTS 19 Let’s keep cool this summer Richard Walker hopes drivers will show a little courtesy

Let’s cover-up

20 Pull up to the bumper Could the drive-in save the summer?

21 Driving clicks into place JLL looks at the rise of in-car leisure and click & collect

22 Don’t leave the disabled behind www.landor.co.uk Landor LINKS is a member of the Independent Press Standards Organisation. www.ipso.co.uk and the Professional Publishers Association www.ppa.co.uk

Blue Badge campaign update from DMUK’s Heidi Turner

29 Facing the pandemic with confidence

Face coverings are now parking workwear

Page 29

David Barry unveils Keltic Clothing’s new face coverings

32 Green is the colour

The MSCP Mk2

Electric vehicles will soon have green number plates

35 Shift happens!

HUBER’s Tomer Meirom on the rise of ‘mobility hubs’

36 Wellbeing in the West End A London car park is set to get a new role in life

COVER IMAGE: MILIVOJ KUHAR, UNSPLASH

Parking Review online: www.parkingreview.co.uk

HUBER is promoting the concept of mobility hubs

Page 35 PARKING REVIEW | JULY 2020 | 3

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CRAWFORD JOLLY/UNSPLASH

EDITORIAL A pandemic-inspired mural in Glasgow by local graffiti artist Rebel Bear

Are we getting too close, too soon?

The easing of lockdown measures should not lead to a sense complacency, writes Mark Moran

Easing is pleasing... to some Over recent weeks the UK government has relaxed restrictions on how far people can travel in England, enabling day trips to beauty spots and the coast. ‘Non-essential’ retail and leisure venues have reopened, initially outdoor markets and car showrooms, then high street stores and shopping centres.

To assist pubs, restaurants and a wider range of shops to open, the UK government announced that the 2-metre distancing rule can become ‘1-metre-plus’ in certain contexts, with the ‘plus’ being mitigating measures such as use of plastic screens and facemasks.

This easing means that people can spend a day shopping, get a hair cut, go to the movies, dine out and buy a pint down the local. And, in England at least, it is possible

4 | JULY 2020 | PARKING REVIEW

to start planning holidays abroad as the 14day quarantine measure is being revised.

figures do not include all deaths involving COVID-19, which are thought to have passed 55,000 in the UK and will continue to rise.

Feeling tense about relaxations

A disunited kingdom

So everything’s good? Well, maybe not.

There are many people who worry that, in a bid to get the economy moving, things are moving too fast. Those who worry that greater social interaction could spark a second spike will not have had their concerns allayed by images from England of busy beaches over the Whitsun weekend, streets packed with drinkers on 4 July, dubbed by some as being ‘Independence Day’.

What certainly cannot be ignored is that coronavirus has not gone away and will not be going away, as the imposition of a local lockdown in Leicester underlines. COVID19 remains highly infectious and is deadly.

As of 5 July, some 44,236 people had died in hospitals, care homes and the wider community after testing positive for coronavirus in the UK. Soberingly, official government

When it comes to easing lockdown, Great Britain has, arguably, become a more disunited kingdom. Devolution means that, on a wide range of issues, the Westminster government has no direct say on what happens in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland.

The devolved administrations have, by and large, been more cautious than the London-based government when relaxing lockdown restrictions. For example, each administration has set out different rules for wearing face masks, how far people can travel and when shops and pubs reopen.

And, when it comes to how, where and when people can meet friends and family members, the one thing that the various national guidelines about ‘bubbles’ and the like is that they all seem quite complicated.

LEICESTER CITY COUNCIL

T

he coronavirus pandemic has changed the way we live, work, shop and, now, play. For months the nationwide lockdown meant people got used to spending most of their time at home. Social activities, work meetings, schooling, shopping and much entertainment became an online experience thanks to a host of video streaming services.

When people did leave their homes it was for a daily bout of exercise – walking, running or (new for many) cycling – in local parks, or queuing in a socially distanced manner at food shops and supermarkets.

A physically distanced world is one in which social isolation is an inevitability, so it is little wonder that many people are embracing the gradual easing of restrictions.

Testing centre in Leicester

Risk and reward The gradual easing of lockdown restrictions is thus both welcome and challenging.

Rather than simply discouraging or avoiding contact, governments, local authorities, businesses and their expert advisers now have to balance risks, deciding how far social interaction should be allowed in the home, workplace and public space.

What is important is that the risks surrounding COVID-19 are communicated to the public with clarity and honesty. And, as citizens, we all need to proceed with caution and behave with courtesy to one another.

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NEWS

Bournemouth overwhelmed by sunseekers

Gridlocked roads and crowded beaches lead to council declaring a major incident As temperatures soared thousands of people descended on Bournemouth at the end of June, leading to a major incident being called by the local authority. Current government guidelines state households can drive any distance in England to parks and beaches. This saw families travel from as far afield as London and Birmingham to the beaches in Dorset on the South Coast.

The sheer number of visitors arriving by car resulted in gridlocked roads and illegal parking as car parks filled. By Friday 26 June, there were reports of widespread antisocial behaviour, excessive drinking and overnight camping, which is prohibited.

The problems led to a multi-agency emergency response being activated by Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP) Council to co-ordinate resources across the area. BCP Council’s leader Vikki Slade said: “We are absolutely appalled at the scenes witnessed on our beaches, particularly at Bournemouth and Sandbanks, in the last 24-48 hours. The irresponsible behaviour and actions of so many people is just shocking and our services are stretched to the absolute hilt trying to keep everyone safe. We have had no choice now but to declare a major incident and initiate an emergency response.”

Assistant Chief Constable Sam de Reya, of Dorset Police said: “The declaration of a major incident allows us to bring agencies together so we can take actions available to us to safeguard the public as much as possible. We are also reliant on people taking personal responsibility and strongly advise members of the public to think twice before heading to the area.”

Both the Royal Bournemouth Hospital and Poole Hospital declared that they were on “major incident standby” due to the impact of extremely crowded beaches, traffic gridlock, incidents of public disorder and risks from fire and to public health. There were reports of fights, with three young

people being stabbed during at attack that took place near Bournemouth Pier.

The anti-social behaviour of many visitors saw council refuse crews subjected to abuse and intimidation as they attempted to empty overflowing bins on the seafront. In the stretch of beach between the resort’s piers, eight tonnes of waste were collected in just one day. By the Friday, a further 33 tonnes of waste had been removed along the full stretch of coastline.

Additional police officers were brought in, security patrols put in place to protect refuse crews and extra enforcement implemented to support the management of BCP Council’s car parks and ticketing. Overnight campers were evicted and additional patrols carried out by seafront rangers.

BCP Council issued 558 parking fines – the highest on record for one day – as it responded to reports of cars parking illegally and causing obstructions.

The council issued press notices and used social media to ask people to stay away.

Roadside signage telling people that the conurbation was ‘full’ was posted on approach roads to the resort. Public health messaging asked people to stay hydrated, especially if they were stuck in long traffic queues during the hot weather.

Traffic also built up in areas such as Durdle Door and the Sandbanks peninsula.

The chain ferry linking Sandbanks and Studland was unable to carry vehicles because of the gridlock on surrounding roads.

Dorset councillor Laura Miller reported being verbally abused and spat at while she directed traffic at Durdle Door. Roads to the beauty spot had to be closed after people failed to use the pre-booking system operating at the car park.

“I have been shouted and sworn at and one guy spat at me,” Cllr Miller told the BBC. “These are people who have travelled three or four hours in their car, they are hot and grumpy and then they are turned away.

Some drivers have ignored our barriers and just knocked them over and driven through.”

Whitty’s warning and reluctant ministers The UK’s senior medical adviser has warned people that they must follow social distancing guidance while enjoying the sun, or risk a resurgence in COVID-19 cases.

Chief medical officer Professor Chris Whitty made his remarks via social media after the major incident was declared in Bournemouth. “Naturally people will want to enjoy the sun but we need to do so in a way that is safe for all,” he tweeted.

Prof Whitty also wrote: “COVID-19 has gone down due to the efforts of everyone but is still in general circulation. If we do not follow social distancing guidance then cases will rise again.”

Health secretary Matt Hancock said the government has the power to shut down beaches if necessary. Speaking on talkRADIO he said: “We do have that power. I am reluctant to use it because people have had a pretty tough lockdown and I want everybody to be able to enjoy

the sunshine. But the key is to do it with respect for the rules – stay with your household, stay a good distance from other households.”

Environment secretary George Eustice said that government would only close beaches “reluctantly”. Speaking to BBC Breakfast, he said: “We just have to recognise yesterday was the hottest day of the year, incredibly hot, a lot of people had the same idea, they all went to the beach, and yes, of course, those scenes at Bournemouth are a matter for concern. The British weather being what it is maybe that will be short-lived and people will return to the type of social distancing they’ve actually demonstrated quite well.”

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NEWS

NICK FEWINGS/UNSPLASH

£500m funding support for English councils Government will reimburse councils for lost car park income The UK government has announced £500m of support for English councils and a package of measures to mitigate the impact of lost income from charges such as car parks.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) said the £500m is unringfenced because councils are best placed to decide how to meet pressures in their local area. The MHCLG calculates the £500m brings the total funding given to support local councils to £4.3bn.

Besides the additional funding, a new scheme will see central government reimburse councils for lost income from services such as car parks.

Additionally, to enable councils to build breathing space into their budgets, the government is bringing in changes so that they can spread their Council Tax and Business Rate deficits over three years rather than the usual one.

The support package was announced by local government secretary Robert Jenrick on Thursday 2 July. “Councils are playing a huge part in supporting their communities during this pandemic,” he said. “From supporting the most vulnerable and keeping vital services running to operating local track & trace, council workers have been at the forefront of this great national effort and are the unsung heroes of this pandemic.

Many local authority car parks closed during lockdown “Today I am providing a further package of support that takes our support for councils during this pandemic to £4.3bn to help meet the immediate pressures councils are facing. I know that the loss of revenue from

car parks and leisure centres has created huge difficulties, so I am introducing a new scheme to help cover these losses.”

Recognising the impact the pandemic has had on councils’ income from car parks, muse-

London Mayor wants to leave City Hall The Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has announced plans for the Greater London Authority (GLA) to leave the current City Hall building next year and move its headquarters to The Crystal building in the Royal Docks. The move could save the GLA Group £55m over five years, said Khan.

Last month Mayor Khan announced that without central government investment, the GLA Group would suffer an unprecedented

financial emergency as a result of the COVID-19 crisis.

Overall, the GLA Group faces a budget shortfall of up to £493m over the next two years due to the loss of business rates and Council Tax income.

These losses are expected to continue in future years.

Khan has warned that this will mean significant cuts across the entire GLA Group, including to public transport, the Metropolitan Police Service and the London Fire Brigade.

CCTV and traffic order regulations updated Councils in England have new powers to use CCTV to issue penalty charge notices (PCNs) to drivers who park or load illegally in cycle lanes, putting cyclists at risk of a serious accident.

Civil Enforcement of Parking Contraventions (England) General (Amendment) Regulations 2020, which came into force on 22 June, allows mandatory cycle lanes to be enforced by an approved device.

Cars parked on cycle lanes pose problems for cyclists, often forcing them into the flow of traffic. With approved camera devices, it will be easier for local authorities with civil parking enforcement powers to take action against cars illegally parked on mandatory cycle lanes, allowing cyclists

6 | JULY 2020 | PARKING REVIEW

to complete their journeys without deviating from their path.

A new Statutory Instrument (SI) amends the Civil Enforcement of Parking Contraventions (England) General Regulations 2007 to include “parking contraventions in a mandatory cycle lane” in the list of circumstances where PCNs for parking contraventions may be issued by post on the basis of camera evidence.

Local authorities can already use cameras to enforce parking in bus lanes, red routes, parking restrictions near schools, and bus stop/stand clearways.

Meanwhile a new statutory instrument will shorten the time it takes to make the traffic orders that are needed to put in place measures to encourage social

ums and other cultural assets, the government is introducing a scheme to compensate them for these losses. This means that all relevant losses, over and above the first 5% of planned income from sales, fees and charges, will be compensated for at a rate of 75p in every pound thereafter. By introducing a 5% deductible the government said it is accounting for an acceptable level of volatility, whilst shielding authorities from the worst losses.

The MHCLG said this balances the need to provide compensation given the scale of the income losses, encouraging councils to manage and minimise loss where they can and giving them the certainty they need. In the next Spending Review, the government will agree an apportionment of irrecoverable Council Tax and Business Rates losses between central and local government for 2020 to 2021.

The local government secretary also announced a proposal for a phased repayment of council tax and business rates deficits over three years, rather than requiring complete repayment of deficits next year. Robert Jenrick said this will allow authorities to pay deficits off in a reasonable timescale and will limit their cashflow pressures.

The Barnett formula will apply in the usual way to additional funding. The devolved administrations will therefore initially receive almost £100m in relation to this announcement. This comprises £50m for the Scottish Government, £30m for the Welsh Government and £15m for the Northern Ireland Executive.

distancing and promote active travel, for example, walking and cycling.

Traffic Orders Procedure (Coronavirus) (amendment) (England) regulations 2020 (Statutory Instrument No536) came into force on 23 May and is temporary.

The amendments it has introduced will remain in force until 30 April 2021.

The amendments included in the SI must be “purposes connected to coronavirus” and can include measures such as: • installing cycling lanes • widening pavements • restricting certain roads to certain types of traffic • allowing trial e-scooters to use cycle lanes • changing parking provisions • reducing speed limits.

