Parking Review, issue 342: October 2020

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October 2020 | #342

www.parkingreview.co.uk

BORDER DISPUTE Will permits to enter Kent and lorry parks be enough to manage Brexit HGV queues?

PA R K I N G • T R A F F I C • K E R B S I D E

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WELCOME OCTOBER 2020 | #342

Everything stopped during lockdown, except the need for information

New ways of working

D

uring the coronavirus pandemic we have all been finding new ways of connecting. The restrictions required to restrict the transmission of COVID-19 have had a profound effect on how we travel, shop, socialise, study, work and worship. These restrictions have also had an impact on the world of journalism. The pandemic has affected every facet of society, which means that journalists covering politics and sports, business and the arts, cookery and tourism, have been getting used to repeatedly typing the words “lockdown”, “testing” and “quarantine”.

The fact that everything stopped during lockdown did not mean there was nothing to report. Indeed, there has been a surfeit of news, as print, broadcast and online reporters have attempted to convey the impact of the virus on the NHS, the High Street, schools, theatres, cinemas, hotels, airlines and the transport system. Like the people who read and see our words, journalists have not been immune from the restrictions presented by the need to observe social distancing – face-to-face interviews have been replaced by video calls and site visits curtailed for the forseeable future.

Landor LINKS has put much thought into making sure Parking Review has continued to appear in print and online, both via its website and as a new digital edition, all supported by an active social media presence. There was a rapid move to remote and home working to ensure publications and websites continue to be delivered to you. We also continue to develop new publications.

(STOP PRESS: Check out the brand new Traffic + Parking Handbook.)

One aspect of our engagement with the market that has been severely impacted by the pandemic is in the field of live events. However, even here we have innovated and developed a programme of webinars that has looked at issues such as: how to lock-in the improved air quality we have experienced during lockdown; the development of digital and touchless parking services; the growth in last mile deliveries. With the Landor LINKS team now adept at running online events, we are staging a virtual version of the Traffic + Parking conference and exhibition, happening on a screen near you on 2 December.

Innovative ideas developed because of, or accelerated by, the need to work around the pandemic will be with us as the world seeks ways of returning to normal. I hope you all keep visiting the spaces we are making for discussion and debate over the coming months.

Mark Moran Editor

Parking Review online: www.parkingreview.co.uk COVER IMAGE: WOLFGANG HASSELMANN – UNSPLASH

cdergroup.co.uk PARKING REVIEW | OCTOBER 2020 | 3

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CONTENTS

22 23 30 31 32

Rewarding reporting Lincolnshire County Council’s annual report has been named as overall winner of PATROL’s PARC Awards

An appealing design The Traffic Penalty Tribunal has launched a new look website to help drivers and stakeholders engage with the appeals service

Park Active takes shape British Parking Association unveils sign designs for a scheme designed to turn car parks into walking and cycling hubs

It’s time to change gear The British Parking Association, Local Government Association and London Councils lobby government on camera technology

Shopping for answers Can offering free parking really aid High Street recovery?

Andrew Potter and the Parking Perspectives team investigate

34 40 45 49 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

Production and design production@landor.co.uk Advertising, sponsorship, marketing and exhibition packages Jason Conboy Tel: 020 7091 7895 jason@landor.co.uk Darryl Murdoch Tel: 020 7091 7891 darryl@landor.co.uk

Bringing order to the streets Essex County Council, SEPP and NEPP see map-based, digitised TROs as a way of increasing the transparency of parking rules

What will Brexit deliver?

A HGV permit for Kent and new lorry parks are being prepared to manage tailbacks of trucks expected when transition ends

Pathway to parkways Network Rail and Highways England have worked together to identify the criteria for developing successful parkway stations

EV infrastructure needs a boost The AA and ITV Tonight have revealed that a lack of chargepoints is suppressing electric car sales

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

Published by: Landor LINKS Ltd, Apollo House, 359 Kennington Lane, London SE11 5QY © Landor LINKS Ltd 2020

The Independent Press Standards Organisation www.ipso.co.uk

www.landor.co.uk

The Professional Publishers Association www.ppa.co.uk

ISSN: 0962 3599 Printed by: Pensord Tram Road, Pontllanfraith, Blackwood NP12 2YA

Registered members of:

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CHRIS FOSTER/SUSTRANS

NEWS

The school run is no fun for parents Pavement parking and dangerous junctions destroy any pleasure in taking kids to school, reports Deniz Huseyin More than half of parents in the UK see the school run as a far from pleasant experience, a new poll reveals. The YouGov survey, conducted for the walking and cycling charity Sustrans, found that 59% of parents did not enjoy the journey to school, with the most disgruntled parents being in the Yorkshire and Humber region, where 67% are unhappy with the school run.

Some 62% of those surveyed cited congested roads as the key reason why they do not like the school run, with other reasons being pavement parking (32%), dangerous junctions (27%), and narrow and poor quality pavements (17%). Only two-fifths of parents currently enjoy their daily journey to school. Meanwhile, 71% of parents said councils should take steps to make it easier for families to walk and cycle to school.

The poll surveyed 1,013 parents of children under 16 about their views on the school run between 3 and 8 September. The figures were published during Bike to School Week, which ran from 28 September to 2 October, to showcase the benefits of cycling to school.

The campaign was organised by Sustrans and supported by the Bikeability Trust.

More than half of those surveyed (54%) supported changes that have already been made to the streets and places in their local area to make active travel to school easier.

More segregated cycle routes was seen as the number one intervention that would help them and their children cycle to school more (39%). As well as changes to the built

6 | OCTOBER 2020 | PARKING REVIEW

environment, almost a quarter (23%) of parents recognise cycle training as something that would help their child cycle to school.

Xavier Brice, chief executive at Sustrans, said: “These figures highlighting why parents currently dislike the school run clearly show that more needs to be done by local authorities to help make walking and cycling the easiest and most appealing options for families travelling to school. The journey to school shouldn’t have to be a stressful or negative part of the day, and yet it seems that way for a lot of families across the country.”

Despite a cycling boom during the lockdown, new figures show that congestion levels are higher than this time last year, said Sustrans. “As schools have returned following closures amid COVID-19, families are looking for safe and socially distanced ways to travel. There is a real risk people will be locked into car dependency, causing gridlock and adding to dangerous levels of pollution, unless councils provide viable alternatives by making walking and cycling safer for everyday journeys, including the school run.”

Pavement parking Almost a third of parents say that pavement parking made the school run an unpleasant experience. The hazards presented by cars parked on pavements is a cause of concern to Sustrans, which supports the idea of a national ban on pavement parking, which is the subject of a government consultation. Sustrans points to London, where pavement parking is banned under the Greater London (General Purposes) Act 1974. In London cars parked on pavements was cited by just 6% of parents surveyed.

Low Traffic Neighbourhoods Sustrans is urging councils to implement Low Traffic Neighbourhoods (LTNs) and School Streets.

The charity is also urging that the government should enact Part 6 of the Road Traffic Management Act 2004 to give councils outside London powers to enforce school streets, as part of COVID-19 active travel measures.

The consensus among families is for safer environments where children can walk and cycle to school, and which are healthier and more pleasant places to live in, said Sustrans’ chief executive Xavier Brice. “There are many established LTN schemes across the country where local residents and businesses would not want to go back to how things used to be. We cannot afford to continue having our residential streets dominated by vehicles, and our communities trapped into car dependency – especially during this time of climate emergency and COVID-19 pandemic.”

Councils should press ahead with plans for LTNs despite protests, Brice said. “Towns and cities are introducing progressive road schemes such as Low Traffic Neighbourhoods faster than ever before in response to COVID-19. Change can be upsetting for people and businesses, especially during a time of crisis and we are seeing noisy opposition to these schemes in many places.

However, the changes are also often misunderstood and misrepresented, and responses are polarised and then amplified through reporting and social media.

“Public consultation is vital, as is using evidence from schemes which have been successful. Local authorities need to develop communication and engagement plans that clearly convey the reasons for LTNs and their accelerated actions, whilst taking into account the local context.”

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NEWS

Legalise e-scooters on roads, say MPs E-scooters should be legalised on roads but riding on pavements should be prohibited, the House of Commons’ Transport Committee has said. In a new report, the committee has said the vehicles, which usually travel 9-15mph, could offer a green alternative to the car.

Privately-owned e-scooters are banned to use in the UK anywhere except on private land.

Whilst supporting the introduction and use of e-scooters, the committee advises that current rental trials and any plans for legalisation should not be to the detriment of pedestrians, particularly disabled people.

The committee calls for robust enforcement measures to eliminate pavement use of e-scooters, which the report says is dangerous and anti-social.

If the government supports the committee’s recommendation and decides to legalise privately owned e-scooters, the law should clearly prohibit their use on pavements and ensure that such enforcement measures are effective in eliminating this behaviour.

The Transport Committee called for a sensible and proportionate regulatory framework for the legal use of electric scooters, based firmly on evidence gained from current rental trials

MIKA BAUMEISTER/UNSPLASH

Transport Committee says pavement ban should be retained

E-scooters could add to street clutter and from other countries. The current rental trials should allow important evidence and data to determine the best way to legally incorporate both rental and privately owned e-scooters within the UK’s transport mix.

The MPs said the Department for Transport (DfT) must also encourage the use of e-scooters to replace short car journeys rather than walking and cycling.

The committee warned it would be counter-productive if an uptake in e-scooters, whether rental or private, primarily replaced more active and healthy forms of travel and calls for the department to continue promoting active travel as a key policy.

To ensure regulations governing e-scooters provide a safe environment for both riders and

Scotland and Wales say ‘No’ Trials of e-scooter rental will not take place in Scotland or Wales for the foreseeable future. The Department for Transport (DfT) invited councils across Britain to participate in 12-month trials earlier this year.

A Transport Scotland spokesman said: “The sudden decision on the imminent introduction of e-scooters was taken by the UK Government alone and without informing the Scottish Government in advance.

“Whilst the use of powered transporters and decisions around their introduction and associated legislative changes are primarily a matter for the UK government, it is now clear that additional legislation and associated guidance would be required in Scotland to allow trials to take place.

“This was not factored in to the timescale set by the DfT, and as a result Scottish local authorities are unlikely to be able to participate in the initial trials. Transport Scotland and officials from interested Scottish local authorities continue to engage with the DfT over options for participation in the longer term.”

A Welsh Government spokesman said: “We haven’t been informed of any councils expressing interest. It’s possible a council has been in touch with the DfT but we’d have a role to play if plans progressed and we haven’t been informed yet.

“Should a local authority in Wales wish to pursue a trial an amendment to the Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions 2016 to enable e-scooters on cycle lanes will be needed.”

other road users, the committee recommends: • If the government legalises e-scooters, users should not be required to have a driving licence for either rental or private use.

• The DfT should monitor the number and types of collisions during the trials to determine future insurance requirements for rental and privately owned e-scooters.

• Local authorities should determine the speed of e-scooters in their areas as a ‘one size fits all’ approach will not work.

• The DfT should use data from the trials to determine which e-scooter design requirements are appropriate for UK roads.

• Helmet use should be encouraged for rental and privately owned e-scooters.

• The DfT, along with local authorities, should monitor the trials for problems emerging with abandoned e-scooters leading to ‘street clutter’.

The MPs acknowledge that there are valid environmental concerns relating to the lifetime of the scooters and the processes used to recharge their batteries.

The DfT should closely monitor the environmental impact of e-scooters and if needed, consider introducing stricter requirements around sustainability, advised the committee.

Huw Merriman MP, chair of the Transport Committee, said: “The UK remains the last major European economy where e-scooters are still banned to use anywhere except on private land and their use on UK roads is currently illegal. That is still a matter of surprise to many, as we see the numbers grow on our streets alongside the department’s permitted rental trials.

“We heard first-hand about the impact of e-scooters on pavements. We need to ensure that their arrival on our streets doesn’t make life more difficult for pedestrians, and especially disabled people. Before proceeding with plans to legalise the use of e-scooters, local authorities and government must use the trials to monitor this closely, put enforcement measures in place and ensure they are effective in eliminating this behaviour.”