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NEWS

Government outlines rules for English pubs, cafés and restaurants Pubs, restaurants and cafés can now serve customers outdoors using provisions made by the UK government as part of its easing of lockdown restrictions.

Pubs and restaurants in England, which were allowed to reopen on 4 July, can now use car parks and terraces as dining and drinking areas using existing seating licenses.

The Business and Planning Bill simplifies and reduces the costs of the licensing process for outdoor seating and stalls, making it easier for people to safely drink and dine outside.

The temporary changes to licensing laws also allow more licensed premises, such as pubs and restaurants, to sell alcohol for consumption off the premises.

Customers can also buy their drinks from a pub and consume them elsewhere, making social distancing easier. Previous rule changes allow food and drink business, including pubs, to offer a takeaway service.

Councils need to ensure communities are consulted on licensing applications, waste is disposed of responsibly; and access

Pubs have been shut since lockdown started in March

to pavements and pedestrianised areas are not compromised.

Communities secretary Robert Jenrick said: “I’m determined to give pubs, cafés and restaurants

Aberdeen’s Evening Express welcomed the idea of using car parks as outdoor drinking areas

Edinburgh reinstates street charges Charges for on-street pay & display parking have resumed in Edinburgh.

City of Edinburgh Council suspended the enforcement of pay & display spaces in March to protect workers and help key workers to make essential journeys.

In line with the Scottish Government’s phased approach to lifting lockdown measures, pay & display parking enforcement was reintroduced on 22 June.

Enforcement is designed to support the city’s economic recovery by encouraging the turnover of parking spaces and, therefore, visitors to shops, cafés and restaurants when they reopen.

Enforcement is also seen as central to a package of measures facilitating safer walking, cycling and wheeling as restrictions are eased, by limiting congestion and obstructions on the road.

The council issued warning flyers, notices on ticket machines and used social media to remind drivers that

8 | JULY 2020 | PARKING REVIEW

MARK MORAN

Car parks can be used as beer gardens

charges were returning.

Council leader Adam McVey said: “This has been an extremely challenging period, and as we begin to emerge from it, we need to adapt the way we manage the city. We’re already seeing an increase in traffic on the roads so it’s essential that we respond to this. As businesses begin to reopen, and footfall to certain streets rises, parking enforcement is crucial, not only to encourage a turnover of visitors to shops, restaurants and other businesses, but also to create a safer, more welcoming environment for the many people travelling by foot, bike or wheelchair.”

Depute leader Cammy Day added: “We want to make it as easy as possible for people to walk, cycle or travel by public transport while maintaining physical distancing. By reintroducing pay & display parking charges we will be able to ensure our streets are obstruction free while also managing demand on some of our

a helping hand to get back on their feet and their staff back to work safely. That’s why we are introducing changes to make it quicker, easier and cheaper for them to set up outdoor seating and street stalls to serve food and drink.”

Changes for the hospitality industry will: • reduce the consultation period for applications for pavement licences from 28 calendar days to five working days, and grant consent after 10 working days if the council does not issue a decision • set a lower application fee for a pavement and street café licence of up to £100 • provide more freedoms for areas to hold car-boot sales and summer fairs busier thoroughfares.

“Dispensation for residents who have a valid residents’ parking permit to park in pay & display parking places in their own zone will continue, helping people who need to work from home. We are encouraging drivers to pay for pay & display parking using RingGo and contactless payments to limit the use of cash, though coins will still be accepted by ticket machines.”

The city council has introduced measures to encourage people to travel around the city on foot, bike or public transport. Changes include temporary segregated cycleways, widened pavements and bus gates and are being delivered using £5m funding from the Scottish Government’s Spaces for People programme, via Sustrans.

The next phase of improvements will focus on the city centre and other town centres across Edinburgh, helping people to visit these areas while maintaining physical distancing, without having to resort to private car use.

• remove the need for a planning application for outdoor markets and marquees, meaning they can be set up for longer.

Transport secretary Grant Shapps said: “These measures will help create new summer streets and summer squares, providing people with ways to enjoy our high streets and hospitality sector safely. Alongside our recently announced £2bn investment in cycling and walking, this shows a clear focus from the government on using pavements and open spaces to make sure people can get out and about, helping people remain safe while getting back to normal life.”

The Business and Planning Bill only covers England, with the devolved administrations responsible for their own licensing rules. Pubs and restaurants in Northern Ireland got the green light to re-open on 3 July.

People in Scotland were able to return to beer gardens and pavement cafés on 6 July, with pubs and restaurants able to welcome customers indoors from 15 July.

The Welsh Government will allow pubs, bars, cafés and restaurants to reopen outdoors from 13 July, but indoor services will remain closed for now.

Evening parking charges return in Yorkshire towns Calderdale Metropolitan Borough Council is to consult on extending parking charges in towns across West Yorkshire.

Charges would apply in Halifax, Hebden Bridge, Sowerby Bridge and West Vale from 6pm until 8pm, and on Sundays and during Bank Holidays in Halifax.

The council estimates the charges will generate additional revenue of £143,000 a year.

The additional charges will also help combat climate change, improve air quality and public health, said an officers’ report.

“Whilst the current COVID-19 crisis has had a profound effect, there is a need to future-proof town centres to ensure sufficient space is available to support increased commercial activity, as well as addressing these wider imperatives,” said the report.

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NEWS

Johnson sets sights on planning red tape Prime Minister Boris Johnson has promised to reform the planning system, which he blames for delaying major housing and transport infrastructure projects.

Johnson announced new road projects and some rail investment in a speech setting out his plans for a “massive investment” in UK infrastructure.

Launching his vision of an infrastructure spending-led economic recovery in Dudley on 30 June, Johnson sought to emphasise projects would be both green and high-tech, whilst also being fairly distributed around the UK. The Prime Minister said: “We will build the hospitals, build the schools and the colleges, but we will also build back greener and build a more beautiful Britain. We will protect the landscape with flood defences and plant 30,000 hectares of trees every year, creating a new patchwork of woodlands to enchant and re-energise the soul.

“In those towns that feel left behind we have plans to invest in their centres and with new academy schools, new green buses, new broadband. We want to make them places where people have the confidence to stay, to raise their families and to start businesses and not to feel that the action is all in the cities

10 DOWNING STREET

PM sees cutting bureaucracy as key to building infrastructure

PM Boris Johnson speaks in Dudley or the metropolis.”

The PM announced a plan to reduce the impact of planning on infrastructure via a review dubbed ‘Project Speed’, which will be run in partnership with the Treasury. Johnson sought to explain the UK’s poor track record on delivering housing and infrastructure schemes on the planning system.

“Yes, we will insist on beautiful and low carbon homes, but COVID has taught us the cost of delay. Why does UK public procurement take 50% longer than in Germany? Why are UK capital costs typically between 10% and 30% higher than other European projects? Why is HS2 – transformational though it will be – going to cost us the equivalent of the GDP of Sri Lanka?

Why are we so slow at building homes by comparison with other European countries? In 2018 we

built 2.25 homes per 1,000 people. Germany managed 3.6, the Netherlands 3.8, France 6.8.

“I tell you why, because time is money, and the newt-counting delays in our system are a massive drag on the productivity and the prosperity of this country, and so we will build better and build greener but we will also build faster, and that is why the Chancellor and I have set up Project Speed to scythe through red tape and get things done.”

The actual spending commitments made in the speech were comparatively modest. For example, the Department for Transport will be spending £100m on a number of road schemes, the Prime Minister announced. The 29 roads projects range from fixing deteriorating roads, repairing bridges and flood mitigation measures.

Activity at English airports will gradually start increasing following the UK government’s decision to revise its quarantine restrictions. Passengers returning to or visiting England from countries such as Germany, Greece, France, Italy and Spain will no longer need to self-isolate on arrival from 10 July.

The government published a list of 59 countries where passengers can travel from and arrive in the UK without needing to self-isolate for 14 days, unless they have been in or transited through nonexempt countries in the preceding 14 day.

All passengers, except those on a small list of exemptions, will still be required to provide contact information on arrival in the UK. However, countries such as the USA, China, Russia, India, Sweden and Portugal are not on the list. There are also no countries in Africa or South America on the list. This means that arrivals from these countries will have to isolate for 14 days.

The first ministers of both Scotland and Wales have strongly criticised the UK government’s management of the introduction of the travel corridors, which only apply to travel to and from

10 | JULY 2020 | PARKING REVIEW

HEATHROW AIRPORT

Travel corridors take shape for English airports

Heathrow Airport is gearing up for travellers England. Scotland’s Nicola Sturgeon said: “When so much is at stake as it is right now we can’t allow ourselves to be dragged along in the wake of, to be quite frank about it, another government’s shambolic decision process.”

Welsh First Minister Mark Drakeford was similarly critical. saying: “Dealing with the UK government, over the last few days, has been an

Road spending commitments include: • £4.9m to repair two bridges in Sandwell to improve safety for key roads in the West Midlands that will be used heavily during the 2022 Commonwealth Games • £5m each for plans to make the route network in Liverpool more resilient, to begin further maintenance on the Swanswell Viaduct in Coventry, and for road maintenance on the Tadcaster Road in York • £4.9m to replace poor-quality footways for pedestrians in Sheffield • £4.5km for improvement works on the A15 in the Humber region.

Johnson announced a review of connectivity between the UK’s four nations. The pandemic has seen the devolved administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland set their own agenda on issues such as the easing of lockdown.

The Prime Minister said: “I know that some have sometimes played up the legitimate variations in the response between the devolved administrations, but when you look at the whole effort you can see the absolutely vital role of that union and that partnership. We will build and rebuild those vital connections to every part of the UK, because now is the moment to strengthen that incredible partnership between England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.”

utterly shambolic experience.”

The introduction of the 14-day quarantines on 8 June was criticised by the travel, tourism and hospitality industries. The easing of restrictions was welcomed by the airline, airport and tourism sector.

Tim Alderslade, chief executive of industry body Airline UK, said the lists gave “a clear path to opening further predominantly long-haul destinations in the weeks ahead.”

The announcement was welcomed by Heathrow Airport, which has suffered a 97% drop in traffic due to coronavirus in April and May. John Holland-Kaye, Heathrow’s chief executive, said: “The transport secretary’s risk-based approach is a step in the right direction to restoring confidence in international travel and kickstarting the country’s economic recovery. More work is now needed on the creation of a Common International Standard to facilitate the resumption of trade and travel to countries deemed to still pose a risk.”

Ryanair, easyJet and British Airways issued a joint statement saying the quarantine had seriously damaged the economy and industry. A joint High Court challenge by the three airlines against the 14-day quarantine has been withdrawn.

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NEWS

GEOGRAPH.ORG.UK

‘Lorries need safe and secure parking’ HGV drivers require places to rest and freshen up, says FTA The Freight Transport Association (FTA) is urging the government to follow through on its promise to provide safe parking spaces for HGV drivers, who have been tasked with keeping goods moving throughout the pandemic and beyond.

Two years after a government pledge to improve truck parking, the FTA said its members still report that provision has not improved. The association said many HGV drivers are forced to take their rest breaks in unsafe locations with inadequate welfare, hygiene and sanitation facilities.

Chris Yarsley, policy manager for road infrastructure at the

HGVs often have to park-up in laybys FTA, said: “The COVID-19 outbreak has brought home how vital lorry drivers are to society and the economy; they are working tirelessly, and bravely, to provide the goods the nation needs to get through the pandemic.

Yet the government fails to provide them with even the most basic provision: secure, safe

places to park during their rest periods with access to adequate welfare, hygiene and sanitation facilities. No other industry would be expected to operate in such conditions; the government has no excuse not to deliver on its promises.”

The Department for Transport’s National Survey of Lorry

Parking identified that there is an immediate need for more than 1,411 parking spaces across the country, to enable drivers to take their legally mandated rest breaks without concerns for security and safety. In the South East alone, 37% more overnight parking spaces are required to meet basic demand.

Chris Yarsley said: “This shortfall of parking spaces is forcing drivers to take their rest periods in unsafe, undesirable locations, such as industrial estates, in laybys or on public roads. In an industry where you are compelled by law to take regular breaks and rest, adequate provision to do so must be provided. Two years on from the commitment made by ex-road minister, Jesse Norman MP, we need action – the nation’s HGV drivers deserve so much more.”

Designing the future of rural travel Creating innovative solutions to the travel problems facing those living in rural communities has been the focus of a design challenge set by the RAC Foundation and Royal Automobile Club to students at the Royal College of Art (RCA). Students on the Intelligent Mobility masters’ programme were asked to turn their attention away from visions of the future of the urban landscape to rural areas such as dormitory settlements, satellite towns and villages.

The commission recognised that whilst commuters might use mass transit options for the trunk of their commuting journey, they often face a ‘first-and-last-mile’ challenge in getting between home and the railway station. Other, noncommuters, might be making relatively short trips in places where

public mass transit is not a viable option – even before COVID-19induced social distancing – because the population is not large enough to generate enough demand, added to which are the environmental and road safety issues created by narrow streets and country lanes. Amongst the concepts to emerge are: • JUSTABUS, an on-demand, selfdriving bus that is just half the width of a car, making it ideal for those bespoke journeys along the narrowest of thoroughfares • Star Road, an interactive lighting system with pressure-sensitive pads that illuminate the pathway when people tread on them, cutting down on power usage and the blight of light pollution • WAYGO, a travel pod that can change in size depending on whether

JUSTABUS it is to carry one person or more.

Steve Gooding, director of the RAC Foundation, said: “The purpose of this challenge was never about creating near-market solutions – frankly the opposite. It was about asking the best and brightest transport designers of the future to allow their imaginations to roam

Workplace parking levy proposed for Heartland Drivers might have to pay more through mechanisms such as road user charging and workplace parking levies under plans to reduce single occupancy car use presented by the non-statutory subnational transport body England’s Economic Heartland (EEH).

EEH’s area stretches from Swindon to Cambridgeshire and from Northamptonshire to Hertfordshire.

The EEH’s draft transport strategy includes an objective to reduce the number of car trips that are single occupancy by 20% by 2040, compared with 2020.

The strategy says this will require consideration of demand management and

12 | JULY 2020 | PARKING REVIEW

good alternatives to car use.

A background report shows the results of modelling road pricing policies. The University of Oxford’s Environmental Change Institute and the University of Southampton explored different pathways to decarbonisation using a strategic transport model that forms part of the NISMOD (National Infrastructure Systems Models) modelling suite developed by the Infrastructure Transitions Research Consortium.

The academics assumed that all motor traffic is zero emission by 2050. The modelling considered different policy approaches and their impacts on

freely, given their own expectations about where not just tech but other issues such as the whole-life sustainability of solutions might take us. But don’t be surprised to find a few years down the line that some of these concepts, however zany, are nearer to market than you and I might have believed.”

congestion and electricity use.

Presenting the results to the EEH’s strategic transport forum, officers recommended adopting two pathways: ‘highly connected’ and ‘policy-led behaviour shift’. “A combination of these two pathways presents a feasible route to decarbonisation for the Heartland,” they said. “The proposed approach is deliverable and viable.”

Officers said the mechanism to deliver an uplift in driving costs within a locality, as envisaged in the policy-led behaviour shift scenario, “is not specified but could be assumed to be models such as a pay-asyou-go, workplace parking levy, a congestion charge in urban areas or more simply a national road pricing initiative”.

PR339_P04-17_News.qxp_PR339_p04-17 08/07/2020 14:43 Page 13

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PR339_P04-17_News.qxp_PR339_p04-17 08/07/2020 14:43 Page 14

NEWS

Road space needs to be rethought, says Shapps Transport secretary tells MPs cycling has to be given more room

Cycling on Park Lane More needs to be done to lock in a change in attitude towards cycling in order to keep people on their bikes during the COVID recovery, said Shapps. “What makes people cycle is it being easy to grab a bike, and the space to cycle,” he said.

“I was pleased to see immediMAREK RUCINSKI/UNSPLASH

The way in which road space is used needs to be re-prioritised, with cycling and walking at the forefront, transport secretary Grant Shapps told the House of Commons Transport Committee last month.

On 9 May Shapps announced £2bn for cycling and walking, with £250m immediately available for the installation of temporary measures to aid social distancing. “I think we’ve done this with some success,” Shapps told the MPs. “We have seen a more than 100% increase in people cycling during the height of lockdown, but the trick is to keep this going, which requires more than the large sums of money we’re putting in. It also requires a change in culture.”

Electric scooters are common in Europe

E-scooter trials fast-tracked The government is to permit trials of rental e-scooters across the UK. The Department for Transport said this would “help encourage more people off public transport and onto greener alternatives” during the COVID-19 restrictions.

Users can only ride rented scooters, will need to have at least a provisional driving licence and are not allowed to ride on pavements.

The trials were originally due to take place next year as part of the government’s four Future Transport Zones: the West Midlands, the West of England Combined Authority area; Derby and Nottingham; and the Solent Transport area (Southampton/Portsmouth/Isle of Wight). However, the DfT will now allow anywhere in the UK to host trials. The trials will allow the government to assess the benefits of e-scooters as well as their impact on public space.

West Midlands mayor Andy Street

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said: “This trial will help bring more flexibility, choice, and greener travel solutions for the region, at a time when we are facing a climate emergency and urging people to leave the car at home. We will also use the trial to look at the current transport challenges the coronavirus pandemic has presented us with and explore how e-scooters could be used to help tackle them.”

The first trial will be Middlesbrough, where dockless, geofenced scooters will be available for hire from a company called Ginger via an app from 13 July.

Transport Scotland also welcomed the UK government’s decision.

“As the popularity and prevalence of e-scooters and other forms of micro-mobility increases globally, we are keen to understand trends across a range of issues, including the safety of both the user of the scooter and other road users,” said a spokesman.

ately a number of local authorities reacting to this, such as in London the new cycle lane along Hyde Park. We’ve been working on being able to speed this up, and the chances are we have been pretty successful. We want to make sure we are re-prioritising the way local authorities

use road space. We want cycling and walking, and possibly e-scooters, at the forefront, then driving as the second option.”

As the UK moves out of lockdown, Shapps suggested that people should walk, cycle, and then drive, only using public transport as a last resort. “In the short term, the most important thing is protecting the transport network so it is only used by those who need to, and so we can maintain social distancing,” he told the committee on 18 June.

Pointing to the rise in road traffic levels, MPs suggested that telling people to avoid public transport was actually leading to more people driving than prior to the lockdown. Shapps responded that he was conscious of this point but said that protecting public transport was of paramount importance, even if this led to more road traffic.

Cycleway prioritisation tool developed by University of Leeds A tool that helps identify locations for new cycleways has been developed by the Institute for Transport Studies, University of Leeds. The tool was commissioned by walking and cycling charity Sustrans and the Department for Transport.

The Rapid Cycleway Prioritisation Tool has been developed to help inform bids for Tranche 2 of the UK government’s Emergency Active Travel Fund, particularly for English authorities that have not yet developed Local Cycling and Walking Investment Plans.

In May, under new emergency statutory guidance, the government told councils in England to reallocate road space for walking and cycling, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The money is being allocated in three tranches.

Tranche 2 will fund temporary or permanent infrastructure schemes aimed at increasing walking and cycling levels and helping to shift people away from public transport given capacity constraints imposed by social distancing.

The tool provides an interactive map showing: • road sections that have both high demand and sufficient space for cycling

• existing off-road cycleways, which are often patchy • a vision of what a joined-up cycle network could look like.

Launching the tool, Robin Lovelace, Associate Professor in Transport Data Science and Joey Talbot, Research Fellow in Transport Data Science from University of Leeds, said: “Local authorities urgently need to decide how this funding should be spent. If action is prioritised in places where there is a longterm need for cycle improvements, there is a greater chance that these developments can become permanent.

“New cycling infrastructure is more likely to be effective when it is developed based on analysis of the best available data, in combination with vital local knowledge. City planners, politicians and citizens need to act to ensure that transport interventions made during the crisis are of maximum benefit now and in the post-pandemic world.”

For more information about the prioritisation tool visit: www.cyipt.bike/rapid/ Sustrans’ Space to Move map lists new cycling and walking schemes: www.sustrans.org.uk/ spacetomove

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NEWS

Bolton students will ‘saddle up’ for college University invests in 1,000 bicycles for campus loan scheme The University of Bolton has bought 1,000 bicycles for students to use when its campus reopens in September. The Student Bike Loan Scheme will enable anyone who wants to commute to and from the University by bicycle to do so.

It is one of a range of measures being implemented by the University of Bolton to make the campus COVID-19-secure for staff and students when they return in the autumn.

The University’s president and vice chancellor, Professor George E Holmes DL, said: “From September students will have access to a fully operational,

LearnED the Owl COVID-secure university campus and be able to study and engage in person with other students and staff thanks to the actions we have taken during this pandemic. We felt that a further

Call for Scottish School Streets Walking and cycling charity Living Streets Scotland is calling for street improvements around schools ahead of them reopening to avoid gridlock and promote a green recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

The call comes after the publication of data that reveals record lows in the number of children walking to school prelockdown. Sustrans’ Hands Up Scotland Survey shows that just 41% of primary school aged children were walking to school before the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, the

lowest recorded level. Whilst pupils being driven to school was at its highest recorded level since the survey began at 23.8%. (The survey was conducted in September 2019 but published in June 2020).

Living Streets said local authorities should use available funding to implement measures to make walking to school more attractive, including 20mph limits, safer crossings and ‘School Streets’ – which see cars banned from outside school gates at peak drop-off and pick-up times.

logical measure was to give all students the opportunity to access bicycles to use for their commute on a loan basis.

Students will be able to travel to and from university and

between campuses, avoiding the need to use public transport where they may have legitimate concerns about the spread of the virus.”

The bikes and safety helmets have initially been ordered from Halfords. There are plans to provide ‘refresher’ cycle sessions for any students who want them.

An animated video has been produced starring cartoon character ‘LearnED the Owl’, who is featured in the short film riding a bicycle. The video outlines in detail how the campus will be made COVID-19-secure in time for the new academic year.

University of Bolton Students’ Union president Ansh Sachdeva said: “This is a very positive step.

It is a measure that shows students’ welfare is being considered during this pandemic.”

English schools return in September Current restrictions on group sizes will be lifted to allow schools, colleges and nurseries in England to fully reopen in September to all children and young people.

Education secretary Gavin Williamson has published guidance for schools, colleges and nurseries to plan for a full return. To reduce the risk of transmission of COVID-19, schools are being asked to keep children in class or year group sized ‘bubbles’ and encourage older children to keep their distance from each

other and staff where possible.

These measures would be implemented alongside protective measures such as regular cleaning and hand washing.

For nurseries, childminders, and other early years providers, restrictions on group sizes will be lifted from 20 July, increasing capacity from the start of the summer holiday.

The guidance has been developed in close consultation with the sector and medical experts from Public Health England (PHE).

School Streets to be rolled out across Hackney Hackney Council is to ban traffic outside nearly all primary schools during opening and closing times from September. The Schools Streets scheme is receiving £350,000 from Transport for London’s Streetspace programme plus another £100,000 from Hackney Council.

Traffic restrictions, already in place at nine schools in the north-east London borough, will be rolled out to another 40 schools. This will help to ensure social distancing, protect people from increases in traffic as lockdown is relaxed and support cycling and walking, said the council.

‘School Street’ schemes would normally be enforced by the council’s parking services using CCTV, but the council expects that the scheme will be self-enforcing. A report that was presented to the council’s cabinet on 29 June states: “The majority of the CCTV cameras for moving traffic offences and enforcement of school ‘Keep clear’ marking will currently be deployed, but the intention is that they are capable of being moved around the borough, depending on priorities.

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“As residents and those delivering to vulnerable residents are allowed through, even if cameras are deployed in these locations, their effectiveness in enforcing is extremely limited as the cameras will not be able to differentiate between those who have a valid reason and those who have not.

“Consequently the expectation is that these schemes would be self-enforcing as far as possible and whilst the majority of motorists will comply with the restrictions, there will be an element that will not. However this is similar to other schemes and normally compliance is high.”

The first School Streets were introduced in Hackney in 2017.

Research of the borough’s first four School Streets, published in May 2019, found that traffic dropped by an average of 68% while the number of children cycling to school increased by 51% and vehicle emissions outside schools (NOx, PM10 and PM2.5) fell by 74% as a result of the schemes.

School Street restrictions will complement road closures at Broadway Market, Barnabas Road,

A young girl cycles up a traffic-free Hackney street Ashenden Road, Gore Road and Ufton Road.

The new measures will be introduced using Experimental Traffic Orders. The council said it will take into account feedback from residents before deciding whether to make any measures permanent.

PR339_P04-17_News.qxp_PR339_p04-17 08/07/2020 14:43 Page 17

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COMMENT

Let’s keep cool this summer Stronger action will be needed if people don’t show courtesy when parking this summer, says Richard Walker

T

he parking sector is urging the public to respect others and think first when making travel plans to prevent a repeat of the recent widespread disregard for social distancing and public safety at tourist destinations across the UK. Media reports of ‘hordes of visitors’ descending on England’s beaches as lockdown was eased captured the scale and impact of anti-social behaviour, including cars dumped at roadsides, thoughtlessly blocking access for emergency vehicles and wheelchair users, and littering at unprecedented levels across beauty spots.

In June, as temperatures peaked for the first time this year, so did reports of an unacceptable rise in violence and abuse towards key front line officers, many of whom have worked to maintain safe access to healthcare and food supplies throughout the pandemic.

Local authority parking enforcement teams have become increasingly frustrated by the apparent ineffectiveness of the penalties they use to tackle the worst offenders, which, outside London, have remained unchanged for more than 20 years. The parking community believes tougher action is needed to deal with those responsible for the worst of the ‘lawless’ behaviour and contributors to ‘carmageddon’ who cause huge problems for residents and businesses on seaside roads and in our coastal communities.

Such was the strength of feeling, there was an outpouring of support across social media for the thousands of parking professionals working in key front line roles, keeping our roads and streets clear and safe to use.

Tougher action is needed to deal with lawless behaviour and contributors to ‘carmageddon’ Richard Walker

Members of the public worst affected by the behaviour took to Twitter to vent their frustrations to call for more to be done: • “Today was the worst I’ve ever seen it.

Pavements were blocked both sides of the road.”

• “They parked anywhere they could. Lots of parking fines handed out, but they didn’t care” • “People parking on roundabouts, yellow lines, blocking residents’ driveways and leaving tons of rubbish behind and verbally abusing & spitting at the people trying to clean up after them.”

• “The fines need to be much higher. One resident told me one driver said they didn’t care about the fine as they divided it between four.”