London e-scooter trial delayed Trials of rental e-scooters in London are not expected to get underway until early 2021, if they happen at all. The London Borough of Merton says a trial is expected to launch in early 2021 “subject to various legal issues being resolved and the Department for Transport approval”.

It is understood that a trial in the capital is still not definite. One potentially troublesome issue is the need for traffic orders to be amended to allow e-scooters to be used on facilities such as cycle routes. The large number of such facilities in the capital may make the task particularly onerous.

Transport for London (TfL) confirmed that “all authorities that plan to host trials will have to amend their traffic orders”. TfL will procure any London trials though,

as yet there is no detail on what areas trials would cover.

A TfL spokeswoman said: “We are in active discussion with London Councils and the London boroughs to explore what a rental e-scooter trial in London could look like, as well as working closely with the DfT. The viability and geographical scope of any trial is yet to be determined.

The final safety criteria will be agreed by TfL, London Councils and all boroughs ahead of any trial.”

A number of south London councils will not to participate in any trial. Merton had planned to participate but will not now do so because neighbouring boroughs of Sutton, Kingston, Croydon and Wandsworth have decided not to.

Waltham Forest and Lewisham will also not participate.

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NEWS

Škoda drivers get a hand from Parkopedia Real-time parking information available via Škoda Connect app Škoda drivers will now receive help from Parkopedia when searching for vacant parking spaces. The parking space locator is one of many features of the mobile online services included in the Škoda Connect app. Škoda drivers are already supported in their search for a parking space through the mobile online services of Škoda Connect.

Now, a cooperation agreement between the Czech car manufacturer and Parkopedia, means he scope of the service has been expanded. Škoda drivers now have access to information on millions of parking spaces throughout Europe as a result of the Parkopedia collaboration.

Using the vehicle’s navigation system or the Škoda Connect app means the cheapest and closest parking options are displayed at the respective location or a selected address. In addition to the fees, the app also shows whether the parking spaces are

The Škoda Connect app and Parkopedia will help drivers local parking spaces actually vacant, in real-time, subject to availability.

The latest versions of the Škoda Connect app and the navigation system also provide route guidance directly to the selected parking space.

The Škoda Connect app also helps drivers relocate a parked car. The ‘Parking Position’ feature transmits data after each trip so that drivers can use GPS to determine the exact position of their car. This information can be viewed through the smart-

phone app or through a smartwatch. The Škoda Connect App also has a ‘Honk & Flash’ feature.

At the touch of a button, the car will activate the horn and/or hazard lights remotely, as long as the driver is within 500 metres of their parked car.

Jan Havlas, coordinator of connected car projects at Škoda Auto, said: “We are constantly expanding our Škoda Connect service offer with the aim of making remote vehicle access and communication more

convenient for our customers.

The partnership with Parkopedia is another important element of this. Parkopedia offers Škoda drivers the parking service and an integrative user experience via the Škoda Connect app and the vehicle’s infotainment display.”

Founded in 2007, Londonbased Parkopedia provides detailed information on more than 70 million parking spaces in 15,000 cities and 89 countries worldwide.

BBC

On your marks, get set, go... Top Gear races EVs in a car park

Tesla v Volvo A multi-storey car park in Wigan was taken over by the BBC’s Top Gear in order to test the uphill pace of electric company cars.

Filming took place at the Millgate multistorey in March, before the lockdown. The car park is operated by APCOA Parking, which said it was pleased to work with Top Gear to make the car park available in the evening for filming to take place.

Presenters Freddie Flintoff, Chris Harris and Paddy McGuinness were then able to carry out speed trials by driving up the ramps of the empty multi-storey. Flintoff drove a Volvo S50, Harris a BMW-3 Series and McGuinness a Tesla Model S. Before filming could take place, the

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The Top Gear team APCOA team on site worked with customers to make sure all other vehicles were removed from the area first. Having seen Freddie Flintoff’s collisions with crash barriers at a racing track earlier in the report, that was a wise decision.

The three presenters were tasked with spending 24 hours living in their cars. The episode included a trip to Bolton Market to stock up on essentials like pillows and duvets and a trip to Daubhill to see the home McGuinness was brought up in.

They then spent the night in their cars at the University of Bolton Stadium (however, McGuinness snuck out to avail himself of a bed in the on-site hotel).

The pandemic has led to changes in the format of the programme, which has adopted a drive-in staging at its base, Dunsfold Aerodrome in Surrey. There is still a live audience, but they are in cars parked up in front of an outdoor stage on which the trio of petrolheads present their adventures in a socially distanced manner.

Top Gear has long been a staple of the BBC Two schedule, but in a sign that the rejuvenated format has clicked, the new series has been promoted to BBC One. Top Gear can be seen on BBC One at 8pm on Sunday evenings and is streaming on the BBC iPlayer

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NEWS

STEPHEN MCKAY/GEOGRAPH

Bromley to enforce moving traffic rules All London’s boroughs have now adopted camera powers, reports Andrew Forster The London Borough of Bromley looks set to finally start enforcing against moving traffic contraventions, many years after every other London boroughs took the responsibility from the police.

The London Local Authorities and Transport for London Act 2003 gives boroughs and Transport for London the power to enforce against 20 moving traffic contraventions, including yellow box junction infringements, ‘No entry’ signs, one-way traffic restrictions, lorry weight limits, and school streets.

The powers are also available to councils in Wales and the government recently promised the powers to highway authorities in England outside London.

Conservative-controlled Bromley has never taken up the powers, with responsibility for enforcement remaining with the Metropolitan Police.

In a report to a council scrutiny committee last month, officers said the Metropolitan Police had “instructed their officers that they should no longer take proactive action against motorists following ‘minor errors of judgment’.”

ANPR cameras earn their keep Automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) CCTV enforcement cameras deployed to enforce parking and moving traffic restrictions in the London Borough of Richmond generate an annual income about ten times greater than their operating cost.

“The average volume of income generated per camera per annum in Richmond using available data (2017-2018 – January 2020) is £65,695.42,” reports the borough. “With the average cost per camera per annum set at approximately £6,367, any expenditure can be typically offset within a month to six weeks.”

Richmond currently has 19 cameras, supplied by Videalert.

The council is to procure up to eight more.

High Street, Bromley Officers said the police issued just three moving traffic contravention fixed penalty notices in Bromley in 2019-20: two for contravening a ‘no entry’ sign and one for contravening a mandatory direction arrow. In contrast, Bromley’s neighbour the London Borough of Bexley issued 14,185 penalty charge notices (PCNs) for moving traffic contraventions.

Bromley plans to purchase 12 enforcement cameras for use at 12 priority sites, 11 of which are yellow box junctions. It has identified a further six sites where enforcement will be conducted if a high level of compliance is achieved at priority sites.

Five of these are also yellow box junctions.

The council expects camera enforcement to eliminate about 85% of yellow box junction offences. “From officers’ historic knowledge of moving traffic contraventions and information from other local authorities, it is expected that once the scheme has ‘bedded in’, the number of vehicles contravening would reduce significantly and therefore on average an 85% compliance rate would be achieved,” reported Chloe Wenbourne, head of shared parking services at Bromley.

“Experience elsewhere within London suggests compliance is unlikely to increase beyond 85% but that if enforcement stops, compliance will then decrease again.”

Bromley has studied two enforcement options for yellow boxes. The strictest approach, which Bromley says is used by other boroughs, would see PCNs issued against vehicles stopped for at least three seconds with a minimum of two wheels in the yellow box area. A ‘light touch’ option would see PCNs issued only to vehicles stopped for at least five seconds with all four wheels in the yellow box.

Bromley estimates that the maximum enforcement approach would capture 53,464 offences a year at the 12 sites, generating revenue of £3.475m.

The ‘light touch’ approach would generate 17,483 offences and £1.136m.

Officers are now recommending that the council adopt the maximum enforcement approach. After taking into account running costs, enforcement is expected to generate income of £3m a year.

Officers said: “The assumptions made above include assuming 50% of offenders’ registration numbers won’t be successfully read; 85% compliance; enforcement on six days each week over 52 weeks (acknowledging some weeks will be busier than others, but this is accounted for by only counting six days); 15% writeoffs (e.g. untraceable vehicle) based on experience in Bexley; and each PCN levied at £65.”

Havering compares three camera systems The London Borough of Havering is considering three manufacturers’ camera enforcement systems for a weight restriction that lorries regularly flout.

The council plans to install a camera enforcement scheme to enforce an existing 7.5-tonne restriction in Rainham village.

Offices are comparing the systems provided by Videalert, Siemens and TES. “Videalert cameras will capture the vehicle registration mark for every vehicle and a real-time DVLA look-up is performed to determine classification and gross weight of the vehicle,” officers told councillors. “This means that DVLA look-ups will be performed on every vehicle entering or exiting the zone.

DVLA look-ups can be charged for individually or an annual fee

10 | OCTOBER 2020 | PARKING REVIEW

[£7,200] can be paid to Videalert, which would provide us with up to 25,000 look-ups per month.”

Havering said the estimated cost for one Videalert camera, accompanying hardware and the necessary software (excluding DVLA look-ups) was £19,000.

The Siemens cameras would operate in a similar way. The estimated initial cost for one Siemens camera, accompanying hardware and necessary software is £26.5k (excluding DVLA look-ups).

The DVLA look-ups would be charged on a tiered basis dependent on the amount of look-ups completed. “This price ranges from 4p a vehicle to 29p a vehicle,” said Havering officers.

The TES system works in a different way. “TES can provide

cameras with technology that can measure the width, height and length of every vehicle in real-time. Any vehicle that the camera ‘thinks’ is oversize will have a DVLA look-up performed. “Only looking up those it thinks are oversize reduces overhead data and DVLA look-up charges.”

The estimated cost for one TES camera, accompanying hardware and necessary software (excluding DVLA lookups) is £24.5k. “The reduced amount of DVLA look-ups required using this technology could result in significant and ongoing savings when compared to either paying an annual flat rate or 0.5p for every individual vehicle lookup,” said officers.

The council is to hold site meetings with all three suppliers.

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NEWS

Free NHS parking arrives on New Year’s Day BPA calls for clarity on definition of groups who will get free stays NHS hospitals in England will be expected to provide free parking for people with the greatest need from 1 January 2021.

The implementation date of a policy that was a Conservative Party election manifesto pledge was made on 25 September in a government response to a petition calling for free parking for all NHS staff.

The ‘Make parking for all NHS staff free all of the time’ petition was launched on the GOV.UK website by Christopher Yates and expires on 24 October.

At the start of October it had attracted around 59,000 signatures: petitions need 100,000 signatures to be debated in the House of Commons.

However, the Department of Health and Social Care posted a response that said: “As workplaces and city and town centres have seen businesses reopen, we have seen demand for commercial car parks return, so limiting the availability of this extra capacity. We want the NHS to deliver on the government’s commitment of providing free hospital parking for those in greatest need. This means we are rolling out free parking for disabled people, frequent outpatient attenders, parents of children staying overnight and staff working night shifts, which will become mandatory in England from January 2021.”

The government said that implementation of the policy had been delayed due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, during which there were nationwide initiatives to provide NHS staff with free parking

both at hospitals and in both local authority and private sector car parks.

The British Parking Association (BPA) is asking the government to confirm the def-

initions of the four groups in greatest need so that operators know what is expected on 1 January 2021.

The BPA said: “It is presently impossible for NHS Trusts and

Government response to the petition Hospital car parks are free for NHS staff for the duration of pandemic and the Government is delivering on its manifesto commitment to make them free for those in greatest need.

On 25 March, we asked the NHS and local authorities to make staff parking free during the pandemic, so they can travel safely and more easily to work. This commitment was further reinforced by the NHS People Plan, published on Thursday 30th July which states that: ‘NHS organisations should continue to give their people (i.e. staff) free car parking at their place of work for the duration of the pandemic’.

The Prime Minister restated this commitment on 8 July, making clear that parking for NHS staff would continue to be free for the duration of the pandemic.

NHS Trusts employ many thousands of staff and usually have only a proportion of that number in car parking capacity. The reduced

patient and visitor traffic to hospitals throughout the pandemic has provided some of the extra capacity needed to support free staff parking.

Additional capacity from outside the NHS has also been required to make free staff car parking work during the pandemic.

To help deliver free NHS staff parking, the Local Government Association also committed on 25 March that local authority parking spaces would be free for NHS staff to use. The NHS has also worked with commercial car park operators to obtain further capacity for NHS staff.

However, even with this additional capacity, some NHS Trusts have struggled to provide parking capacity for all their staff.

As workplaces and city and town centres have seen businesses reopen, we have seen demand for commercial car parks return, so limiting the availability of this extra capacity.

Free parking extended at Scottish PFI hospitals Free parking has been extended at three Scottish hospitals until January. A measure to scrap charges at Ninewells Hospital in Dundee, Glasgow Royal Infirmary and Edinburgh Royal Infirmary was put in place in March in order to ensure staff caring for patients during the pandemic would not have to pay to park.

Parking has been free at almost all NHS hospitals in Scotland for over a decade, save at these three sites where the car parks were built as part of Private Finance Initiative (PFI) projects. Parking fees at the

14 | OCTOBER 2020 | PARKING REVIEW

rest of Scotland’s hospitals were scrapped in 2008, but at these payment remained as they are run by private operators.

The onset of the pandemic saw the PFI car park providers initially agree to scrap the payments for three months, before extending the move to 30 September and now to the beginning of next year.

Scottish health secretary Jeane Freeman said the Scottish Government was looking at ways to resolve the long term parking charge issue at the three PFI hospitals. “In March I wrote to the car park providers at

the car park operators to develop the procedures and implement the commitment if they don’t know the definitions with advance notice.”

Meanwhile, a Private Member’s Bill calling for an end to charging for parking at NHS Hospitals is expected to get its Second Reading in the House of Commons on 16 October.

The Hospitals (Parking Charges and Business Rates) Bill 2019-21 seeks to: prohibit charging for car parking at NHS hospitals for patients and visitors; to make provision for NHS hospitals to be exempt from business rates; and for connected purposes.

Parking is free at all NHS hospitals in Scotland and Wales, except for a handful of car parks built under the Private Finance Initiative.

We want the NHS to deliver on the government’s commitment of providing free hospital parking for those in greatest need. This means we are rolling out free parking for disabled people, frequent outpatient attenders, parents of children staying overnight and staff working night shifts, which will become mandatory in England from January 2021. The government recognises that it is not possible to provide free parking for everyone but that these groups have a greater need for hospital parking than others.

We announced that the new exemptions would begin to be rolled out beginning from April 2020 however the full roll-out programme has been delayed due to the pandemic as we prioritised supporting NHS staff with free parking. We expect NHS trusts to implement this commitment over the coming months.

Thousands of NHS patients, staff and visitors will be eligible for free hospital parking under these rules.

these three PFI hospitals urging them to suspend car parking charges for staff and patients for at least the duration that NHS Scotland remained on an emergency footing,” she said.

“I am pleased they agreed to do this and extended the arrangements until September. As we continue to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic, I am pleased that we are able to extend the free car parking arrangements until January 2021. This extension continues to support staff and remove the barriers to our staff working with the NHS during these unprecedented times.”

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NEWS

Tribunal surprised by Newcastle statement Adjudicators say appropriate action for council would be to seek judicial review “Unprecedented” is how the Traffic Penalty Tribunal regards Newcastle City Council’s decision to publish a legal opinion it commissioned on a decision to uphold adjudicator rulings that found fault with the way in which a bus gate was signed.

The tribunal believes that instead of publishing a critique of the ruling, the appropriate course of action would be to seek a judicial review.

Newcastle City Council disagrees with a ruling by the tribunal’s chief adjudicator that its signing of a bus lane misled drivers. However, the city council has decided not to seek a judicial review and instead agreed to refund fines issued against over 60,000 drivers as a “gesture of goodwill.”

The tribunal’s chief adjudicator, Caroline Sheppard, upheld five appeals against penalty charge notices (PCNs) issued

John Dobson Street for driving in the northbound bus lane on John Dobson Street.

The city council commissioned barrister Jonathan Easton of Kings Chambers to produce a legal opinion, which concluded that Sheppard’s decision contains a number of legal flaws and placed an unreasonably high burden on the city council.

The Traffic Penalty Tribunal said that the barrister’s opinion does not carry the same weight as the chief adjudicator’s decision and that if it wants to challenge the ruling the city council should use proper channels.

The tribunal told Parking Review: “Newcastle City Council has taken the unprecedented step to publish the legal opinion it sought on the chief adjudicator’s review decision. The decision of the chief adjudicator is a persuasive judgment issued by a judicial office holder, whereas the legal opinion published by the city council is just that – an opinion. The appropriate course of action to challenge the chief adjudicator’s review decision would be to test it in the High Court through a judicial review.

“The principles of public law require the city council to accept the judicial decision or challenge it through due process (a judicial review to the High Court). The publication of the city council’s legal opinion is likely to be misleading, since it implies it has equal status to the chief adjudicator’s decision. Her judgment remains unchallenged unless and until overturned by the High Court. The tribunal notes that the city council has nevertheless decided to change the signing and offer refunds to those who paid a penalty charge.”

The Traffic Penalty Tribunal decides motorists’ appeals against penalty charge notices (PCNs), issued by local authorities and charging authorities in England (outside London) and Wales, for parking and traffic contraventions. This includes appeals against penalties issued by over 300 local authorities the length and breadth of England and Wales for parking, bus lane, littering from vehicles and (in Wales only) moving traffic contraventions.

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NEWS

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Wandsworth scraps Low Traffic Neighbourhoods Seven road closure schemes end, reports Andrew Forster The London Borough of Wandsworth is scrapping its Low Traffic Neighbourhood (LTN) schemes, partly because of criticisms from the emergency services.

Conservative-controlled Wandsworth ended the residential street closure schemes on 11 September, just weeks after they had been installed as temporary measures to support active travel during COVID-19.

Seven LTN projects were implemented, six via Transport for London’s London Streetscape Plan and one with Department for Transport funding.

In a report to councillors, Paul Chadwick, Wandsworth’s director of environment, said he had conducted an “urgent review” of the schemes following complaints from emergency services, residents and businesses.

“Significant concerns had been raised by the NHS, the Metropolitan Police and the Fire Brigade related to extended response times as well as access more generally to the hospitals within the LTN areas,” he said.

In addition, he reported “serious and continuing” traffic prob-

Planters close a road in Wandsworth lems had been witnessed at and around most of the LTN sites.

Early estimates show traffic journey times for the high roads in Tooting are at least 25% more than the pre-COVID period.

Petitions were submitted opposing schemes in Tooting and West Putney. Residents asked why the council was making it more difficult to drive when public transport use presented a risk of contracting COVID-19.

Drivers were also observed ignoring the restrictions.

“Anecdotal evidence from multiple site visits by our traffic engineers included repeated concerns with driver behaviour (e.g.

driving on pavements) as well as cases of vandalism/damage including to waste and refuse service vehicles,” he said.

The Metropolitan Police said it had been inundated with invitations to comment on proposed road closures and traffic changes in the capital. Inspector Bruce Middlemiss of the Met’s roads and transport policing command, said: “Due to the response to COVID-19 and the importance of getting the economy moving and protecting the public, the rise in the number of changes to roads has been astronomical. Officers assigned to this role for the whole of London are working tirelessly to ensure

Brighton & Hove reopens Madeira Drive to cars Brighton & Hove City Council is to reopen Madeira Drive to traffic. The seafront road was one of the first streets in the country to be closed to cars after COVID-19 lockdown restrictions were introduced.

Councillors have also agreed to consult on all future schemes funded by Department for Transport Emergency Active Travel Fund grant, rather than imposing them using emergency or temporary traffic orders.

Madeira Drive was closed in April to allow pedestrians and cyclists more room to exercise.

Businesses on the street say the closure has damaged their trade. The council has also lost parking income from bays on the road, and been criticised by people with disabilities who can no longer access the beach and shops in the area.

Rival petitions calling for the road to be reopened and remain closed for the rest of the

Madeira Drive year were presented to the council in August. The council said its own survey found that 60% of the 2,356 respondents did not support the closure versus 36% who did.

The road will be reopened for one-way access eastbound from the Palace Pier roundabout to the junction with Dukes

Mound. A two-way segregated cycle track will be installed on the carriageway by removing parking on the southern side of the road. Existing cycle lanes on the shared footway will be removed, creating a wider promenade for pedestrians.

Parking will remain on the northern side, providing 70-

that we give each plan the proper time.

“Many of the closures will have been brought in under experimental traffic orders, which are designed to be temporary and under constant review. This review is the responsibility of the local authority.

The [Met’s] traffic management unit has reached out to local borough command units and set up a system for them to feed any concerns directly in and these are used to update the traffic authority and recommend changes if required.”

A London Fire Brigade spokeswoman said: “If we have concerns that any changes may impact our response times then we will raise these with the local authority and work together to find the best solution, as happened in Wandsworth.

Whenever there are road closures in an area we monitor the impact they are having on responding to emergencies.

“We continue to work closely with local authority partners and are regularly in contact with them about the best way for us to be consulted and notified of closures and other works.”

Transport for London says 74 LTN schemes have been implemented in the capital since March.

80% of normal capacity. The current 299 bays on Madeira Drive generate £1.3m a year.

The council, which is run by the Greens, has decided to retain temporary cycle lanes installed on the A270 Old Shoreham Road in May. Labour supported their retention, but the Conservatives wanted the lanes removed.

Some problems will be remedied, including a righthand turn.

Critics said the bike lanes have worsened congestion by reducing the general traffic lanes from two to one in each direction. The bike lanes see little use, they add. “The cycle lane has taken 50% of vehicle capacity for only 2% of traffic that is cycles,” said a deputation to last month’s council meeting.

The council said the number of cyclists using the new lane has risen from 339 a day in 2016 to 545. Sixty-four per cent of the 3,433 respondents to a council survey opposed the cycle lanes.

PARKING REVIEW | OCTOBER 2020 | 17

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NEWS HELEN TAYLOR

Lockdown sees rise in thefts from cycle lockers Break-ins spike in Waltham Forest, writes Deniz Huseyin Thefts from Bikehangars in the London Borough of Waltham Forest rose sharply during lockdown, new figures from the council have revealed.

Between March and June the north-east London authority received reports of 45 break-ins or attempted break-ins from public cycle sheds.

This is higher than the same period last year, a council spokeswoman told Parking Review. Thieves “are primarily targeting those bikes with lowerquality, less robust locks”, she said. The council and the police have “seen evidence and received reports from residents suggesting that angle-grinders are being used in some instances”, said the spokeswoman.

Gangs appear to be specifically targeting the Bikehangars in Waltham Forest. The council is working with Cyclehoop and the

A Bikehangar in Waltham Forest police “to better understand any patterns or trends with the incidents that have taken place”.

Asked why thefts have gone up, the spokeswoman replied, “we’re not able to speculate on this”. However, the bike shed manufacturer has suggested organised gangs are at work.

All Bikehangars in the borough have now been fitted with

Thwarting the thieves Organised gangs may be behind a spate of break-ins at on-street cycle storage sheds in the London Borough of Waltham Forest.

Cyclehoop’s managing director Anthony Lau told Parking Review: “We are incredibly disappointed to see bicycle theft spike so dramatically at a time when this healthy and safe transport form is needed the most. Our design engineers will continue to innovate and combat theft because Bikehangars are an incredibly important piece of cycle infrastructure for the vast number of people living in homes that lack any form of cycle storage space.”

Lau notes that other London boroughs

a “lock shield”, resulting in fewer thefts – there were nine reported break-ins and attempted breakins between June and September, according to the council.

The number of Cyclehoop Bikehangars in Waltham Forest has steadily grown over the past six years, now standing at nearly 500. Each Bikehangar, which can store six cycles, is 2.5 metres

with a similar number of Bikehangars to Waltham Forest, such as Lambeth, have not suffered as many break-ins and thefts.

“I can only speculate it was being carried out by organised gangs that are based in the areas as we have not seen the break-ins spread significantly elsewhere.”