The situation could worsen if stronger action is not taken. The real impact of so

many people thinking anti-social behaviour and poor parking is acceptable is that it increases congestion, there’s additional pollution and rising frustration from people living in these areas. Simply put – lives are at risk. As journey times for emergency vehicles get longer, disabled and visibly impaired people, and parents with pushchairs are forced into the path of moving vehicles, and overcrowded destinations make it impossible for everyone to socially distance.

As communities start to welcome back visitors, shoppers and holiday makers during the summer season, the parking sector, both public and private, along with the British Parking Association (BPA), believes everyone needs to play their part by only parking where it is safe and legal to do so, ensuring streets, roads and communities are safe, clear for access, and can be enjoyed by all.

Richard Walker is a British Parking Association board member and parking partnership group manager at the North Essex Parking Partnership (NEPP) www.britishparking.co.uk/board

Richard Walker

PARKING REVIEW | JULY 2020 | 19

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@THEDRIVEIN

CAR CULTURE

@TheDriveIn in my car I feel safest of all...

Pull up to the bumper

O

ne of the most dramatic consequences of the pandemic has been the way in which it has impacted on the performing arts and cultural attractions.

Theatres, concert halls, clubs and other venues have been closed since March as part of the lockdown.

But while bars, restaurants, cinemas and museums are re-opening, social distancing means that there is no easy route back for live entertainment. Besides the challenges of working out how bands, orchestras, comedy acts and theatrical troupes can work together in a COVID-safe manner, there is also the problem of how to let people gather to become an audience in a safe manner.

Whilst concerts and festivals around the world have been cancelled, live streaming has offered a means of keeping music alive, but performers are now seeking ways to reach their fans safely. This is where the drive-in comes into the frame. In principle, cars are the perfect social distancing mechanisms in that they enable people to travel to and watch events, either alone or with their households and ‘bubble’ companions. This realisation has led to a number of promoters and venues deciding to stage drive-in rock concerts, comedy gigs and film events.

Drive-in concerts have been pioneered in Denmark, Germany and the USA. Now a series of drive-in gigs are to be staged across the UK. Music promoter Live Nation owns venues such as Cardiff’s Motorpoint Arena and London’s Brixton Academy, however, it is unlikely these venues will open their doors before the end of the year. So, the company has devised a drive-in format that can be staged at airfields, airports, racecourses and arenas. The Live From The Drive-In series, which will run from mid-July until September, will see acts such as Ash, Dizzee Rascal, Tony Hadley, The Lightning Seeds, Gary Numan and The Streets perform.

Audiences will drive to the venues and then watch the concerts from their parked cars. Live Nation promoter Peter Taylor said: “This outdoor concert series was created as a way to reimagine the live music experience during a time of social distancing by allowing fans to enjoy concerts in the safest way possible.”

Live Nation said it would adhere to the government’s social

20 | JULY 2020 | PARKING REVIEW

distancing rules to protect fans, artists, crews and staff. Concertgoers will be able to stand outside their vehicles in allocated spaces, or sit in their own folding chairs, but umbrellas will not be permitted and attendees will have to buy food at the venues.

Another promoter, Ticketmaster, is staging a series of Car Park Party events over the summer. There are three different shows: Car Park Comedy, Car Park Karaoke and Car Park Theatre, which features the Birmingham Stage Company performing Horrible Histories: Barmy Britain. These events will take place at The Henley Festival, Powderham Castle in Devon, Northampton Saints Rugby Union Club, and at Cheltenham and Newbury racecourses.

A drive-in stand-up event is being run by Get Comedy at Brent Cross in north London. Performers such as Bill Bailey, Omid Djalili, Reginald D Hunter, Shappi Khorsandi and Jason Manford will perform at The Drive-In Club, which will also host a red-carpet drive-in film premiere for the British thriller Break, starring the late Rutger Hauer in his final film role.

Films are the focal point of @TheDriveIn, which is planning a touring programme of bingo, silent discos and stand-up comedy before screenings of classic movies and family favourites. American diner-style snacks can be ordered via an app and delivered to the parked cars by serving staff on roller skates.

Event organiser Alan Crofton said: “Our aim is for @TheDriveIn to be an experience that brings real joy this summer and the perfect antidote to a post-lockdown world, and we promise to deliver it within a safe yet fun environment.”

LIVE NATION

This summer drive-in concerts and car park parties will offer some socially distanced fun

Live From The Drive-In concept

PR339_P20-21_Drive-in.qxp_PR339_p20-21 08/07/2020 16:11 Page 21

CAR CULTURE

Driving clicks into place OLUWAKOREDE ENOCH ADEYANJU/UNSPLASH

Drive-thrus are moving up a gear in COVID-19, report the property experts at JLL

W

hen Costa Coffee reopened one of its UK branches as a drive-thru only in early May, the queue of cars stretched into the main road, with people happy to wait for their morning fix after a long wait in lockdown. The drive-thru model is not just a lifeline for caffeineseeking consumers looking for barista-made coffee. Across Europe, retailers and entertainment providers are exploring alternative ways to get business moving again as the coronavirus lockdowns start to lift. From Germany’s park & rave parties and Lithuania’s drive-in cinema, not to mention Denmark’s live concerts for cars, social distancing from behind the wheel is gaining popularity.

The team at global property services company JLL has been watching the way in which car-based retail and entertainment has evolved during the coronavirus pandemic. For those with retail real estate and large, empty car parks, creating drive-thru experiences could create exciting destinations while maintaining social distancing, says Dirk Wichner, JLL’s head of retail leasing in Germany. “There are two main advantages – raising their profile by doing something different and also providing income during a very difficult time,” he explains. “For the mall operator, it may not be a significant direct income stream, but it will help speed up the process to bring them back up to normal footfall levels.”

In Germany, the Federal Network Agency has received a record number of applications for radio frequencies that transmit the sound signal of films to car radios. Since the beginning of March, the authority has allocated 43 corresponding frequencies for drive-in cinemas nationwide, with a further 80 applications in process.

This is a model the USA is already very familiar with. While the number of drive-in cinemas has fallen dramatically since their 1950s heyday, they have been making a comeback during the COVID-19 outbreak with 25 open at the end of April and more planning to welcome customers in the following weeks.

“At first sight, there’s a short-term, almost pop-up nature to this increase in interest but not all screening concepts will work,” says Wichner, who points to the limited enthusiasm among German football fans for recent screenings of Bundesliga games.

Leisure activities need to be high-quality to succeed.

Collecting orders by car More retailers are equally turning their attention to drive-thru collections. Grocery stores like Auchan, Leclerc, Carrefour and Casino in France have long offered drive-thru collection points, but now other supermarket chains are following suit.

In May, Union Coop launched the Middle East’s first drive-thru grocery store in the UAE, while in New Zealand Countdown’s new “supermarket of the future” in Hamilton allows online shoppers to also have their shopping delivered directly to their car boot.

Yet what works in some countries is not a recipe for success in all – even in COVID-19 times. “Grocery retailers have tried many strategies in the past,” says Wichner. “But in Germany, major grocery stores have researched this and found that people like to select their own apples, hence the limited take up of, for example, click & collect.”

Fast food already has a long tradition of drive-thrus around the world but with many household names temporarily shutting during the outbreak, it’s become a popular first step back to normality. In the UK, McDonald’s, Starbucks and KFC, as well as Costa Coffee, set social media ablaze with news of their drivethrus reopening – not to mention those queues that ensued.

It is equally a strategy that the wider retail sector is now considering. Dixons Carphone in the UK, for example, is exploring designated drive-thru pick-up points outside some stores.

Drive-in entertainment nights and drive-thru food could be combined with other click & collect services Emma Tattersall

“When compared with its continental European neighbours, the UK already has a strong online delivery system,” says Tim Vallance, head of UK investor services and retail chairman at JLL, “but that has not automatically correlated with drive-thru innovation. The current COVID-19 situation could spur wider rollout of pick-up points.”

Lessons from past crises The retail sector’s reaction to COVID-19 measures has been quicker than in 2008, says Emma Tattersall, director, European retail capital markets at JLL. “There was, of course, a response to loss of footfall following the global financial crisis such as bringing in more food and beverage, and increasing leisure attractions, but it came late,” says Tattersall. “Owners now need to think very quickly and innovatively. Drive-in entertainment nights and drive-thru food could be combined with other click & collect services.”

Malls could look at one dedicated collection point for all retailers – or even for those without a store on site, she adds, following the example of Westfield malls in New Zealand with its drive-thru click & collect services in basement car parks.

And while most retailers are currently trying to get through the next few months, there’s equally the potential to create longerterm change. “From rethinking the use of currently empty space to getting goods ordered online to consumers in other ways than home delivery, retailers need to get creative when times are tough,” Dirk Wichner says. “The speed of recovery from COVID-19 will determine how long these strategies last.” www.jll.co.uk

PARKING REVIEW | JULY 2020 | 21

PR339_P22-23_Blue Badge.qxp_PR339_p22-23 08/07/2020 12:32 Page 22

ACCESSIBILITY

DMUK’s asks to retailers • Disabled parking bays should not be removed to provide a space for socially distanced queues • If cordoning off disabled parking bays is the only option for a retailer these bays should be re-sited to another place in the car park, signposted and managed properly so they are kept available for genuine Blue Badge holders only • Blue Badge holders should be exempt from queuing at retail outlets • Disabled people should be able to access the assistance they require when shopping.

Don’t leave the disabled behind Disabled people are being forgotten in the era of social distancing, writes Heidi Turner

T

here is a real danger that as we come out of lockdown the independence of disabled people will be eroded.

As the UK’s shops and retail outlets begin to open, Disabled Motoring UK (DMUK) is being contacted more and more by its members who are feeling frustrated about their needs being forgotten with new measures being introduced resulting from the coronavirus pandemic. DMUK is thus asking retailers not to forget their disabled customers when putting social distancing measures in place so that everybody can access their services.

Not all disabled people are considered ‘clinically vulnerable’ and will be desperate to get back to their ordinary life. However, they may be prevented from doing so if the correct reasonable adjustments are not put in place to help them do so.

DMUK supports the government in the need to keep people safe and encourages everybody to follow the appropriate guidelines.

We have seen socially distanced queues outside retailers of all natures and these are necessary in order to keep people safe.

However, these organised queues often need to take over parts of the retailer’s car park in order to accommodate them. Often the disabled parking bays are nearest to the entrance and are therefore the automatic choice to be cordoned off for such queues.

DMUK understands the predicament many retailers find themselves in and they need to put in place measures that protect everybody. Retailers must also think about their disabled customer’s needs. We encourage all retailers to think carefully about the position of queuing systems and the removal of disabled parking bays should be a last resort. If there is no other option, DMUK would like to see the suspended bays re-sited to an appropriate place in the car park, signposted correctly and managed properly so they are kept free for genuine Blue Badge holders.

DMUK has a long campaigning history when it comes to protecting disabled parking and this is the latest situation where we have seen the needs of Blue Badge holders neglected. Disabled parking bays are always the first to be cordoned off for construction work, temporary toilets, storage and the list goes on. Social distancing is just the latest excuse to use these bays in ways for which they are not intended. A disabled bay is a lifeline to a Blue

22 | JULY 2020 | PARKING REVIEW

Badge holder, and without one it could mean a dramatic loss of independence.

It is heartening that the parking sector is being very supportive.

Dave Smith, head of public affairs and communications at the British Parking Association (BPA), said: “Parking operators should work with landowners to ensure that disabled motorists are not unfairly penalised by a reduction in designated parking bays due to social distancing requirements. This means continuing to meet their obligations under the Equality Act and making reasonable adjustments where necessary. It’s also important that spaces allocated for Blue Badge holders continue to be effectively monitored to ensure they are not abused.”

Problems exist once disabled people get into stores. DMUK has also been contacted by members who have had difficulties when they are in shops, because the staff refuse to give them the assistance they require – citing health and safety concerns as the reason they cannot help at this time. For example, store staff refusing to lift things off high shelves or assistance with carrying shopping to the disabled person’s car. This is not acceptable and retailers should put in place the provision to give assistance to disabled customers whilst still keeping their staff safe.

We would like to see a national policy that exempts disabled people from queuing at retail outlets. Most retail outlets do not have the capabilities to put adjustments in place that would allow disabled people to queue, for example providing seating. A reasonable adjustment would be to let them go straight to the front.

There is a common misconception that all disabled people are ‘clinically vulnerable’ and will be ‘shielding’ at home for as long as the coronavirus is with us. This is certainly not the case and many disabled people are eager to get back to their everyday lives. However, they cannot do this unless the retailers put in place reasonable adjustments so that they can access goods and services just like everybody else.

Protecting health for everybody also means protecting independence for everybody.

Heidi Turner is communications and campaigns director at Disabled Motoring UK, the national charity supporting disabled drivers, passengers and Blue Badge holders. DMUK works with government and businesses to improve parking, refuelling and access provision for disabled people. www.disabledmotoring.org

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ACCESSIBILITY

What’s in store for Blue Badge holders?

DAVID PISNOY/UNSPLASH

Coronavirus means that DMUK’s Baywatch campaign is changing its format for 2020

A

problem faced by many disabled motorists is not being able to park at their desired destination, especially at their local supermarket. A major complaint is that the disabled bays are all occupied with cars not displaying a Blue Badge.

Disabled Motoring UK’s annual Baywatch campaign seeks to address this by researching the level of disabled parking abuse at supermarkets, by asking disabled motorists to survey their local supermarket car park.