Since their launch in 2013, Bikehangars have been installed in several towns and cities, and there are now more than 2,300 across the UK. Lau said he has noticed changes in the behaviour of thieves since the launch of Bikehangar Version 1.0.

“Thieves are equipping themselves with more sophisticated tools and taking greater risks. Since lockdown, the bicycle theft rate is reported to have doubled compared with

Cycle hub opened in Hull

Jeremy Green, MD of Falco, Liz Collins, interim MD of TPE, Cllr Daren Hale, deputy leader of Hull City Council, and rail and cycling minister Chris Heaton-Harris MP

in length, taking up half a car parking space.

Clyde Loakes, Waltham Forest’s deputy leader and cabinet member for the environment, told Parking Review: “We’re passionate about making sure that our residents can use our cycle parking options safely and without the threat of crime. We continuously monitor the situation with our partners in Cyclehoop, making sure we have the most up-to-date and robust security technology to make sure we deter thieves as much as we can.

“We do urge all Bikehangar users to make sure they follow safety advice, such as using two different locks including a heavy duty lock, and registering your bike to make it easier to find if it is stolen. We will continue to monitor this situation regularly and urge residents who experience cycle theft to report it to the police.”

Loakes said demand for Bikehangar spaces rose by 25% during lockdown, with 4,000 people now on the waiting list.

the same time last year. Lockdown has made cycles more valuable and harder to access, with considerably less parked on the street. Instead, thieves are said to be targeting sheds, garages and homes.”

Most older model Bikehangars can be upgraded to better protect against the current context, said Lau. Cyclehoop is developing the Bikehangar Version 3.0, which is set to become the first Sold Secure Gold-rated cycle shed in the UK. Sold Secure is a testing and certification house for security products. “Its experts were impressed with the quality and sturdiness of the Bikehangar, which is a credit to our UK manufacturing and inhouse assembly,” said Lau.

A secure cycle hub has been opened at Hull Paragon Interchange

by TransPennine Express (TPE) working in partnership with the Department for Transport (DfT).

The facility provides 160 customer spaces in a two-tier Falco rack.

Each bike space provides three locking points which is also covered

by CCTV. Six of the spaces allow people with e-bikes to charge up their bicycles. There are also 30 spaces for station staff to encourage cycling to work. The facility has a kitting up area with benches and mesh lockers.

Liz Collins, interim managing director for TransPennine Express, commented: “As we’ve seen over the past six months, cycling has become increasingly popular, and our partnership has helped deliver this new infrastructure that will enable customers who want to cycle to the station to be able to leave their bike in a secure location, protected from the great British weather.”

The hub had received £170,000 of investment, predominately from the DfT’s Cycle-Rail fund. Rail and cycling minister Chris Heaton-Harris MP said: “This investment from our Cycle-Rail fund gives people confidence to safely store their bikes at stations, simplifying their commutes and helping people make a positive change that will reduce traffic congestion on the roads in and around Hull’s city centre.”

PARKING REVIEW | OCTOBER 2020 | 19

PR342_P06-21_News.qxp_PR342_p06-21 13/10/2020 15:01 Page 20

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ANNUAL REPORTS

Rewarding reporting PATROL PARC Awards 2018-19 Winners • Overall Winner: Lincolnshire County Council • Highly Commended for Reporting (Innovation and New Services): Cardiff Council • Highly Commended for Reporting (Customer Service): Cheshire East Council • Best Use of Digital Channels: Newcastle City Council (video) • Best Use of Design: Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council • Best Concise Report: Borough of Broxbourne Council

Certificates of Recognition • Durham County Council • Devon County Council

Lincolnshire wins the top prize at the PATROL annual report awards

L

incolnshire County Council was named the Overall Winner in this year’s PATROL Parking Annual Reports by Councils (PARC) Awards. The competition recognises the important role that annual reports play in promoting public understanding of civil parking enforcement and how they support the wider traffic management objectives of keeping traffic moving.

PATROL stands for Parking and Traffic Regulation Outside London, which is a joint committee of over 300 local authorities in England outside the capital (which has its own arrangements), and Wales. PATROL’s main role is to provide for independent adjudication, which it does through the Traffic Penalty Tribunal.

The current round of the annual PARC competition recognises reports produced for 2018-19. Besides recognising the best reports in terms of content, design and use of data, there were also awards for short-form reports and ones produced as videos.

The decision-making process The entries were assessed by an independent review group, which comprised representatives from the local authority, motoring, consultancy and design worlds.

Brighton & Hove City Council has achieved considerable success in the PARC Awards in the past. This year, Paul Nicholls, the city’s parking strategy and contracts manager, agreed to chair the independent PATROL PARC Review Group. The jury panel comprised Jo Abbott, communications manager, RAC Foundation (retired), transport consultant David Leibling and freelance designer Lizzie Unwin.

Lincolnshire’s report particularly impressed the jury for the quality of its layout and content. In selecting the winner, the jury said: “Chosen from a huge number of high-quality report entries this year, Lincolnshire’s report really stood out as one that encompassed comprehensive, but concise and well-presented information, while maintaining a distinct character and sense of place.

“Of particular note were the links to interactive mapping and lots of content on innovation and new developments, the great personal introduction from Cllr Richard Davies, graphical representations of contraventions and the clear, transparent sections on enforcement, appeals and finance. The report really was a stand-out entry and one the team should be very proud of.”

COVID-19 restrictions meant that the jury met virtually to review the reports, but this did not hinder the judging process,

22 | OCTOBER 2020 | PARKING REVIEW

reports the chairman. “It has been an absolute pleasure to chair the independent Review Group this year and, particularly, to see so many high-quality reports submitted,” said Paul Nicholls.

“Huge congratulations to the award winners and thanks to all those authorities that submitted a report – there are so many great examples of best practice in tackling important local issues.

PATROL will be looking to share these moving forward.”

A challenging year Louise Hutchinson, director of PATROL, said: “While it has been a disruptive and challenging year for us all, public information about parking and traffic management remains vital. Therefore, PATROL wishes to recognise authorities that have sought to proactively engage with their communities on the local traffic management challenges they face and the steps they are taking to address them. The work that councils do will continue to be so critical as towns, cities and communities start to get back on their feet, their bikes and in their cars in the wake of the COVID19 pandemic.”

Looking ahead The PARC trophies are traditionally presented at a ceremony held in the House of Commons, but this could not take place due to the coronavirus. However, PATROL plans to present Lincolnshire County Council and the other winners with their awards and certificates at the House of Commons in 2021 at a reception hosted Huw Merriman, MP for Bexhill and Battle, and chair of the House of Commons Transport Committee.

Merriman recorded a video message for this year’s winners.

“These are extraordinary times and I just want to thank the PATROL member authorities for everything you’ve been doing throughout them. A huge congratulations to Lincolnshire Council for being this year’s overall winner. I very much hope that I can look forward to hosting you all in Parliament in 2021, when these unusual times are behind us. But for now, best wishes to you all.”

For more information on PATROL and the PARC Awards visit: www.patrol-uk.info

A new toolkit PATROL will be producing updated materials for the PATROL Annual Report Toolkit to support those authorities planning to submit a 2019-20 report for next year’s event.

The toolkit can be found here: https://annualreporttoolkit.patrol-uk.info/

PR342_P22-23_PARC.qxp_PR342_p22-23 13/10/2020 13:12 Page 23

PARKING APPEALS

An appealing design The Traffic Penalty Tribunal has launched a new look website

T

he Traffic Penalty Tribunal has launched a new website which aims to improve the user experience for appellants. The tribunal’s website has been streamlined to be easier to navigate. The page design and content revised and reformatted to improve readability and engagement, while providing greater interactivity. The look and feel of the site has also been overhauled with the use of graphics, icons and photography.

Most visitors will be appellants submitting an appeal or those looking for information about what happens after they receive a penalty charge notice (PCN). The new website has therefore retained its focus on meeting the needs of these core audiences, featuring more prominent and visually engaging links direct to submitting an appeal and to more information on the steps after receiving a PCN. This includes concise graphic-led process flows detailing the steps involved from receiving a PCN to submitting an appeal to the tribunal.

There is also information for those who use the site to find out more about the tribunal and the work of the adjudicators. A revised ‘About Us’ section now provides more detailed

background on the Traffic Penalty Tribunal, including information on its digital transformation programme and award-winning online appeals system, which has been cited by senior judicial and academic voices as being a world-class platform in the arena of online justice.

A new section is an online Appeals Data portal, which for the first time publishes Traffic Penalty Tribunal data online in an interactive format. Users can view annual tribunal appeals data by authority or location and by specific penalty type, as well as compare the data sets of two authorities together.

The Traffic Penalty Tribunal has committed to making its website accessible in accordance with the Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018. Consequently, the new website has been designed to be used by as many people as possible, adhering to Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) version 2.1 AA. The website also features a range of accessibility tools that are easy to switch on across the site.

These tools include the ability to change colours, contrast levels and fonts, and the ability to increase the size of text.

The role of the Traffic Penalty Tribunal The Traffic Penalty Tribunal decides motorists’ appeals against penalty charge notices (PCNs), issued by local authorities and charging authorities in England (outside London) and Wales, for parking and traffic contraventions.

This includes appeals against penalties issued by over 300 local authorities the length and breadth of England and Wales for parking, bus lane, littering from vehicles and (in Wales only) moving traffic contraventions.

The tribunal also sees appeals against penalties from a number of Road User Charging Schemes in England, including the Dartford-Thurrock River Crossing (‘Dart Charge’) scheme, where the charging authority is the Secretary of State for Transport; the Mersey Gateway Bridge Crossings (‘Merseyflow’) scheme, where the charging authority is Halton Borough Council, and the Durham Road User Charge Zone, where the charging authority is Durham County Council. www.trafficpenaltytribunal.gov.uk

PARKING REVIEW | OCTOBER 2020 | 23

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BUSINESS NEWS

YourParkingSpace raises £5m investment New funds will finance technology upgrade and marketing YourParkingSpace, a provider of peer-to-peer parking solutions, has secured £5m investment from Pelican Capital to support the next phase of its growth strategy.

The funds will be used to develop YourParkingSpace’s proprietary technology, which is used to market over 80,000 parking bays in the UK from private individuals’ driveways through to commercial providers including Tesco, Morrisons and Premier Inn. By using YourParkingSpace, space owners can monetise underused parking, whilst commercial clients across the hospitality, retail and property sectors can drive footfall and improve customer experience.

The new investment will support the next phase of growth for the company. It is expected to create 40 new jobs over the next 12 months across the technology, marketing and sales teams, effectively doubling head-

Harrison Woods count and creating new jobs in London and its new office in York. Parallel investment in sales and marketing will target both new commercial customers and the expansion of services with current clients.

The improvements in the company’s technology will help drivers and space owners adapt to changes in consumer behavioural patterns caused by COVID-19.

The company’s research shows that returning workers are increasingly choosing to drive

over taking public transport, with new customers having increased by 40% in February before lockdown was imposed. In addition, large space owners have been suffering from declining footfall driven by the shift to online shopping and commerce. This trend is encouraging them to assess other ways to optimise their parking estates.

Harrison Woods, chief executive and co-founder of YourParkingSpace, said: “We are delighted to be partnering with

ThinCats invests in MET Parking Services

MET Parking Services operates 500 sites MET Parking Services has attracted investment from ThinCats, a lender specialising in medium-sized UK companies. The funds were raised via the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS), a UK government scheme that helps small and medium-sized businesses to access loans and other kinds of finance up to £5m. The government guarantees 80% of the finance to the lender and pays interest and any fees for the first 12 months.

MET is an operator providing parking management and

enforcement services throughout the UK. It has built up a portfolio of 500 sites since being launched in 2005 and wanted to raise development capital to deliver a pipeline of new sites and enable the business to progress acquisition targets.

David Marks, chief executive of MET, worked with corporate finance advisors Andrew Thomson and Ricky Collis of HMT LLP on the deal.

Marks said: “It was great working with ThinCats and HMT, they both took the time to get to know our business, the team behind it, and the

24 | OCTOBER 2020 | PARKING REVIEW

plans that we have for growth and development over the coming years.

We are looking forward to utilising the funding to continue to deliver on our roadmap for growth and partnering with our client base on a greater scale.”

Ricky Collis, senior manager at HMT recommended that ThinCats provide the funding package, having worked with the investor’s team on a previous deal. Collis said: “Having grown organically under David’s leadership for a number of years, MET have reached an inflexion point where the demand for their services is so strong that additional working capital is required to accelerate to new heights.

“A funding line with a lender such as ThinCats, who will be supportive as traction continues to build, will provide the gasoline for a transformational roll-out of sites and the ammunition for acquisitions.”

Dave Sherrington, head of regional sales at ThinCats, said: “We are delighted to have been able to work alongside HMT again to support David Marks and his team with this CBILS funding.”

ThinCats is the trading name of a group of companies owned by ESF Capital.

Pelican Capital. Alongside the funding, which will enable us to scale our peer-to-peer marketplace, invest in our technology platform and increase our ability to attract new commercial partners, Pelican brings varied experience and strong expertise in driving sustainable growth.

“With their support, we look forward to working with more real estate owners to optimise their empty space and help them adapt to an increasingly digital future in parking.”

Pelican Capital is a UK-based private equity firm that, each transaction, will invest up to £15m in profitable businesses.

Investments are funded by family offices looking to deploy capital into individual companies rather than invest through a traditional fund.

Anthony Francis, partner at Pelican Capital, said: “The parking technology space is a highly attractive part of the mobility landscape with compelling growth characteristics and an important part to play in the future of transport.”

Gemini renews data protection certificate Gemini Parking Solutions has been awarded further UK government certification for protecting client data from misuse and cyber attacks. Gemini Parking Solutions has been recertified for the national Cyber Essentials certification for the way it holds and uses valuable and sensitive information for clients.

The business manages spaces for NHS hospitals, retail parks, industrial estates and private parking. It is a member of the British Parking Association.

Gemini first achieved the Cyber Essentials certification in 2019 and decided to renew to ensure it had up-to-date systems in place.

Gemini’s head of site management director, Alastair Finlayson, said: “We collect and hold a lot of data for our clients, from the NHS to offices and retail parks, and it is important we do everything in our power to make sure that is kept safe. Even government bodies are not free from being attacked by cyber criminals. It is much easier to be proactive than to be reactive.”

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PR342_P24-29_Business.qxp_PR342_p24-29 13/10/2020 14:03 Page 26

BUSINESS NEWS

European parking data agreement DATEX II traffic management data exchange to work with APDS parking alliance Alliance for Parking Data Standards (APDS), an international specification for parking data, will be adopted by the panEuropean transport DATEX II data initiative. DATEX II is a data standard for exchanging traffic information between traffic management centres, traffic service providers, traffic operators and media partners. It contains, for example, information on traffic incidents and roadworks.

The DATEX II community has now decided to align and collaborate with parking industry stakeholders to revise the DATEX II parking model. A key factor in this decision has been the strong support demonstrated by parking operators, data platform and service providers for sharing common data via APDS technical specifications.

APDS is a not-for-profit alliance founded in 2018 by the

European Parking Association, the British Parking Association, and the US-based International Parking & Mobility Institute.

APDS is developing consensus-built international common specifications for parking data and kerbside management.

APDS contributors include parking operators, equipment and service suppliers. There has also been engagement with the automotive industry, IT developers and services, map data companies and app providers.

The DATEX II steering group said: “Timely, accurate parking and kerbside data for a range of mobility-related services is a

growing requirement for local authorities and other stakeholders in the mobility chain.

“The volume of traffic in cities is heavily impacted by vehicles looking for parking spaces and making deliveries. Along with other measures to reduce traffic volume the provision of accurate and reliable information about parking spaces and delivery zones, their availability and how to reach them, brings major benefits in terms of reduced congestion and emissions.

“With this in mind the DATEX II steering group acknowledged that APDS is providing strong input in the development of

APDS standard is on the ISO track Work is under way on adopting the Alliance of Parking Data Standards (APDS) benchmark as an International Organization for Standardization (ISO) technical specification.

In April 2018, APDS approached ISO to consider the APDS standard for adoption. This would include establishing a global standard for parking data terms and definitions, as well as a common global baseline for parking applications.

The ISO development programme will follow a 24-month standard track, concluding with the review and adoption vote by the relevant national standards bodies. ISO is an independent, non-governmental network of national standards bodies. www.allianceforparkingdatastandards.org

industry led parking data standards and concluded that there is, therefore, no reason for DATEX to continue an independent data model for parking.”

The DATEX steering group decided to reconsider the DATEX II Parking Model, published as CEN/TS 16157-6, which is currently under revision, and to put APDS at the core. This decision means that public and private parking operators throughout the EU will specify and implement the revised DATEX specifications to support their operations. This will enable them to fulfill the obligations of the EU Delegated Regulations regarding the provision of data concerning truck parking and urban parking on the National Access Points.

It will also ensure alignment with the emerging ISO standards for parking data as the recently adopted ISO work item TS52061 Intelligent transport systems: Parking, Part 1: Core data model that is also based on the APDS specifications. The DATEX II and APDS work groups and the relevant ISO working group will establish a close collaboration.

ZatPark awarded G-Cloud 12 supplier status

Neville joins ParkingEye Jade Neville has joined private parking specialist ParkingEye as business development manager.

Neville was previously parking services manager for OCS Group.

Her most recent role was running and maintenance of parking enforcement provision in the Centre:MK shopping centre in Milton Keynes. Prior to this she ran OCS’s Legion Parking operation after a decade with APCOA Parking.

She received the Front Line trophy at the British Parking Awards 2014 in recognition of her work tackling hate crime.

Neville is also the British Parking Association’s incoming vice-president.

Unity 5’s ZatPark parking management, permit and enforcement software has been named by the Crown Commercial Service (CCS) as a UK government approved supplier under the latest G-Cloud 12 Digital Marketplace framework for the supply of cloud software.

CCS supports the public sector to achieve maximum commercial value when procuring common goods and services. G-Cloud 12 is an agreement between government and suppliers of cloud-based services, designed to

make it faster and easier for organisations to procure the cloud services they need at the best value.

ZatPark and ZatPermit are used by public authorities, private parking operators and property companies to manage and process permits, enforcement, third party integrations and debt recovery at scale.

Dave Herbert, chief executive of Unity 5, said: “We are pleased to be able to offer our experience and expertise through the G-Cloud 12 Digital Marketplace. Our dynamic software ensures the evolving needs

of the public sector are met, enabling them to progress more efficiently with their parking improvement aspirations as well their cost efficiency plans. Whether this is by introducing software solutions to automate and replace manual processes, or simply overcoming the commercial constraints that have traditionally stopped public sector organisations making a full digital transformation, we are pleased to be able to assist.

Our public sector services are secure, scalable and cost-effective.”

Chipside’s digital deal with Elavon Chipside, a smart cities platform provider for UK local government, has signed an agreement with Elavon, a global merchant acquirer, to provide merchant services for its MiPermit digital permits service.

Elavon purchased Sagepay, now Opayo, in November 2019. Opayo is a long-term strategic supplier with Chipside and their web platform, www.MiPermit.com.

Paul Moorby OBE, chief executive of Chipside, said: “Our relationship

26 | OCTOBER 2020 | PARKING REVIEW

with Elavon will allow us to further evolve our leading-edge payment processing services. The Elavon merchant services platform allows Chipside to introduce new products and services into the local government market.

Migrations for individual customer accounts, under our PCI level 1 service provider accreditation will be handled by our local government service delivery team.”

Paul Moorby OBE

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BUSINESS NEWS

Predikt parking optimisation

Potential cost savings

Predikt parking system wins trial funding Getmapping and AppyWay idea backed

by West Midlands 5G A 5G-enabled predictive parking system is among a group of transport technology ideas to be trialled in the West Midlands.

The West Midlands 5G (WM5G) technology programme is investing £2.4m in seven UKbased consortiums to support the development of new products and services that could transform road and rail transport across the region.

Kerbside technology company AppyWay is working with geographic data and imaging specialist Getmapping on a project called Predikt, a predictive park-

ing system that uses 5G-enabled kerbside imaging to reduce the amount of time spent finding a space.

If successful, drivers will have access to accurate predictive availability of parking spaces, making journeys quicker and reducing the time they vehicles spend on the road.

Rob Stait, chief commercial officer at AppyWay, said: “We are looking forward to making a positive impact with our predictive parking technology. This builds on previous successful collaborations we have had with TfWM and WM5G. Together they are driving the Midlands forward as a leading UK hub of transport innovation.”

Other projects to receive fund-

The WM5G projects The winning projects from the first round of the competition Capacity Manager: Blacc, Immense, Elgin, University of Warwick, and O2 A traffic management solution in which live traffic data is transferred in real-time over 5G to a dynamic road network model. Artificial intelligence (AI) working on the data provided, combined with historic event information will create scenarios that provide real-time insights, allowing incidents and congestion to be better managed. When proven, this could result in less congestion, with traffic flowing more freely.

CURBS: Vortex IoT, National Express and BT/EE Using Lidar sensors and advanced software, realtime 3D point-cloud data will be sent over 5G to provide up-to-date and detailed maps, monitoring roads and rail infrastructure. Following a successful trial, the system would provide live on-street parking information, identify the location of potholes, improve cyclist safety, reduce vehicle damage and much more.

ing include traffic management systems making use of artificial intelligence (AI), Lidar scanning, sensors and video analytics.

The projects are scheduled to run until the end of 2021. Each project will include trialling and testing of their innovative service in the West Midlands region.

WM5G is a four year programme launched in 2018 by the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS). It aims to develop the UK’s first region-wide 5G testbed. DCMS expects to invest over £20m in this programme, in addition to substantial West Midlands public sector and private investment until to March 2022.

Passenger Management: GoMedia, Wordnerds and Icomera Passenger Management is an AI-led system that provides intelligence in interpretation of live customer feedback over 5G. Immediate problems can be resolved and a database of categorised issues will provide insights for the operator to improve services. The aim of the project is to enhance the traveller experience by improving the products and services available to passengers across the transport system.

Predikt: AppyWay and Getmapping A predictive parking system that uses 5G-enabled kerbside imaging to reduce the amount of time spent finding a parking space. This could reduce the estimated £373m spent each year in wasted time, fuel and emissions caused by drivers searching for a place to park. If successful, drivers would have access to highly accurate predictive availability of parking spaces, making their journeys quicker and reducing the time vehicles spend on the road.

Transport Accessibility: GoMedia and Icomera Over 40% of the visually impaired are unable to make all or some of their journeys with public

Chris Holmes, programme director, transport at WM5G, said: “We are really pleased to be awarding the funding to projects that we truly believe, when proven, will transform transport within the region.”

Chris Lane, head of transport innovation at TfWM, added: “We have ambitious transport plans for the region and the funding competition with West Midlands 5G forms a key part of that. The outcome of these trials will make a significant difference to transport across the region and have national relevance.”

A second round of £2.5m funding competition for 5G-enabled road and rail trials that closes on 2 December is open to UK registered businesses.

transport independently. With the help of 5G, this project could rectify that by creating a passenger service that would allow more visually impaired people to travel on public transport, helping to develop the transport system of the future for all.

Tram Safety: Icomera, Classone Systems and DigitalRail Using 5G to stream CCTV footage from trams, images will be analysed real-time to detect people and objects. This would help to increase passenger safety, assist with social distancing, and identify where improvements to accessibility may be required. Passengers could benefit from a safer, more tailored service.

Urban Tourism: You. Smart. Thing.

Landmrk, Imagemakers and Oodl Using 5G-enabled sensors at stations and major venues combined with booking and travel information, real-time traveller demand insights for rail and road networks will be created. ‘Last mile’ routes to destinations and investigations into how to influence travellers will be explored. This would provide a transport demand model for large cultural events, enhancing the experience for those attending.

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BRITISH PARKING ASSOCIATION

Park Active takes shape BPA teams up with active travel organisations to deliver walking and cycling projects

The British Parking Association is to work with active travel and shared mobility organisations to pilot projects that will see car parks become walking and cycling hubs.

Sustainable transport charity Sustrans, walking campaign Living Street and the car and cycle-share association CoMoUK have all agreed to support the Park Active programme.