Heidi Turner, DMUK’s director of communications and campaigns, says: “Baywatch is one of the charity’s longest running campaigns and is really important to draw attention to the parking problems that disabled people face when just trying to do their everyday grocery shopping. DMUK is pleased with the positive response it gets from its members, the public and organisations. Last year was our best campaign yet with record numbers of participants.”

Baywatch sees participants count how many disabled bays are provided and how many cars are parked in them without displaying a Blue Badge. The other information DMUK asks for is details of the type of enforcement (if any) carried out by the parking operator responsible for the car park. Details of the operator and enforcement should be displayed on the signage near the disabled bays.

The Baywatch campaign is supported by Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson, who says: “It’s so sad that Disabled Motoring UK has to run its Baywatch campaign. Disabled bay enforcement should be mandatory, especially for the big supermarkets that can afford to invest in policing their car parks. I see disabled parking abuse every day, it’s never a surprise to me, including at my local supermarket. There is a real lack of understanding about how essential these bays are to disabled people and I applaud DMUK’s Baywatch campaign as it plays a vital role in highlighting the issue of disabled parking abuse at supermarkets.”

In the light of COVID-19, DMUK has decided to change the format of Baywatch in order to keep the campaign’s supporters safe. “This year’s campaign launched in March with a great response from supporting organisations and its main sponsor, the British Parking Association (BPA). However, this was before the world was swamped by the coronavirus pandemic. Even though many areas of the UK are seeing a decrease in infections and deaths from coronavirus, and the government is easing lockdown restrictions, DMUK has decided that it is not appropriate to ask individuals to physically go to a supermarket car park and count cars not displaying a Blue Badge that are parked in disabled bays.

“This could put participants in a position where they find it harder to social distance and we would never ask people to put themselves at an increased risk of catching the virus. Instead we will be running a survey during August

Baywatch 2020 will be a COVID-safe survey which participants can complete without leaving their home.

“The 2020 survey will provide us with really useful data to keep the pressure on the supermarkets to do more to manage their disabled parking bays properly. Disabled motorists face parking problems in all aspects of their life and the new survey will also encompass some more general parking questions which will expand the scope of the DMUK Baywatch campaign.”

DMUK will ask individuals to think back over the past 12 months to consider their general parking experience and ask them to answer

questions about this experience at supermarkets and on their everyday journeys. DMUK intends to use this data to tackle the supermarket chains and other parking providers over their disabled parking policies.

“DMUK hopes that by August 2021 we will have the pandemic long behind us and we can run our usual Baywatch campaign,” says Turner.

The survey will be printed in the August issue of Disabled Motoring magazine and an online version will be accessible via DMUK’s website: www.disabledmotoring.org

Parking sector supports Baywatch Baywatch is made possible by support from a range of organisations, with the British Parking Association (BPA) once again being lead corporate sponsor for 2020.

Kelvin Reynolds, BPA director of corporate and public affairs, says: “We wholeheartedly support DMUK’s annual Baywatch campaign. With one in every five disabled parking bays being misused at supermarkets, this campaign is a great way to raise awareness of the importance of only using disabled bays if you are a Blue Badge holder. We encourage as many people as possible to participate in the survey.”

The campaign’s supporters include AccessAble, Disabled Living, Honest John, Independent Living, Phab, Posability Magazine and RiDC. Besides corporate sponsorship, the charity has been raising funds from individuals. DMUK launched its Baywatch Appeal in October as a way of raising additional funds to support the charity’s campaigning efforts. Since its launch the

charity has raised around £5,750 in added donations.

Heidi Turner, DMUK’s director of communications and campaigns, says: “We understand that many people are under financial pressures at this time and ideally the best thing that individuals can do is to fill in the Baywatch survey in August, but if you can help with a donation too that is very much appreciated. Any extra money the charity can raise to support campaigning is so helpful.”

Donations can be made online at: www.disabledmotoring.org

PARKING REVIEW | JULY 2020 | 23

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BUSINESS NEWS

RingGo Retail offers in-store payments Cashless parking provider teams up with PayPoint network Cashless parking provider RingGo has launched a shopbased payment option in collaboration with PayPoint.

The RingGo Retail option complements the company’s portfolio of phone, app and web payment channels.

RingGo Retail offers drivers the option of paying for their parking touch-free in retail shops with PayPoint terminals rather than having use their phone or at a machine.

RingGo Retail has been designed to aid social inclusion by allowing all drivers to pay for parking regardless of smartphone ownership, said Peter O’Driscoll, RingGo’s managing director.

“Despite the fact that over 80% of retail payments are now made by card and 95% of adults aged 16-64 have a smartphone, there has historically been some reluctance from councillors and retailers about moving to completely mobile payments due to concerns about social inclusion,” said O’Driscoll.

A PayPoint One terminal The solution is available for use nationwide in over 400 towns and cities at over 27,000 PayPoint convenience stores.

Drivers can find retail locations by visiting either the RingGo or PayPoint websites.

All of RingGo’s local authority and private parking operators now have the option of using the retail option.

Councils that have already gone live with the solution include the London Boroughs of Islington, Hackney and Tower Hamlets, as well as Medway Council in Kent.

A PayPoint store “So many of our local authority and parking operator partners have been asking how they can move to completely touch-free parking. For those who want to cut out cash and card machines we have, historically, been offering phone parking as a solution,” said O’Driscoll.

“With the addition of RingGo Retail, at no additional cost to providers, we’ve created an inclusive solution that allows people without smartphones to still park.

“Now drivers across all demographics can choose how they

NOW branding appears on RingGo signs Cashless parking provider RingGo is rolling out of new signage incorporating key elements from the branding of its parent company NOW Group, which is a BMWMercedes joint venture.

The new RingGo signage includes NOW’s coloured chevrons and parking bay imagery, to highlight key elements such as the location code and the benefits of RingGo compared with other channels.

RingGo works with 140 local authorities nationwide, so the sign changes will take place incrementally.

The new look signage will first appear on signs for new clients the London Borough of Havering and Ashford Council in Kent, both of which are transferring to RingGo from alternative phone parking providers.

These changes of service were put on hold due to the COVID-19 lockdown.

The City of Edinburgh will also receive the new signage as the council recently renewed its contract with RingGo via NSL for a further four years. The city council is offering equity of payment between RingGo and those using pay & display.

East Suffolk Council has expanded its phone payment offering to include 90 new car parks. This expansion comes on the back of the countywide transfer of

24 | JULY 2020 | PARKING REVIEW

enforcement from police to local authorities in April. Large ‘di-bond’ signs are being used in each council car park to highlight the cashless parking option.

The London Borough of Brent is also undergoing a makeover, with signs here tailored to a bespoke proposition that offers RingGo at a 50p discount over payments made at machines.

Rail company Chiltern Railways has removed the convenience fee it used to levy for using RingGo earlier this year, so will be upgrading its signs.

pay touch-free on the move with RingGo or via contactless at one of 27,000 outlets across the UK, whatever way they prefer.”

The PayPoint One retail services platform allows convenience stores to manage EPOS, bill and contactless card payments, as well as parcels.

Danny Vant, client services director at PayPoint, added: “Accepting RingGo payments across our network of 27,000 retailers is an example of how we are transforming convenience for both retailers and consumers.”

In each of these contracts, bespoke signs have been created to highlight the benefits of paying to park by phone. On machines, stickers highlight the time motorists can save by paying to park on the way to where they are going.

Where phone parking is cheaper than machines, as in Brent, the message “Pay less to park” is being used. Where signage is located away from machines, users are urged to “Pay to park by phone”, as no local alternative exists.

Peter O’Driscoll, managing director for RingGo, said: “RingGo has played a key role in developing the BMW/Mercedes NOW group over the last year and we felt it was high time to capitalise on the recognition and positioning provided by being part of this world leading mobility services group.

“Our new RingGo signage is bold, clear, and attention grabbing. In trials carried out earlier this year, usage increased immediately and significantly with this new design, especially when compared to other, and previous, formats.

“Now towns and cities are returning to full force after COVID-19, so many of our RingGo councils and private operators have been asking how they can promote phone parking as the safest, touch-free channel of payment. These new signs are just the latest addition in our marketing portfolio, helping customers achieve that.”

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BUSINESS NEWS

Planet acquires 3C Payment New alliance will serve the parking, retail and hospitality sectors Payment services business Planet is to acquire 3C Payment, a patment gateway company that provides businesses in the parking, retail, hospitality, food and beverage sectors in 47 countries.

Planet is part of the Eurazeo portfolio of companies. It provides specialist payments services, including VAT refunds and currency conversion, which can be packaged with acquiring services.

Planet anticipates that combining its services with the payment gateway and integration capabilities of 3C will enable the combined business to offer a comprehensive range of payment services.

Planet and 3C Payment have identified a need to accept alternative payment methods such as Alipay, WeChat Pay and UnionPay, in addition to global schemes such as Visa, Mastercard and American Express.

Patrick Waldron “3C operates a world leading hospitality payment gateway and offers many specialist integrations to enterprise systems that our existing customers use to process payments,” said Patrick Waldron, chief executive officer at Planet.

“When combined with Planet, we create a new proposition that simplifies the payment experience for merchants, acquirers and their customers. While the COVID-19 pandemic has left global markets in a state of uncertainty, this deal leaves us

Creagh named as Living Streets’ CEO

well placed to support even more businesses as demand bounces back.”

Tim Goodwin, chief executive officer at 3C Payment, said: “We’re delighted to join forces with Planet and create an integrated payments platform that amplifies our proposition and meets customers’ needs. Under Planet’s ownership, 3C Payment will now be able to offer its customers acquiring services and revenue-generating products such as currency conversion and VAT refund processing, which are key to helping our customers grow in the long-term.”

The acquisition means the businesses can now work with one partner and use a single payment platform to accept complex payments whether their consumers are paying in person or online. The first Planet-3C Payment integration will be a revenue generating payments solution for the hospitality and food and beverage sector.

The deal is subject to regulatory approval by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) in the UK.

Mary Creagh Mary Creagh is Living Streets’ new chief executive officer. Creagh was the Labour MP for Wakefield until the 2019 general election. She has over 20 years’ experience campaigning for environmental and social justice issues, as a Labour councillor, MP, government whip, shadow cabinet minister and select committee chair.

She is also visiting professor at Cranfield University and chair of responsible business practice at Lexington Communications.

The appointment by the charity’s trustee board comes after Joe Irvin OBE retired from the role in March following Living Streets’ 90th anniversary.

Urbiotica acquires FastPrk 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

Josep María Torras, CEO of Urbiotica, Marc Boher, CCO of Urbiotica and Ignasi Vilajosana, CEO of Worldsensing

• Car Park Attendants/Marshalls/Stewarding • Parking Supervisors (Both Enforcement and Back Office) • Parking Management (Both Enforcement and Back Office)

Spanish smart city and Internet of Things (IoT) specialist Urbiotica has acquired the Fastprk range of parking sensors from another Spanish company, Worldsensing.

The acquisition means that Urbiotica now has a portfolio of more than 50,000 parking sensors deployed in Europe, the USA and in the Middle East.

Urbiotica chief executive Josep María Torras said: “The acquisition of a prestigious brand like Fastprk enables us to accelerate the growth of our company and ensures midterm profitability thanks to the critical mass Fastprk adds to our offering. Moreover, it provides us

with direct access to new customer segments within the USA and Poland, where Fastprk already has a strong footprint.”

Worldsensing chief executive Ignasi Vilajosana said: “As a company, we see that it is more and more necessary to concentrate on Loadsensing, which represents our core business. Fastprk was the first brand we successfully launched and established in the market for which we frequently received buying offers over the years. The decision to pass the torch on to Urbiotica is driven by the company’s capacity to continue providing outstanding service to our customers.”

• 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***

PARKING REVIEW | JULY 2020 | 25

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BUSINESS NEWS

Intu goes into administration Administrator KPMG says shopping centres will keep operating Shopping centre operator Intu Properties collapsed into administration after it failed to secure an agreement with its lenders.

The company has debts of more than £4.5bn and was unable to persuade lenders to grant a standstill on debt repayments before a Friday night deadline on 26 June.

The company employs nearly 2,400 people and owns 17 shopping centres across the UK, including Lakeside in Essex, the Trafford Centre in Manchester and Gateshead’s Metrocentre.

Accountants KPMG have been appointed to handle the administration of Intu and eight subsidiary companies.

The shopping centres around the country would continue to trade as normal while the future of the malls is resolved.

Jim Tucker, a partner at KPMG and one of the joint administrators, said: “Intu owns many of the UK’s biggest and best-known shopping centres. The challenges affecting UK retail are well

Parking Perspectives joins US programme A British parking consultancy will be taking part in a US policy development programme. Parking Perspectives has been included on the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments’ Transportation Land-Use Connections Technical Assistance Program.

The programme has allocated $850,000 (£680,000) to finance 15 transportation planning projects this year. Projects include planning ‘Urban Navigation for the Visually Impaired’ and the development of a ‘Prototype Hub for Micro-Mobility Transit’.

Parking Perspectives will work with Weinberger Associates, which is based in New York.

Parking Perspectives is a UK-based consultancy that draws on the latest thinking from academics and practitioners to develop and promote policies.

26 | JULY 2020 | PARKING REVIEW

The Metrocentre known and have been exacerbated by the impact of COVID19 and the resulting lockdown.

“As today’s administration makes clear, those challenges have fed through to owners of retail property, even to owners of high-quality shopping centres such as Intu’s.”

Intu’s shopping centres are owned individually by special purpose vehicles that were outside of the insolvency process and thus able to trade as normal under the control of their directors.

The company’s creditors have agreed to make up to £12m avail-

able to keep the company’s centres open as the administration process is played out.

The group is essentially a holding company with £4.5bn of borrowing spread over 21 separate debt instruments. Intu’s lenders, includes Bank of America, Barclays, Credit Suisse, HSBC, Lloyds Banking Group, NatWest and UBS. Two years ago shares in the former FTSE 100 company were changing hands at 200p. By 26 June shares were worth just 2p before the administration triggered their suspension.

Malls such as the Trafford

KFC orders up Smart Parking Smart Parking will be enforcing parking at KFC drive-thru sites across the UK and Ireland.

The company will be using automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) technology to ensure the drive-thru car parks are being used fairly by genuine KFC customers.

Alongside its proprietary ANPR solution, the company will also deploy individual bay occupancy sensors to monitor usage of spaces.

After a competitive process, a contract was signed with the equity division of KFC, which

owns and operates 50 of the chain’s 450 restaurants across the UK and Ireland.

Thirteen of the drive-thru sites are already in the planning stage, reports Smart Parking.

Of the 450 restaurants, Smart Parking says around 250 are suited for ANPR managed services and will be assessed over time.

The agreement has an initial term of three years, and also provides preferred supplier access to the KFC franchisee network.

Centre, Lakeside and The Mall at Cribbs Causeway, Bristol are likely to attract potential buyers, but smaller regional malls – such as The Potteries centre in Stokeon-Trent – may prove harder to sell.

In addition to Intu’s employees, another 100,000 workers are employed by its tenants, who include companies such as Marks & Spencer, Next and H&M. Prior to collapse, Intu had been seeking debt standstill agreements with some of its lenders as it battles for survival after a collapse in rental payments from retailers.

Like other shopping centre operators, Intu had faced problems before the coronavirus pandemic. Key tenants such as Debenhams, House of Fraser and Topshop had closed stores and sought rent cuts to manage their own problems.

After lockdown had taken effect, Intu received just 29% of the revenue it was due on rent day. UK retailers are estimated to have paid just 14% of the £2.5bn quarterly rent due last month as they try to conserve cash and negotiate new, lower rent deals.

Cambridge leads NMI parking business activity Dan Cambridge has joined international payment gateway NMI as sales director with responsibility for business development in the UK and European parking sector.

Cambridge was previously channel partner manager at ADVAM. In the parking sector NMI works with car park operators, machine manufacturers and app developers.

Q-Park warning over possible scam Q-Park has issued a warning about companies falsely offering investment opportunities in the parking company’s name.

The companies go by the names of Saran Investments SA and Cimovelpark.

Q-Park said is not associated with either of these companies and that they do not represent

the company in any way.

A Q-Park spokesperson said: “Please do not respond to any correspondence from Saran Investments nor Cimovelpark in any form whatsoever and do not provide any personal information or payment.

“We are actively registering complaints with proper authorities where relevant.”

Dan Cambridge

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BUSINESS NEWS

IPC launches webinars for members Special interest group for law and debt recovery companies The International Parking Community (IPC) has launched two initiatives to improve engagement with its members.

The trade association will be hosting monthly webinars that explore the commercial and operational impacts of coronavirus and new legislation affecting private parking operators.

Meanwhile, a new special interest group has been created to focus on the interests of members working in the legal and debt recovery professions.

“Effective communication is not a one-way exercise,” said Will Hurley, chief executive of the IPC. “With ongoing issues arising from the national lockdown coinciding with a degree of uncertainty in advance of the new Parking (Code of Practice) Act 2019, this is a challenging time for all corners of the parking industry.

“We’re absolutely determined to make every effort to not only

Will Hurley keep our members informed, but also to listen to any thoughts and concerns they may have about the current economic environment and the regulatory changes on the horizon.”

The monthly webinars will use the Microsoft Teams platform and are scheduled for the second Wednesday of every month, commencing on 15 July.

All IPC members are invited to attend and each meeting will last an hour. “We’re taking full advantage of the progress and broader acceptance of online workplace discussion platforms

to optimise attendance and involvement,” said Hurley.

The webinars will include an update on legislative developments and new IPC activities, Members will have the opportunity to raise questions. Full responses will be given to all questions raised during or following the meeting.

The new Accredited Service Providers Special Interest Group will meet quarterly at the IPC’s head office in Macclesfield, with arrangements being made for virtual attendance. The first two group meetings have been

arranged for 8 July and 2 December 2020.

“We are building on the success of our forums for local authorities and higher education service providers through the formation of a new special interest group which will provide a regular focal point for the specific interests and priorities of accredited service providers,” said Hurley. “This group will provide our members in the legal and debt recovery professions with the perfect platform to air their thoughts, improve standards and drive new service initiatives.

“To continue to provide tangible support and a collective, considered and meaningful industry voice, it is vital for any trade association to have its finger on the pulse. That is only possible if we truly embrace and act upon the views and evolving priorities of our members.

“These new initiatives will provide every opportunity to maximise dialogue and engagement with our membership as the industry prepares for and enters an important new era.”

TfL hires Bristow & Sutor

Andy Rose Transport for London (TfL) has awarded a debt management and enforcement contract to Bristow & Sutor.

Bristow & Sutor has been collecting unpaid penalty charge notices (PCNs) at warrant stage for all road charging schemes and all traffic enforcement contraventions.

Winning the debt management and enforcement contract has resulted in the production and implementation of new letters, business rules, action codes and reports.

Andy Rose, chief executive at Bristow & Sutor, said: “Our aim is not only to successfully

action existing cases, but to be recognised as the number one performer and innovator throughout the duration of this contract. Winning new contracts, such as TfL, means significant expansion and job opportunities over the coming years. We already directlyemploy over 168 enforcement agents around the country.

“Our talented and hardworking team has worked painstakingly over the past weeks and months to ensure this project will perform optimally. Coupled with the unprecedented interruption of COVID-19, it has been a remarkable achievement by our tremendous team to ensure we a ready and raring to go.”

Enforcement agents are not being deployed until social distancing measures end.

However, since 1 May Bristow & Sutor has been using other channels to engage with debtors. The company’s web portals, apps, emails and telephone calls and debt recovery tools all remain accessible for debtors who need to discuss their situation.

Register free for forthcoming webinars: www.TransportXtra.com/events Past webinars include: Organised by:

Clearer Roads & Cleaner Air Sponsored by:

Digital Services & Touchless Transactions Sponsored by:

To discuss sponsorship opportunities or to propose a new webinar in this series, please contact jason@landor.co.uk

PARKING REVIEW | JULY 2020 | 27

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Published by:

In association with:

HANDBOOK 2020 The essential A-Z guide to who’s who in the parking and traffic sectors The efficient management of the kerbside, streets and car parks is essential to ensuring that towns, cities and destinations function properly. Traffic and parking managers are in the front line of creating safe and accessible towns and cities as the UK begins its recovery from the social, health and economic impacts of the coronavirus emergency.

More than ever, there is a need and desire among parking and transport professionals to share knowledge and experience.

To meet this demand the Landor LINKS team is proud to present the Traffic + Parking Handbook 2020.

The Traffic + Parking Handbook will be an easy-to-use, smart handheld A5 annual directory.

The Traffic + Parking Handbook will be distributed with the September issue of Parking Review magazine, at key Landor LINKS events and made available free via various online channels to download or request a print copy.

The handbook will include comprehensive listings on companies and organisations active in: G Parking enforcement G Payment technology

G Car park management services

BASIC LISTING – FREE G Company name and contact details listed in the relevant section of the handbook

STANDARD LISTING – £350 G Company logo and up to 50 words company profile in the relevant section

G Additional contact details and web address can be added on top of the 50 word limit

PREMIUM LISTING – £700 G Company logo and up to 150 words company profile in the relevant section

G Additional contact details and web address can be added on top of the 150 word limit

G Your listing can be included in up to a maximum of 3 relevant sections

G Business information systems G Permit schemes G Public consultation and surveys G Traffic Regulation Orders and digital mapping G Electric vehicle charging infrastructure G Car park design, construction and maintenance G Cycle parking G Consultancy G Debt recovery G Uniforms

SPONSORED LISTING – £1,500 G Full page advert at the beginning or end of the chosen section G Your listing to appear first within said chosen section

G Company logo and up to 200 words company profile in the relevant section

G Additional contact details and web address can be added on top of the 200 word limit G Your listing can be included in up to a maximum of 3 relevant sections

G Personal protection devices G Patrol vehicles G ANPR systems G Access control and traffic calming products G CCTV

To be a part of this essential guide please contact Jason Conboy, Commercial Manager, Landor LINKS on: 020 7091 7895 or email: jason@landor.co.uk

PR339_P28-31_Tech.qxp_PR339_p28-31 08/07/2020 13:24 Page 29

PARKING TECHNOLOGY

Giving front line staff pandemic protection Keltic Clothing creates face coverings for parking personnel As the coronavirus lockdown eases there will be more situations in which parking staff will be engaging with the public when managing car parks, patrolling the street and running park & ride services. Parking operators are thus seeking face coverings that are both effective and suitable for prolonged use in settings such as car parks, the street and on buses.

As a response to customer enquiries, uniform supplier Keltic Clothing has launched a range of face covering solutions designed to keep front line staff safe when engaging with the public. David Barry, Keltic Clothing director, said the face coverings has been developed in response to feedback from both local authority and private sector parking teams.

“Face coverings can help us protect each other and reduce the spread of the disease if you are suffering from coronavirus, but not showing symptoms,” says David Barry. “It is pretty hard for front line parking staff – people are kind of literally ‘in their face’ at times.”

Besides face coverings, the company is also supplying cleaning sprays that parking staff can use to keep garments and masks disinfected during shifts.

“For the parking market we

Keltic Clothing’s face covering

are offering face coverings, in both disposable and reusable washable varieties, a facemask sanitising spray to be used by staff during the day when they can’t wash the mask, and a garment disinfectant spray, again to be used during the day, as they can’t wash their uniforms until the night.”

Face coverings Government advice states that a ‘face covering’ is not the same as the surgical masks or respirators used as part of medical personal protective equipment (PPE) by healthcare and other workers, which should be reserved for health and care workers, as well as those working in industrial settings like those exposed to dust hazards.

Keltic Clothing has thus devised a range of face protection that is appropriate for the workplace but does not compete with the needs of the NHS or social care sectors. “Our face covers are non-medical, designed for social distancing as opposed to medical use or in areas of asbestos,” says Barry.

“The anti-viral and anti-bacterial spray, as well as sanitising the mask during use, also provides residual protection from viruses and bacteria for up to four hours after application.”

Workforce protection The masks come individually bagged in biodegradable bags to avoid cross-contamination when being distributed to colleagues. They are sold in boxes

The sight of people covering their faces when in public is now becoming commonplace across the UK. The three letters ‘PPE’, which stand for personal protective equipment, entered the lexicon this year due to the coronavirus pandemic. In the early stages of the emergency, shortages in facemasks and robes for use in a medical setting became a major political debating point.

For many weeks the general public were asked by national government to refrain from buying medical-grade masks, as these were needed by the NHS and care sector, and the efficacy of face coverings as a way of reducing spread of COVID-19 was downplayed.

Rather than donning masks, the public were asked to practice social distancing and regularly wash their hands, especially after touching shared surfaces.

However, there were early calls from a number of public health and medical professionals for face coverings – as

TFL

Covering up in public

TfL requires the wearing of face coverings opposed to masks – should be worn in public. In early June, for example, the Mayor of London Sadiq Khan made the wearing of face coverings compulsory on Transport for London buses, trains, trams and Tube trains.

A major step change came in mid-June when the wearing of face coverings on public transport was made compulsory in both England and Wales after the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) agreed that using face coverings as a precautionary measure on public transport

of 20 or 100, and are not available individually.

Keltic also offers advice on how face coverings should be worn. “Before putting on your face mask, clean your hands with soap and water. Cover your mouth and nose with the mask, ensuring no gaps. Avoid touching your mask when using it, and wash your hands if you do,” says Barry.

“When removing your mask, take it off using the sides without touching the front and, if possible, place directly into your washing machine. Re-usable masks should be washed daily.”

During the day Keltic recommends that SurSol facemask sanitising spray be used to keep the coverings cleans. SurSol antiviral mask spray can be used throughout the day at intervals to kill viruses and bacteria on face covers and visors. It also gives residual germ-killing properties. Keltic sells the spray in a 75ml bottle that can carried in a pocket or equipment pouch.

SurSol’s disinfectant formula is made in the UK and certified to EN1276 and EN14476. It has been developed in a cruelty-free manner and is designed to be safe to use around children and animals as it contains no harmful substances, and does not have a harsh chemical odour.

Keltic Clothing has created a special infection control section on its website: www.kelticclothing.co.uk/parkingsecurity-uniforms/infection-control/

could provide some additional protection to fellow passengers and can help people to avoid unknowingly spreading the virus if they have it, but are not showing symptoms.

The UK government has made it mandatory for staff and travellers to wear face coverings on public transport, and advises their use in enclosed public spaces where social distancing is not possible, such as shops. Under the new rules, operators will be able to prevent passengers who refuse to follow the rules from travelling and police will be able to issue fines of £100.