Julian O’Kelly, head of technology, innovation and research at the BPA and Park Active project lead said: “At an early stage of the project we identified a number of organisations that were already well versed in promoting and developing active travel initiatives across the UK, including Living Streets, Sustrans and CoMoUK. “They were invited to present at two virtual meetings involving the pilot sites and were able to provide advice and expertise, exchange ideas and help work through any initial challenges and opportunities.

“As a result, Living Streets are working with one of the local authorities by lending their expertise to walking initiatives linked to Park Active. We anticipate there will be further call for collaboration with these organisations as the project develops.”

Designs for the Park Active scheme’s logo and designs for directional signs to be posted on footpaths and cycle lanes were unveiled during the BPA’s annual conference, which was run as a virtual event in September Initially, live pilots will be run in up to 10 cities and towns across the UK to demonstrate the feasibility of the initiative. Local authorities that have already agreed to take part include Brighton & Hove City Council, Sefton on Merseyside, and Colchester as part of the North Essex Parking Partnership.

The Department for Transport has provided £75,000 to support the project, whose scope also includes the development of a campaign toolkit to promote and raise awareness of Park Active both locally and nationally.

A ‘Know How’ guide and range of useful resources are also being developed as part of the project. A dedicated website providing further information about the scheme will be launched later in the year.

Local authorities can register their interest in Park Active by visiting: www.britishparking.co.uk/park-active

Positive career progression BPA launches women’s network and mentoring schemes The British Parking Association (BPA) has launched three new skills development and workforce initiatives: a mentoring scheme; a network for women in parking; and an awards scheme for outstanding individuals.

The initiatives were unveiled by the BPA during its annual conference, which was run as a virtual event over three-and-a-half days last month, with talks, workshops and discussions all taking place using Zoom.

• Mentoring scheme: The BPA’s mentoring scheme will provide aspiring individual members with experienced leaders in the parking sector for a 12-month structured mentoring relationship.

• Women in Parking: The BPA will be providing a platform for women, and supporters of women, working in parking.

• People in Parking: The BPA will be recognising people who have made a real difference to the sector, whose achievements will be recognised in an endof-year virtual awards.

30 | OCTOBER 2020 | PARKING REVIEW

The mentoring scheme has been in development for 18 months, said Sarah Feeney, the BPA’s professional development manager. “We know that working in parking can be an incredibly interesting and rewarding career, and we want to be able to help other people to achieve their full potential in our sector,” she said. “Our members have such a wealth of experience that they can share with others who want progress their careers. Mentees will be individual BPA members who are ready to take the next step up in their career but need some help or guidance around a particular issue, or exposure to a different range of experiences.”

The scheme will focus on helping people make the transition from junior and firsttime management supervisor roles into leadership positions. There will be six mentees in the first round of the scheme.

“Mentors will be progressive senior leaders in the parking sector who are able to offer some time on a regular basis. But we think

Park Active aims Park Active’s travel initiatives will raise awareness of active travel across the UK by: • encouraging people to use peripheral parking sites that are cheaper and more accessible • encouraging more active travel options such as cycling and walking to reach their destination • discouraging longer stay parking close to town and city centre destinations • helping reduce traffic and freeing up central parking for short stay shoppers and Blue Badge holders • helping reduce congestion and improving air quality in town and city centres • providing more space for social distancing and freedom of movement. it will be a learning curve for them too, it’s a win-win!” said Feeney.

The Women in Parking project will start as a community platform and, in the future, organise meetings, social networking events and training sessions based on what the people feel they need.

The BPA’s new Women in Parking initiative is being led by ParkingEye’s Jade Neville and JustPark’s Hannah Fuller.

Jade Neville, who is incoming BPA vicepresident, said: “The development of the Women in Parking initiative stemmed from a conversation I had during lockdown with Hannah Fuller, head of parking partnerships at JustPark, about the impact the pandemic was having on women within our sector. From there, we worked together to create a platform for women and our supporters to have a voice, feel supported, and become empowered to join and progress within such an exciting sector.”

Hannah Fuller added: “We want everyone on board, because we all, no matter what we do or how long we have been doing it, have an experience or opinion to offer.” www.britishparking.co.uk

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PARKING TECHNOLOGY

It’s time to change gear BEYOND PARKING/BPA

The BPA, LGA and London Councils call on government to allow use of camera technology to enhance mobility and reduce congestion

example to better manage anti-social and inconsiderate parking (e.g.

Blue Badge spaces) in problem areas and in places identified by the public where a lack of enforcement has a detrimental effect on people and society.

• Supporting social distancing: Vehicle location guidance systems enable effective management of traffic flow and prevent overcrowding in major public sites by identifying pinch points, allow for a ‘touch-free’ parking experience and links to contactless payment terminals.

Delivering for the consumer and the High Street

Technology could improve parking management of the High Street

E

nabling technology to support an increasingly mobile society and help the High Street. This is the message being sent by British Parking Association (BPA), Local Government Association (LGA) and London Councils, who are calling for local authorities across the UK to be enabled to use camera technology to support High Streets and underpin a safer economic recovery from COVID-19. The organisations have sent a briefing document to the UK government and the Devolved Administrations, which reads:

Response to COVID-19 The parking sector is transforming rapidly, with smarter and more effective management tools to deliver a better experience for motorists, greater availability of parking spaces, and a mobile society.

The impact of COVID-19 has further shifted behavioural change and exposed the urgency to better manage journeys and destinations in a smarter and more holistic way. The UK government recognises this in its ‘Gear Change’ programme too. The use of cameras and other remote monitoring technologies must now be enabled to their fullest extent (through legislation) to allow local authorities to innovate and meet the needs of their communities. The use of cameras and other remote monitoring technologies allows: • Improved management of traffic and parking: Media reports of ‘hordes of visitors’ descending on England’s beaches recently captured the scale and impact of anti-social behaviour, including cars dumped at roadsides, thoughtlessly blocking access for emergency vehicles and wheelchair users, with littering at unprecedented levels across beauty spots. With many local residents taking to Twitter and other social media channels calling for better and more effective enforcement.

• Safer redeployment of civil enforcement officers: Civil enforcement officers (CEOs) are on the front line, working to keep the UK’s roads clear of illegally parked vehicles. In carrying out their key role they are facing being abused, spat at and reviled. The use of camera technology provides flexibility to remotely manage problem areas, as used by the police and local authorities for security and public order, for parking, enabling smarter, more targeted patrolling and would help reduce some of the risks posed to our incredible front line colleagues.

• Freeing up vital resources: CEOs can also be redeployed from patrolling car parks to identify non-payment and over-stays, for

As destinations begin to re-open and businesses and shops start to welcome back their customers to help kick start our economy, places where social distancing measures are observed and can be easily maintained will once again grow and thrive, whilst town centres may fall further behind with a more cumbersome ‘hands tied’ experience that cannot compete. The evidence is clear: • Greater consumer satisfaction: Public research conducted before the start of lockdown shows satisfaction levels with parking are higher at locations where cameras are fully enabled because the experience is hassle-free, seamless and meets public expectations.

• ANPR enables a range of new services that benefit communities: Park now/pay later, improved kerbside management, free-flow access for people with disabilities, removing the need to predict length of stay – all are benefits meeting increasing expectations of both business and the public. Sir Greg Knight MP has noted the need for a ‘touch-free’ experience for drivers, enabling safer automatic access and payment and thus fewer penalty charges.

• Lower congestion: Camera technology improves compliance and increases turnover of traffic by getting it to its destination faster and more efficiently, thereby easing congestion and reducing pollution.

• Safety: With an increasing reliance on private cars a number of softer measures are required to discourage car use – during school runs, for example – that are publicly and politically supported across the UK. Use of staff operated and automated ANPR systems provides a mechanism to help reduce the significant impact the school run has on local communities and to improve road safety, as well as having a positive impact on helping to reduce pollution around schools, providing children with a safer and cleaner environment to work and play in.

Many argue that much of this can be done now, which may be so in some cases, but local authorities are reluctant to invest in ANPR and other technologies without unfettered support of parliament and government, and in the knowledge that the ultimate sanction of enforcement – serving penalty charges through the post using evidence gathered by ANPR – can be used if necessary.

The way forward The BPA, LGA and London Councils welcome the government’s announcement that it is committed to commencing the remaining elements of Part 6 of the Traffic Management Act 2004. We note that it also intends to increase combined authorities’ powers over their key route networks, similar to those that apply already in London and enable integrated highways and transport authority status at Combined Authority level for these roads (Gear Change: A bold vision for cycling and walking, July 2020). Moving traffic contraventions can in the main only be managed using cameras and remote monitoring technologies, like ANPR. It seems incongruous to allow local authorities to manage moving traffic but continue to prevent them from managing stationary traffic in the same way.

The opportunity to use camera technology with associated guidance, which can ensure that any enforcement action is fair and proportionate, will add to the local authorities’ toolkit to better manage increasingly complex and challenging public spaces and places. Finally, local authorities are publicly accountable and their use of camera technology is not only required by this sector but demanded by the public and local politicians alike.

PARKING REVIEW | OCTOBER 2020 | 31

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PARKING PERSPECTIVES

PARKING POLICY

Billericay High Street

A socially distanced opinion survey

Shopping for answers Can free parking really aid High Street recovery? Andrew Potter and his Parking Perspectives team talked to the public (while safely socially distanced )

F

ollowing lockdown, Chelmsford City Council in Essex reinstated normal parking charges in their car parks. Neighbouring Basildon District Council did not. As part of a series of measures to help the local economy recover from the lockdown, Basildon has retained free and unlimited parking in their car parks in Billericay and Wickford. But can the provision of free parking really aid the recovery of the town’s High Street businesses?

This is the question that Parking Perspectives sought to answer over the summer.

Surveys (post-lockdown) During late August a team from Parking Perspectives undertook counts and user surveys in the High Street car park in Billericay as a pilot survey to observe the effectiveness of free parking in stimulating footfall into a town centre. The High Street Car Park has 240 spaces (including five for Blue Badge holders). It is immediately behind the shop frontage in a central location close to the Post Office. Ordinarily stays are limited to four hours Monday to Friday. An hour’s stay is charged at 60 pence; up to 2 hours costs £1.10 and up to four hours is £2.60.

During the course of a Thursday in late August, interviews were conducted, under specific conditions to minimise the likelihood of spreading COVID-19, with members of the public who had parked in the car park.

Over 100 interviews were completed with those parking between 9am and 4pm. Only those who had come to the town for shopping, personal business, entertainment or leisure were included. Users attending their normal place of work or education, delivering goods or undertaking work were not interviewed further nor included in the analysis.

Why come to Billericay?

Answering an open unprompted question, more than two-thirds stated that the principal reason that they had chosen to come to Billericay rather than anywhere else was because of its proximity.

32 | OCTOBER 2020 | PARKING REVIEW

They lived in or near to the town or it was otherwise the closest option for them. A quarter were specifically visiting locations in the town that were pre-arranged or long-standing for their trip.

For these the destination was non-negotiable. A small number had selected Billericay over alternatives because it was an attractive destination for them. These made up 7% (± 5 percentage points at 95% confidence).

Only one respondent out of the 114 cited the free parking as their primary reason for choosing Billericay over any other destination. They added that they were anyway a local resident.

The impact of free parking Less than half of those interviewed knew that the parking was free before they arrived. Of those that knew, on account of the free parking, two had decided to drive in rather than walk. One had switched to using the High Street car park over their normal place of parking as that was further out from the centre. Three had transferred to the public car park from other time-limited options that they would normally use. These included the local supermarket car park or parking on-street. None of these were new trips.

Asked directly whether the free parking had been a motivator or influence in their trip out, 38 out of the 55 that were aware of the free offer said it had no relevance. Therefore for 17 of the 114 users interviewed, the free parking did have some motivational role in their trip, by either offering some incentive or further reducing any barrier or deterrence to travel.

Does ‘free parking’ work?

Is free parking a worthwhile policy to drive footfall into the high street? We should be clear that removing a parking charge does not itself generate the demand to travel. It is the activity at the destination that generates the trip. Removing the parking charge reduces the barrier or deterrence to making that trip to that destination by car.