There are exemptions for the use of face coverings for those with certain health conditions, disabled people and children under the age of 11.

The wearing of face coverings on public transport and in shops has been made mandatory following the announcement that Scotland is moving into ‘phase two’ of its lockdown route map. The use of face coverings on public transport is now compulsory in North Ireland and is also recommended by the Welsh Government.

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PARKING TECHNOLOGY

Flowbird launches Park & Sanitise system Hand sanitiser is activated whenever terminal is used Flowbird has launched an automatic hand sanitising unit that can be attached to terminals to provide reassurance to motorists about paying for parking while coronavirus persists.

The company’s Park & Sanitise system is automatically primed whenever a parking transaction is completed is completed at the terminal.

Users place their hands underneath the unit and a sensor triggers the release of a pre-defined dosage of sanitiser gel. At no point does the user actually need to touch the dispensing unit.

Kenny Scouller, senior sales manager at Flowbird, said: “We know that hand hygiene is uppermost in people’s thoughts at the moment, so this sanitiser will help provide reassurance about using Flowbird’s pay & display and pay-on-foot terminals as the country starts to loosen some

Park & Sanitise of the lockdown measures.

“We expect more people to choose touchless ways to pay

Carlo Gavazzi offers detection Controls and automation company Carlo Gavazzi has launched two new systems for detecting cars in open car parks. The first option uses a rugged magnetic sensor mounted in the ground of each parking bay, entirely unobtrusive to the user.

Two different technologies are available to transmit the data. The first is based upon the long-range wireless protocol LoRaWAN, the other uses narrow band (NB-IoT) technology. Each sensor uses minimum power from its inbuilt lithium battery which can last up to 10 years.

The second option uses camera-based technology to monitor multiple bays, each IP (internet protocol) camera can detect on average of up to 40 bays and the centralised hub can manage up to eight cameras. Only the numerical occupancy data is collected and relayed to the car park system, meaning no sensitive data can be accessed, making it fully compliant with GDPR. Both systems require a centralised hub to collect the data before it is transmitted to the car park control system where the information is

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collated and used by the system to display the precise information on signage throughout the car park, allowing the user to easily find standard spaces, disabled spaces and electric vehicle (EV) chargepoint locations.

The colour of the LED indicator can be changed to indicate a reserved space, or temporarily change the use of a section of the car park for a particular event or occasion.

Strategically located alphanumeric displays can then guide the driver to the nearest available space following the shortest route.

The car park guidance system is designed to be scalable and suited for both indoor and outdoor use.

The system provides a GUI (graphical user interface) management tool via the builtin web server. Displaying the status of each space, virtual space availability and bar graphs to show the situation of each level or area and provide statistical data and trends. All data is fully exportable to Excel and the system can be accessed from a PC for real-time monitoring, control and statistics.

for parking, such as the Flowbird app or online accounts through our Pay to Park portal, but it is

also true that a large proportion of the population, including those without smartphones, still prefer to use cash or bank card payments at terminals. Now they can do so with the added confidence of knowing they can maintain personal hand hygiene.”

The Park & Sanitise system can be fitted both to new terminals and those already in the field. It is automatically primed to dispense the sanitiser once the parking transaction is complete. It will not dispense without a successful transaction.

Local authorities and operators will also be able to monitor sanitiser volumes remotely through Flowbird’s Smartfolio back office and replenish gel as needed.

Flowbird already provides what it calls a range of ‘low touch’ and remote payment options for its pay & display and ANPR (automatic number plate recognition) pay-on-foot solutions, including using contactless bank cards, apps and online accounts.

ParkMap 7 enables consultations

Mapping and signage expert Buchanan Computing’s ParkMap 7 cloud service now has an optional consultation tool that allows users to provide web-based delivery of notices and documents for proposed traffic orders.

This service enables local authorities to carry out the public consultation process online, saving both time and money.

Users of ParkMap 7 can subscribe to this optional tool to take advantage of the government’s temporary relaxation of the advertising and document inspection requirements for traffic orders, which allows local authorities to publish them digitally until April 2021.

Alex Smith, managing director of Buchanan Computing, said: “With the government encouraging its ‘active travel’ initiatives, authorities are busy proposing radical changes to road layouts that give more space for cyclists and pedestrians. But with

the libraries and council offices closed, and many newspapers not being printed, the optional consultation tool for ParkMap 7 means local authorities can publish their proposals to the TraffWeb service.”

Alongside the traffic orders, deposited documents and individual elements, such as consultation plans and Statement of Reasons, can also be published. Web-based delivery of TROs means that authorities can carry out online public consultations for their orders, with residents able to view proposed schemes against existing restrictions on a clear map.

Members of the public can access the TraffWeb app using their smartphones, PCs or tablets, and can download the deposited documents.

They can also comment directly on the proposed traffic order and this feedback is sent to the local authority.

Alex Smith added: “The online consultation tool for ParkMap 7 makes the process really simple.

There’s no need to manually add notices to the council website, or to spend time contacting all the relevant local newspapers to arrange publication – which also means that councils save money on advertising.”

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PARKING TECHNOLOGY

Oxfordshire automates bus lane enforcement County council rolls out Videalert digital camera platform Oxfordshire County Council has upgraded its bus lane enforcement system with the installation of an automated platform. The new system, supplied by Videalert, replaces a manually operated network of cameras.

The move to the new camera system was announced in October 2019. A go-live date of 15 June was identified to support the increase in cyclists expected as more people are able to move around as the coronavirus lockdown eases, as well as protect bus journeys for those who need to use public transport.

Cllr Liam Walker, cabinet member for highway operation and delivery, said: “ANPR is more efficient and allows greater flexibility to review potential contraventions after the event. As we start to see lockdown being freed up we want to see more people switching to sustainable transport – cycling, walking and public transport are all preferable to driving for so many people.

“The council is working hard to ensure that Oxfordshire’s transport system is ready to meet the demands of more people starting to get out and about, and the new cameras will play a small part in that.”

Bus lane enforcement signage in Oxford The automated system covers both bus lanes and bus gates.

New camera sites have been flagged with additional signage to draw attention to the use of camera enforcement.

A whitelist identifies vehicles

that can legitimately use the gates including buses, emergency vehicles and maintenance vehicles.

Captured evidence packs are transmitted and stored on Videalert’s hosted digital video

Transport Scotland certificates Videalert Videalert has achieved Approved Devices certification from Transport Scotland for the deployment of its hosted digital video platform to enforce bus lanes. Videalert’s hosted platform provides local authorities with a way to implement unattended CCTV enforcement of bus lanes.

APT Skidata launches touchless solution Parking system supplier APT Skidata has launched a touchless parking solution that it claims will help minimise the spread of COVID-19 in car parks by eliminating the need for drivers to touch surfaces when they park.

The contactless tap+go ticketless system means customers no longer have to touch a screen, insert a ticket or key in a number at the payment station.

The system uses tokenisation encryption of credit and debit card data at all touch points, which are run using Skidata’s Parking.Logic e-payment platform.

When arriving at a car park entrance, the system will see customers wave a contactless bankcard, smartphone or smart watch at the reader. No payment is taken at this point, but a virtual ticket is issued.

When the driver is ready to leave there is no need to go to a payment machine they just drive to the barrier and, using the same payment method (card, smart phone and smartwatch), tap the reader for the barrier to open.

Nigel Young, senior business

development manager at APT Skidata, said the company was already seeing demand for a touchless parking to enhance the customer experience but now there is a real need for it to help safeguard people. We can expect this transition to be accelerated in response to increased concerns about hygiene during and after the COVID-19 pandemic,” he said.

“Even as restrictions on movements are eased, there will still be a focus on social distancing and hand hygiene, and people will continue to be encouraged to avoid touching anything outside as much as possible.

“The simplest way to offer visitors touchless parking is to not only go ticketless, but to remove touchpoints. By making the whole transaction process touchless, so drivers won’t need to stand in a queue and they won’t need to touch a screen, insert a ticket or key in a number at the payment station, we are significantly helping our customers to return to normal business. In many cases, if a site already has APT Skidata entry and exit columns in

platform where they can be accessed and reviewed securely over the internet. Validated evidence packs are sent to the council’s back office system to issue penalty charge notices (PCNs).

Videalert is part of Marston Holdings, a group that encompasses enforcement contractor NSL, transport and urban realm consultancy Project Centre and a number of civil enforcement agencies.

place, it is a quick and simple upgrade to the hardware to APT Skidata’s tap+go, so it can be an immediate solution that brings benefits in the long term too.“ APT Skidata said it has already completed a retrofit at several UK shopping centres.

The tap+go solution has been configured to add an additional layer of security to the payment process as the card details are tokenised at entry and again at exit, fulfilling all principles and regulations of PCI and governance of deployment under P2Pe. Only when the tokens are ‘matched’, is the parking fee calculated and charged automatically.

Operators can also opt for remote management of parking systems using the internet-based INS.Reports system.

Young said: “INS.Reports web-based platform allows for full car park management remotely, reducing the need to be on site and reducing the workload for on-site teams to help protect them in the long-term. As long as you have an internet connection you can connect to the car park, or multiple car parks, and gain insight into revenue and current usage, along with customer and environmental information across the estate.”

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ELECTRIC VEHICLES

Green number plates get the green light DfT makes £12m investment in zeroemission vehicles Green number plates are to be rolled out from autumn, Transport secretary Grant Shapps has confirmed. Drivers will be encouraged to make the switch to electric vehicles through the introduction of green number plates.

The Department for Transport (DfT) believes the plates will make it easier for cars to be identified as zero emission vehicles, helping local authorities design and put in place new policies to incentivise people to own and drive them.

For example, drivers could benefit from local initiatives such as cheaper parking and cost-free entry into zero-emission zones where those with a green number plate will be recognised as eligible.

The plates will be identifiable by a green flash on the left-hand side and will be available for zero emission vehicles only.

The new green plates The move follows the conclusion of a consultation inviting comments from the public, local authorities and industry stakeholders from a range of sectors including motoring and consumer groups and vehicle manufacturers on how best to introduce green number plates.

A switch from internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles to electric driving is a key plank of the government’s plans to achieve net zero emissions by 2050.

Grant Shapps said: “A green recovery is key to helping us

The current blue design

achieve our net zero carbon commitments while also promoting economic growth. Green number plates could unlock a number of incentives for drivers and increase awareness of cleaner vehicles on our roads, showing people that a greener transport future is within our grasp.

“We’re supporting small businesses to develop the transport tech of the future through a multi-million pound investment, ensuring that UK businesses remain at the forefront of low

A suggested green design

Could green chargepoint signs power EV sales?

More than eight out of 10 drivers (85%) said that the signs for electric vehicle (EV) chargepoints should be turned green to make them more prominent, according to the AA. The motoring organisation has observed that drivers perceive there is a shortfall of chargepoints, even though there are more charge points than fuel forecourts. It believes changing the EV charging sign could help break down this barrier to ownership as it will make charging points stand out.

The change could also help reduce the number of “ICE-ing” cases, where a petrol or diesel internal combustion engined vehicle parks in a charging bay.

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carbon innovation and research.’’

The government is to make £12m available for research into the zero-emission market, with the aim of developing greener vehicles and help improve vehicle charging technology.

The DfT hopes that small and medium sized (SME) businesses will drive local economic growth through R&D projects in areas including charging infrastructure and zero-emission vehicles.

The funding, made available through the Office for Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV) and delivered through Innovate UK, will see £10m for a new Zero Emission Vehicle Innovation Competition. This will invite applicants to bid for project funding to support advancements in both battery electric and hydrogen vehicles, as well as charging infrastructure.

OLEV is also providing £2m to SME businesses to support research into zero-emission vehicles in areas such as battery technology, which could be used by major vehicle manufacturers in future EV production.

More than 17,500 drivers took part in the study, which asked what the signs should look like. It pitched the existing sign approved by the Department for Transport against a design created by the AA Signs team.

The AA analysis was carried out following a survey in December 2019 where nine out of 10 drivers (89%) said there should be a universal sign to indicate where chargepoints are.

Jack Cousens, head of roads policy for the AA said: “Drivers believe there are a lack of charging points, but the case is they are hidden in plain sight. While fuel forecourts have the benefit of large totem

poles, chargepoints can blend into the background. Changing to a green parking sign will help them stand out and reassure drivers who are thinking about buying an EV that there are more chargepoints than they think. We have also seen that chargepoints keeping the blue parking sign have accidently fooled drivers into parking in a charging bay and have ‘ICE’d-out’ electric cars. It may seem such a simple, low key change but sometimes it’s all that’s needed to help make a big difference.”

Transport secretary Grant Shapps has said the ban on sales of new petrol, diesel and hybrid cars and vans could be brought forward from 2040 to as early as 2032 in a bid to meet carbon-reduction targets.

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ELECTRIC VEHICLES

EV charging provision remains patchy, says DfT Chargepoints largely funded by private sector investment There are almost 18,000 electric vehicle chargepoints across the UK, a report from the Department for Transport (DfT) reveals. The geographical distribution of electric vehicle (EV) charging devices within the UK is very uneven. London has the highest level of charging device provision per 100,000 of population and is slightly above average in terms of rapid charging device provision. Scotland is above average in total devices per 100,000 and has the highest level of rapid device provision.

Most of the provision of EV infrastructure has been marketled, with individual charging networks and other businesses choosing where to install devices.