A parking charge adds cost to making the trip and this may be enough to persuade the traveller to consider satisfying the needs of the trip in another way. That may be postponing the purchase or activity until it can be consolidated with another trip, making a trip elsewhere, going online or simply not undertaking the activity. If the costs are mounting up and the trip is discretionary, such as to a bar or coffee house to meet friends, the user may just not do it.

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PARKING POLICY

Free parking has no specific mechanism to ensure that spend goes to those who need it most Andrew Potter

It is also important that we recognise that consumer behaviour is not necessarily rational and perceptions of money and value are affected by context and expectations. We may all be susceptible to discounts or free offers that implore us to spend to save. The removal of the parking fee may have only a small absolute value to the consumer, but it is something for nothing and thus presents large in their mind as an opportunity not to be missed. It is an incentive.

What impact might it be having?

As part of the survey, respondents indicated their expected spend from their visit. This averages out at around £37 per visit for those shopping, doing personal business, making leisure, entertainment, social or tourist trips. All of this spend does not contribute to the viability of the retailers’ business; some of the spend is simply used to replenish the goods consumed.

Across the range of High Street spend, from high turnover consumer goods to food, beverage and other services, we might assume that 40% of any spend net of VAT is retained by businesses as gross profit. This is the value that is directly helping those on the High Street cover their operating costs and overheads and stay in business.

We estimate that around 420 short to medium-stay parking events with a purpose relevant to supporting businesses in the High Street occurred during the daytime period of free parking.

Our survey told us that 15% considered that the free parking had been a motivational factor in their trip to the High Street.

This provides us with an estimate of the proportion motivated by the free parking to be somewhere between 22% and 9%, at 95% confidence.

If we take the upper boundary, just over 1-in-5 (22%) of the trips in-scope have come to Billericay in some way because of the free parking. The added gross profit value to the High Street is thus at this top end around £5,500 a week. At the bottom end of our range (9%) this spend equates to £1,800 per week.

Both of these are against lost revenue from car park ticket sales. Net of VAT and making an allowance for costs saved by not operating the machines, we estimate this to be £1,800 for the week.

We should be clear that the respondents told us that the free parking was a factor in their decision; it encouraged them to make the trip. This initial estimate of added High Street spend is based on all of these trips occurring only because the parking was free. While the free parking was an added benefit, some users may still have made the trip even had the parking charge been in place.

We don’t know specifically the number of trips to town that would not have occurred had the parking charge been in place.

Improving our ability to gauge this will be incorporated into subsequent designs following this pilot survey. For now, we can be

Basildon District Council’s website’s parking page confident that the actual benefit of the policy is probably lower than these values. As an illustration, if we suggest that at least half of those indicating that the free parking was a factor would have travelled anyway, we produce a new set of figures. (Both sets are shown in the table below.)

Developing a policy response The upper best-case estimate makes the policy a positive step to not only driving additional revenue into high street retailers, but also having a positive rate of return on the revenue lost from the parking. A more central estimate indicates that the policy may be far more marginal.

That does not render the policy wrong or unsuitable. Basildon District Council recognises that some retailers need urgent support to recover from lost trade during the lockdown. This policy is one of many adopted to quickly reinvigorate the local economy and avoid the loss of otherwise viable businesses that could have long-term implications for the critical mass and overall attractiveness of Billericay High Street.

The removal of parking charges is an obvious response to the perceived threat and apparent advantage presented by large out-of-town retail centres promoting substantial amounts of free parking.

As a longer-term policy response, however, free parking may not be the most efficient option available. It relies on an expectation and assumption that it will induce additional spend or retain spend locally that would otherwise be attracted elsewhere. It has no specific mechanism to ensure that spend goes to those that need it most.

Retaining car park charges and revenue on the other hand, provides tangible and largely assured income for the local authority.

That is then available to be used in a targeted way to support the needs and challenges arising, as required and allowed by legislation.

It may be that using specific support measures, similar to those introduced in response to coronavirus to apply discretionary rate relief or provide grants, could be employed to direct financial assistance to those High Street businesses with particular need.

This targeted, measured approach, could prove far more cost-effective.

Andrew Potter is the director of Parking Perspectives www.parkingperspectives.com

Weekly Impact on Revenue

Free Parking is critical to all Free Parking is critical to half of users stating that it was a factor users stating that it was a factor

Estimate

upper

lower

upper

lower

Additional gross profit in High Street

£5,500

£2,300

£2,800

£1,100

Parking revenue forsaken

£1,800

Difference

£3,700

£500

£1,000

-£700

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TRAFFIC ORDERS

When visiting a place, the public will be able to clearly see where they can and cannot park

Bringing order to the streets Essex County Council and its parking partnerships have embraced digitised, map-based Traffic Regulation Orders

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arking in Essex is very much a local process and managed by those that know the localities well and understand the local area and its parking requirements, the county’s borough and district councils. Essex County Council has devolved its parking function to two partnerships within the county, allowing these groups of local authorities to manage parking locally. Each partnership looks after the parking for six districts.

The North Essex Parking Partnership (NEPP) is based out of Colchester, and the South Essex Parking Partnership (SEPP) is run out of Chelmsford. Together, representatives of the 12 districts, two partnerships and Essex form a joint committee that manages a co-ordinated approach to Essex’s parking.

The parking partnerships bring together all street-based parking services in Essex. They aim to administer the parking rules to a fair, proportionate and consistent standard in order to provide a service in a reasonable and responsible way.

Seeking order While the creation, maintenance and enforcement of Traffic Regulation Orders (TROs) is devolved to the partnerships, Essex County Council is the local highways authority, so it retains the statutory authority for the maintenance of the county’s dataset of traffic orders. The county and parking partnerships have worked together to tackle the problem of inaccurate, inconsistent and inaccessible TROs. Essex’s dataset of TROs was difficult to keep up-to-date. Over time, and with different people having worked on them, anomalies

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in the styles of restrictions had crept into the orders from across the 12 districts.

The TROs came in all manner of different formats and could not easily or consistently be made available to the general public.

Some orders were hand-written and stored in archives; others were text-based, perhaps with graphic scans. Orders for some districts had been mapped and digitised, but others had not been mapped, and some traffic order schedules were completely missing. The orders were, therefore, difficult to access and to understand, especially for members of the public.

Vicky Duff, network assurance group manager, Essex County Council, explains: “Without access to the regulations, Essex residents weren’t able to view the parking impacts on their localities. The council’s ethos is that people should have access to them. They should be able to understand where they can park and for how long – we’re not trying to create confusion.”

Richard Walker, group manager for NEPP, adds: “We just couldn’t give everyone the full and complete parking order – it was in so many parts that they couldn’t simply look at it. Even the areas that had been mapped were done on a ‘polygon’ system, which is not easy for non-specialists to understand. It just wasn’t user-friendly for the public.”

The concern over the increased disparity between the restrictions described in the districts’ orders and those restrictions that actually existed on the street gave rise to the understanding that they needed to start again. The county needed re-surveying from the ground up in order to provide consistent and accurate data.

This was also an opportunity to make the digitised data accessible via the internet, displaying it in a way that the public could understand.

Nick Binder is the South Essex Parking Partnership’s manager.

He said: “One need was for some housekeeping – getting everything in order and up-to-date, validating that what it said on the road matched what we had, so that our enforcement could be in order.

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Nick Binder The other side of this was that we saw an opportunity to create everything digitally, to allow for better sharing of the data across different platforms and also as open data for use in apps created by third parties.”

Project launch

Richard Walker successful ongoing relationship with them. We were already using ParkMap, so we knew what the tool was capable of. We all had confidence that the exercise they were going to undertake would mean that the correct information would be plotted. We were happy that the people who would be undertaking the street surveys had the intuitive capabilities needed. They would know what residents parking is, what zonal parking is, and would be able to check the orders.”

Daniel Taylor, director of operations for Buchanan Order Management, explains: “We specialise in undertaking traffic order reviews and have successfully carried out many ParkMap implementations with map-based schedules across the country. We were commissioned through a competitive tender process and scored 100% in the evaluation process.”

It was the southern partnership that initially drove the project.

Nick Binder outlines the approach: “SEPP had some operational surplus funding available. The joint committee, comprising our six districts, decided to invest in creating new traffic orders built on high quality data, and a system that would be fit for the county’s needs then and in the future.”

SEPP managed the procurement process, putting the project out to tender. The two partnerships were each using Essex’s dataset and central mapping system – ParkMap, a software suite Surveying the county from Buchanan Computing. With this software, there was an opportunity to move to a line-based mapping system, which, The project to map the entire county got underway in the spring unlike the polygon-based system, was felt to be far easier for the of 2018. It took around seven months to survey and then complete public to understand. So, Buchanan Computing was invited to the back-office data processing for each of the partnerships’ six tender for the project too. districts. Daniel Taylor says: “We SEPP undertook a full proundertook a comprehensive oncurement process and ParkMap street survey of all static TRO was selected as the platform that signs and lines, mapping the would be used. Buchanan Order information directly into Essex’s Management (BOM) – a subParkMap system. From this audit, We saw an opportunity to create sidiary of Buchanan Computing we produced a set of consolidated – undertook the process of reviewarticles and map-based schedules everything digitally and allow for better ing the traffic orders by surveying for each of the 12 districts.” sharing of data across different platforms the full area, then compiling the BOM’s team of specialist traffic Nick Binder traffic order database on ParkMap order surveyors began by mapand finally delivering a mapping the location of all static based system that could be made TRO signs and lines across the available over the internet. county. Restrictions included proNick Binder says: “We chose hibitions of waiting, loading, stopBuchanan Order Management ping and on-street parking places. because they had a full understanding of our brief. It was a new The survey also collected non-TRO items, such as bus stops and project for us, but Buchanan answered all our queries, addressed pedestrian crossings. all our concerns, and assured us about how they would deliver These items were mapped directly into the ParkMap software, the project.” which the surveyors had available to them on their weatherproof It was at this stage that the NEPP became involved. Richard tablet computers. The system used the UK’s national mapping Walker says: “The North, South and Essex County Council all database, OS MasterMap, as its background reference data. This agreed that we wanted the same benefits. So, we checked if BOM enabled the team to accurately locate the street features. could undertake the project for the whole of the county at the Daniel Taylor says: “The standard accuracy threshold for BOM’s same time.” traffic order review surveys is to ensure that 99% of surveyed BOM assessed what difficulties there might be in surveying objects are accurately mapped relative to OS MasterMap.” and providing the data for the whole county. It was able to phase The surveyors also recorded any on-street maintenance issues, the plans and programme the timings into a revised project. With such as faded lines that needed repainting or missing line end funding secured, the North was then able to join in the project as markers where the end of the restriction would need to be deterwell. Vicky Duff endorsed the procurement decision, saying: mined and then repainted. Additionally, any anomalies in the on“Essex County Council has been a happy customer of Buchanan street survey were recorded, so that they could be clearly comComputing since civil enforcement began, and we’ve had a municated to the NEPP and SEPP project teams for resolution.

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The Essex parking partnerships use Buchanan Computing’s ParkMap BOM’s Daniel Taylor says: “This was preferable to having an And there were a lot of anomalies. Nick Binder explains: “We individual map tile grid for each of the twelve districts, as it simhad to clarify lots of queries that BOM flagged up. For example, plified the on-going management of the map schedules on the sign said one thing, but the order said another. We needed to ParkMap.” decide which we wanted as the final version.” This process also Every static TRO restriction was located within a map tile in allowed the council to consolidate a lot of its orders.

ParkMap and, where appropriate, was labelled to ensure that the Once the survey data had been returned to ParkMap, extensive specific enforcement details relating to the restrictions were data entry processing on the mapped items prepared it for use as clearly communicated to those using the map schedule. a TRO database on ParkMap. Then it was ready for creating new Taylor continues: “A pivotal map-based schedules and the onprocess of moving the NEPP, going management of traffic SEPP and Essex towards a more orders. efficient process of map-based The data on almost 100,000 TRO management was the draftindividual surveyed items across ing of new static consolidation both the North and South Essex We are no longer working off several lists orders. The team at BOM has a Parking Partnerships was entered great deal of experience in draftand spreadsheets about lines and signs using a consistent approach. ing traffic orders like this.”