A number of the devices have been government funded via grant schemes operated by the Office for Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV), which does provide grant funding for private domestic charging and workplace

Public charging devices per 100,000 of population

by UK country and region charging devices, however these types of devices are not necessarily available to the general public.

Key findings in the DfT’s Electric Vehicle Charging Devices Statistics report show that at 1 April 2020, there were 17,947 public electric vehicle charging devices available in the UK. Of these, 3,107 were rapid devices.

Since 2015, the number of public charging devices has grown by 402%, with a 61% increase from 2018 to 2019.

Rapid charging devices have also

grown quickly, increasing by 355% since 2015.

In the first three months of 2020, 1,436 more devices were available in total, increasing by 9%. Rapid devices also increased by 283, up 10% on the previous quarter.

The DfT report uses experimental statistics on the number of publicly available electric vehicle charging devices in the UK, broken down by local authority.

Data is provided by the electric vehicle and charging point platform Zap-Map.

The next quarterly report is scheduled for release in August.

Reacting to the DfT report, AA president Edmund King said: “One of the myths we urgently need to clear up is a perceived lack in charging points. With a 61% year-on-year increase and more public chargepoints being installed every week, it should give confidence to drivers that they will be able to get home in an electric car.

“However, if drivers feel they cannot find a chargepoint then more needs to be done. Changing the sign could help them stand out, as well as finding solutions to those who want to charge their car at home, but do not have a dedicated off-street parking space.

“Encouraging drivers to make the switch to electric cars will also encourage both councils and businesses to install charging infrastructure. We believe that further incentives are required to ease the transition to lower emission vehicles such as cutting VAT on the sale of certain vehicles or targeted scrappage schemes.”

Vehicle-to-grid trial reveals growth in multi-EV households Electric Nation V2G project has been recruiting Nissan owners Many households with an electric vehicle already have a second EV or are considering getting one in the near future.

However, this ‘clustering’ will place further load on the local electricity network.

Charging an EV at home is equivalent to an extra house in terms of electricity demand. However by using vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology, EVs can put energy back into the grid at peak times, so reducing the need for extra electricity generation or network reinforcement.

The Electric Nation V2G project aims to demonstrate how V2G technology can provide a solution to potential electricity grid capacity issues as the numbers of EVs increase. Electric Nation is being run by Western Power Distribution (WPD) in partnership with CrowdCharge.

The first Electric Nation project from 2018-19 provided real life insight into people’s habits when charging their vehicle. The trial provided data from more than two million hours of car charging, revealing user habits on the location, timings and length of charge, as well as the impact of different tariffs.

The new V2G trial’s organisers have found numbers of EVs per household are rising alongside increasing nationwide EV adoption rates. Over 20% of applicants to

A Nissan LEAF the V2G trial already have two or more EVs at their property, and 48% said they are either likely or very likely to acquire a second EV in the future, or they have already ordered a second EV. A number of surveys have suggested that people are giving more consideration to EVs as the UK comes out of COVID-19 lockdown, and green number plates are set to be rolled out from autumn to help encourage drivers to make the switch to electric vehicles, under plans to drive a green economic recovery. Electric Nation believes these developments are good news for local air quality, but the extra demand on local electricity networks needs to be managed.

The trial is recruiting 100 Nissan EV owners in the WPD licence areas of the Midlands, South West and South Wales.

Currently, only Nissan EVs are able to be

used for V2G charging due to their CHAdeMO technology.

One week after the Electric Nation V2G project was launched, 200 EV drivers had applied to join the project, and the following data had emerged: • 95% of applicants have a Nissan LEAF, 5% have a Nissan e-NV200 • 20% of applicants currently have two EVs at their property • 1% of applicants have more than two EVs at their property • 3% of applicants with one EV have ordered a second EV • 18% of applicants with one EV are very likely to acquire a second EV in the future • 27% of applicants with one EV are likely to acquire a second EV in the future • 41% of applicants with two EVs also had a Nissan LEAF as their second EV. As well as many households having more than one EV, applicants are already taking action in the area of energy, with 45% having solar PV installed at their property, and 14% having a domestic stationary battery storage device.

Electric Nation is using up to five different energy suppliers instead of just one. This is designed to give the trial a more realistic simulation of a future world in which streets will have a number of EVs using V2G chargers operated by different energy suppliers.

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H thank all who keep our sites open and safe!

Pink Coach & CarPark

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Shift happens!

Design for a Mobility Hub for the Luton & Dunstable University Hospital

The multi-storey car park is evolving into the mobility hub, says Tomer Meirom

T

he world around us is everchanging. The more general shifts in our environment: climate change, urbanisation, the fusion of home and office environments (increasingly popular since the outbreak of COVID-19) have significant impact on mobility.

The use of fossil fuels is discouraged, whereas electrical mobility is encouraged.

Car-sharing schemes are becoming readily available and simplified by digitalisation.

The development of autonomous driving is rapidly advancing and expected to reach market soon. These developments may not stop the individual use of cars but will bring about change in the manner cars and car parks are used.

It is almost a decade since HUBER Car Park Systems first designed and built a multi-storey car park (MSCP) for the NHS. Multi-storey car parks in Wolverhampton, Stratford-upon-Avon, Leicester and Aberdeen followed. Throughout the years, these car parks have been designed to fulfil their traditional function, whilst adapting to incorporate up-to-date technological innovation, such as e-mobility, LED-lighting and advanced controllers.

In 2020, HUBER completed a second MSCP for New Cross Hospital, Wolverhampton, and are mid-construction of MSCPs at Northwick Park hospital in Harrow and at Luton & Dunstable Hospital, as well as leading the design process for new MSCPs at Warwick Hospital and at Southampton Hospital.

Representing the evolution of innovations

Multi-storeys will become more than just car parks, they will become mobility hubs Tomer Meirom

such as electric vehicles and cycling, these facilities will be more than “just” car parks, they will be “mobility hubs”. What does that actually mean?

The mobility hub is envisaged as being the mediator between off-campus transportation and on-campus mobility. The hub should enable the smooth management of traffic towards the campus and enable efficient management of users’ stream onto campus.

In a future scenario, users should leave their arrival vehicle, be it car, bike or scooter at the hub and continue by campus transportation system, maybe in the form of public autonomous transportation (POD capsules) that will distribute users arriving to the hub further on the campus.

A successful mobility hub should be located on the campus border, readily accessible by public and personal transportation.

Space must be provided for all transportation methods to co-exist. Sufficient charging facilities should be provided – electric car

users will expect to return to a fully charged vehicle. Future digitalisation shall allow users to communicate with the hub prior to arrival to ensure seamless parking and payment, as well as order the onward transport into the campus.

In anticipation of these changes, HUBER has introduced HUBER 360 Smart Parking.

These ‘smart mobility hubs’ offer barrierfree entrance and exit, cash-free payment, dynamic pricing concepts, intelligent interactive guidance systems, intelligent parking systems (IPS), light control and e-mobility; and are designed with infrastructure which provides flexibility to incorporate further advances in digital innovation in the future.

Tomer Meirom is managing director UK of HUBER Car Park Systems www.huber-carparksystems.com

Tomer Meirom

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FATKIN

PARKING STRUCTURES

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PARKING STRUCTURES

A park for cars will become a better place

Westminster City Council gives go-ahead to convert Cavendish Square car park into wellness centre

A

n underground car park in London’s West End is to be converted into a £150m healthcare and entertainment complex. The project will see what is currently the threelevel Cavendish Square car park turn into a subterranean complex providing healthcare, office, entertainment, retail and leisure spaces.

Developer Reef Group describes the project as being “the world’s first wellbeing destination”. Reef plans to re-use the concrete structure of the existing car park and excavate a fourth level.

The scheme had originally planned to include a major shopping mall but this element has been scaled back amid a downturn in high street retail. Work is expected to be completed in 2023.

Cavendish Square lies within the Harley Street Conservation Area and is surrounded

by Grade II-listed buildings and sits behind the John Lewis store on Oxford Street. The Square was laid out as gardens by Charles Bridgeman in 1717 as an early part of the Cavendish-Harley Estate.

Members of Westminster City Council’s planning committee unanimously approved plans for the four-level mega-basement beneath Cavendish Square during a ‘virtual’ planning meeting. The committee decided that any negative impacts on the character of the square were outweighed by bringing a new use to the underground car park.

Cllr Louise Hyams, deputy cabinet member for environment and highways, said: “It is exciting, bold and innovative. It fits in very well with the improvements we are planning for Oxford Street. When you look at what is there now and what is proposed, it is a massive improvement.”

The development would lead to the loss of 434 public off-street car parking spaces,

36 | JULY 2020 | PARKING REVIEW

currently operated by Q-Park.

A transport statement submitted in support of the application demonstrated that maximum occupancy at any one time is currently 197 vehicles. There has been a sharp decline from 2017, when the maximum occupancy peak was 281 vehicles, reflecting Londonwide policies discouraging journeys by car.

There are currently 104 annual or monthly permits on issue at the car park, but Westminster City Council’s highways planning manager raised no objections to the loss of the car park as the permit-holders could be accommodated at other under-utilised local public car parks within 1km of Cavendish Square, all of which have the capacity.

The development will be car-free, with 153 cycle parking spaces proposed.

A report by Deirdra Armsby, the council’s director of place shaping and town planning said: “The existing car park is underused and its loss would be considered acceptable as the demand for car parking can be successfully accommodated elsewhere in the vicinity.

“The uses proposed are all considered to be in principle appropriate for this site in the heart of the West End within the Core Central Activities Zone. However, as the application is speculative the acceptability of the quantum of the various uses will be dependent upon their respective operational details.”

The most controversial elements of the scheme in urban design and conservation terms are the above ground structures. “It is unusual for there to be structures within an historic square in the West End. However, Cavendish Square is an atypical square as it has a car park beneath the gardens and associated structures above ground. The impact of the proposed structures should be considered in the context of the existing, harmful, structures,” she said.

While the new above-ground structures would be controversial in urban design and conservation terms, any harm caused would be outweighed by the benefits of removing the existing structures and in creating a new use for the car park, she argued.

“As the majority of the works are below ground, the use of the square at surface level as public open space would be largely unaffected, and would actually be enhanced by improved accessibility,” Armsby said.

“The works to the public realm would improve the pedestrian environment, and these works, alongside landscaping improvements, are welcomed. For these reasons it is recommended that conditional planning permission be granted subject to the views of the Mayor of London and subject to a legal agreement.”

Above ground the existing vehicular entrance and exit ramps, exit stairs and plant enclosures will be removed. The main access to the development will be via a new stepped entrance, flanked by glazed lanterns at the southern end of the square, with two new entrance pavilions at the north-east and north-western sides of the square. A service pavilion is proposed on the east side. The scheme also includes alterations to the highway and environmental improvements.

Armsby said: “The primary negative feature of the Square is the underground car park which was created in 1970, along with new walls and railings erected around the garden.

The access ramps to the car park were created on the east side of the square. There are other structures associated with the car park, most notably in the north-west corner of the square. These have all had a harmful impact on the townscape quality and integrity of the Square, the character and appearance of the conservation area and the settings of the adjacent listed buildings.”

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PR339_p38_Consultants.qxp_PR339_p38 03/07/2020 13:21 Page 38

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PARKING SYSTEMS & SERVICES A-Z YOUR GUIDE TO PARKING SYSTEMS, SERVICES AND TECHNOLOGY PAYMENT SERVICES

www.orbility.com

Car Park Equipment Manufacturer Ticketed & Ticketless Systems ANPR & Prebook Mobile & Contactless Payment Multichannel Support Flexible Finance Options

Orbility Limited Unit 6 Mitchell Way, Portsmouth, Hampshire, PO3 5PR

Info.uk@orbility.com P +44 (0) 2392 414 423

SOLUTIONS FOR ANY PARKING ENVIRONMENT CAME Parkare, Unit 108, Longmead Road, Emerald Park East, Emersons Green, Bristol, BS16 7FG. Telephone: 0844 371 70 72 email: uk@cameparkare.com

www.cameparkare.com/uk

ENFORCEMENT & DEBT RECOVERY SERVICES

DESIGNA DESIG N A | Te Tech chnol n ology ogy

Are you ready for the future of parking? We are!

DESIGNA is a global technology leader in parking management systems. Our innovative, integrated equipment and soft ware solutions make efficient parking management extremely easy on all new media. Discover what Integrated Intelligence made by DESIGNA can do for you.

DESIGNA UK Ltd Unit 11, Windmill Business Village Brooklands Close, Sunbury on Thames Middx. TW16 7DY

For more information on our services, please contact: Lauren Appleby (North) lappleby@newlynplc.co.uk 07931 811088

Office tel: 01932 784040 Email: sales@designauk.com

info

Shaun Byrne (South) sbyrne@newlynplc.co.uk 07964 764099

w w w. de s i gna . com

PARKING SERVICES

Credit & Debit Card Processing for Parking - The industry's most trusted solution for P&D, PoF and mobile - Integrated by all leading parking machine manufacturers - Maximum de-scoping from PCI DSS through PCI P2PE - Ultra-reliable and cost-effective - the highest value payment service in the UK NMI is a PCI DSS Level 1 Certified payment service provider, recommended by all major parking equipment manufacturers, and with solutions certified by all UK banks. NMI also offers call centre/web payment for PCN processing.

Call us now on 0117 930 4455 or email us at hello@nmi.com

To enquire please call: Jason Conboy Tel: 020 7091 7895 Email: jason@landor.co.uk

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PARKING REVIEW | JULY 2020 | 39

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