Every item was allocated a unique defects. We know where we’re going While the surveying and data reference number so that it could Richard Walker processing was a lengthy process, be clearly identified in the large SEPP’s Nick Binder reports that database within ParkMap. Items the project ran smoothly. “It was were also assigned other seamless how they delivered the attributes, such as a street name works on the ground,” he says. (linked to a unique street referEssex’s Vicky Duff agrees: ence number) and a ‘side of the “There was a continual transfer of information, and the partnerships road’. For the static TRO signs, a photograph was attached, along put a lot of work into checking all the anomalies that were fed with detailed notes on the sign conditions. through to them from Buchanan. The continual flow of data Some of the information helped the council with its development meant that the project continued to move forward.” of remedial works plans, allowing it to target particular locations or issue types that needed prioritising. Daniel Taylor gave an A map-based TRO system example of the extent of the issues, “From the survey and data post-processing across the SEPP, we identified more than 600 After more than 220 surveying days and many more days spent signs that required cleaning or were obscured from view by their compiling the TRO database on ParkMap, the project went live in surroundings.”

November 2019. More than 2,000 static map-based schedule tiles Once all the static TRO restrictions had been fully represented across both the North and South Essex Parking Partnership in the system, the production of a new set of map-based schedules areas were implemented. could begin. Each of the 12 districts received its own consolidation “The consistent approach across the whole of Essex means order, while the map-based schedules were produced on a map that the first reference point is now the map – as opposed to the tile grid that encompassed the whole of Essex. This is based on previous collection of various approaches, stored at different the national grid for Great Britain, so can be expanded to work locations,” says Daniel Taylor. “The accuracy of the map-based on a national level. schedules and the improved style and robustness of the consoli-

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TRAFFIC ORDERS dation orders that they are included in has been a massive step forward in how NEPP and SEPP manage their traffic orders.”

Employees in each of the partnerships and in Essex County Council are now able to use the ParkMap software to help with many aspects of parking enforcement, scheme design and TRO management. The detailed dataset that BOM compiled in ParkMap also allows Freedom of Information requests and other queries to be simply and clearly resolved by the users, helping to increase the transparency of the parking operations to their local users.

The districts now have complete confidence in their traffic orders. To allow for access by the public, Buchanan Computing built a public, web-based interface to display the data. The Essex TraffWeb site (www.essexworkstraffweb.org.uk) helps communicate the 12 districts’ TRO restrictions to the public.

NEPP’s Richard Walker describes the launch: “It all went live on the same day – for the council and for the public. The ParkMap system holds and manages the data, and this was then exported out to the council’s public-facing TraffWeb system. It went live and it all worked. It was very refreshing to have a software system launch and for it to work without any issues.”

Vicky Duff was pleased with the outcome: “The project was a true embodiment of co-operation across organisational boundaries to create the system we’re now running and which we’re all thrilled with. It has been very successful and we’re very excited about how we can now expand. I’d like to look at plotting speed limits, for example, if the funding availability is there.”

Duff’s county council team is finding the new system easier to use as they can see the existing restrictions. They also find things more accurate when publishing information for public consultations. In conjunction with Buchanan’s online public consultation application, it is possible for the public to access information on newly proposed traffic orders. With a demise in the readership and availability of local newspapers, this allows the council to make the information readily available, reducing the chance of objections after the orders have been installed on street.

For the public good The system is also helping the public when they are out and about. If they are visiting somewhere, people can now see where they can and cannot park. This is in line the county council’s ethos that parking enforcement should not be about punishing the public but helping them to park legally.

The information within the system is also fully available to the civil enforcement officers via their handheld devices. They can view the digitised map and see what restrictions apply where they are standing, and they can then advise the public.

Vicky Duff says: “Our staff would much rather say: ‘You can’t park here, but if you go two roads down, then on your left, you can park there’.”

Richard Walker feels the project has successfully addressed the initial issues, “and more so”. He says: “The problem we had before was that we couldn’t compile a complete parking regulation in each of the districts – they were often up to 60 or 70 amendments.

So, if we wanted to find a fact about a particular road, we had to wade through lots of hand-written documents in several archives, formats or places. Now we just log on and look it up. It is current, shows accurately what’s on the ground, and we can also see what’s proposed.”

Improved reporting The districts have also benefited from having their signs and lines surveyed, photographed and mapped. Previously they were taking reports form civil enforcement officers about lines that needed repainting or what signs needed repairing. But the reports were sporadic and not all in one place, so the repair activities were not planned. Instead, when new schemes were introduced, the districts would also undertake a bit of ad hoc remedial work as necessary. Now though, they can plan the works and do them properly, scheduling them around the work they are doing in other areas.

Richard Walker says: “We’re no longer working off several lists and spreadsheets about lines and signs defects. We know where we’re going now.”

TRO signs have been photographed and added to the ParkMap database

Easier access Accessibility has also improved across all the districts and the county council. Before, there was only a limited number of logins, so only a fixed number of people could access the system and look at it in detail. So, information would often have to be printed off to be shared.

Now, everyone can look at TraffWeb – the public, the civil enforcement officers, the staff dealing with adjudication issues and even the council’s signs and lines contractors. For those that take calls from the public, when someone asks about the restrictions, the staff can provide an immediate and accurate answer. For the employees dealing with adjudication issues, what is provided on the map exactly reflects what is there on the street.

They can illustrate this to the adjudicator and use the library of signs to substantiate it.

NEPP’s Richard Walker comments: “Updates are much easier too as we’re starting from a clean version. Amendments are made live in the system, so when anyone looks at the map, they’ve always got the true picture.”

SEPP’s Nick Binder provides another perspective. “One of the main benefits is that, when we’re designing schemes, it’s a lot easier to use and to create the parking designs. Using the polygon-based system was more labour intensive – so this new system is a massive improvement for staff. And the end result is that the map looks as it looks on the road. We had good training from Buchanan and the ongoing support they have supplied has been fantastic. Overall, it’s seen as a massive improvement on our previous ways of working.”

Fair and transparent parking With its new map-based system, Essex County Council can now provide an incredibly clear method of communicating parking restrictions to the public. Its accuracy will help to reduce the number of PCN appeals and generally improve the public’s experience of parking.

NEPP’s Richard Walker says: “Parking issues are a part of everybody’s life, so when you have something that removes dispute or argument, and adds clarity, it just makes things all that easier for everyone.”

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Laying paths for the future Digital mapping will make roads ready for smart cities and autonomous vehicles

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ssex County Council sees the digitisation of Traffic Regulation Orders (TROs) as a vital element of preparing its roads for a future in which driving and mobility are increasingly datadriven. The emergence of ‘smart cities’ and development of autonomous vehicles will generate the need for vehicles to know where they are, and where to park rapidly and automatically.

An autonomous delivery vehicle, for example, should be able to recognise where it can park and what the waiting or loading restrictions are. To achieve all of this seamlessly, parking information will need to be digitised and map-based.

Vicky Duff, Essex County Council’s network assurance group manager, explains: “We’re very much involved in looking at how we can plan for the future. We’re looking at how we can make information on roadside features available for autonomous vehicles in the future. To be able to effectively enforce our traffic regulations, we needed first to have a modern and up-to-date system. But this was also an ideal opportunity to move into the digital arena, to map the parking in Essex and enable people – and in future, autonomous vehicles – be able to view it.”

A major concern for the council was the format of the data that would be generated. Essex needed to be sure that the data would be supplied in standard formats – such as TRO D (Traffic Regulation Order Discovery). It wanted to future-proof its system and ensure that its data could be successfully incorporated into projects for Essex’s smart cities, towns and villages of the future.

With the data that the council now has, and the format that it is presented in, the process of making TROs in future will be faster and smoother. The new system enables all parties to work with shared data. South Essex Parking Partnership manager Nick Binder explains: “This is open data that can be shared with app companies, or with autonomous vehicles themselves. They will need that data and we’re now in a good place to make it very accessible.”

In particular, it is the fundamental format of the data that is important here. North Essex Parking Partnership (NEPP) manager Richard Walker elaborates: “We had been researching this and there are various different options on the market. But accuracy, facts and the legalities of everything are vital. Having the ability to stream our traffic orders directly from ParkMap, and overlaying them on Ordnance Survey 3D mapping, brings an Essex on-street digital twin ever closer – which is going to be key for the future. Telematics, autonomous cars, and the way we manage things kerbside all depend on getting data to a vehicle – to tell it where it can stop or park or what charges there are.”

The data supplied by Buchanan via ParkMap’s Open API and web service is in a native format, and so conforms to both Alliance for Parking Data Standards (APDS) and the draft TRO D standards. Once the TRO D data model is completed, ParkMap’s API will provide Essex with the ability to stream their traffic orders directly to the Department for Transport (DfT), complying to this new standard.

Essex has been working with the DfT to help develop standard formats for how data is collected and shared. It needs to be viable for use in cars, sat navs and intelligent apps, as well as for the multimodal journeys and intelligent transport systems of the future.

NEPP’s Richard Walker emphasises the importance of being able to prepare and collate the data in a standard format that is also accurate in terms of what is on the ground. He says: “It is key to us that we know what we’re going to get – and we get that from OS data. It is fixed and not going to move around. The data is accurate and all fits together without problems. We were looking for an updated system to start with, but also wanted one that was going to be compliant with future standards. Lots of the things Buchanan is doing are at the forefront of technology and accuracy, affirming our belief that our data and system are safely future-proofed.”

Essex has begun to evaluate a number of ways that it can use its data to help inform transport planning throughout the county. For

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Digital TRO data will power parking information provided to the public example, variable message signs incorporating ANPR (automatic number plate recognition) technology could be adopted that show how many spaces are available. Or parking bay sensors could show how long a vehicle has been parked, or whether the space is currently vacant. This could be expanded to track and analyse the usage of parking spaces across the county. There is also the option of using a ‘scan car’ to assist with enforcement of regulations. This would rely on having accurate data about traffic systems, all of which is now available in the ParkMap system.

There are other potential opportunities for developing transport and traffic management tools. These might help the public with multi-modal journeys, or could show live traffic and congestion, and suggest the use of park & ride schemes and other alternatives. And the map-based aspect would be particularly appropriate for tools that display air quality. All of these innovations require the use of mapbased data. But it does not just include council services. As the data is available through Buchanan’s Open Data API, third parties could also use it. For example, traffic and parking data would be especially useful for helping delivery drivers make their ‘last mile’ deliveries more efficient.

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Conference and Exhibition Virtual event using state-of-the-art platform Wednesday 2 December 2020 Parking and traffic management is an essential public service at the forefront of reducing traffic congestion, delivering safer and healthier streets, and enabling new approaches to mobility.

A virtual event

Coronavirus has transformed the way in which we live, work and travel. To reflect this, Traffic + Parking 2020 is being run as a virtual event using the state-of-theart Hopin platform.

Delegate features:

G Listen to the main conference G Take part in Q&As

G Participate in workshops G Visit exhibition stands

G Meet delegates in networking sessions Organised by:

Sponsored by:

part of Marston Holdings

Programmed by:

Supported by:

Key themes:

G Civil parking enforcement G Moving traffic regulations

G Low Traffic Neighbourhoods G Clean air schemes

G Cycling and walking G School streets

G Pavement parking

G Consultation and communication

G Digitising payment and pre-booking systems G Touchless terminals

G Electric vehicle charging G Debt recovery

Exhibitor features:

G Host your own private virtual exhibition space with the ability to host video content

G Invite delegates for 1-1 private chats or group demos at your exhibition stand G Meet and network with delegates in the allocated networking sessions

G Listen to the conference sessions and take part in Q&As G Publish your logo and company bio in a prominent position

G Access post event analytics including delegate behaviour and engagement

To exhibit or attend contact Jason Conboy on: 020 7091 7895 or email: jason@landor.co.uk

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LORRY PARKING

Lorries queuing in Kent

What will Brexit deliver?

Lorries will need a permit to enter Kent and queues 7,000 trucks-long could clog up roads when Brexit is finally completed

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ruck drivers will need a permit to enter Kent once the Brexit transition period ends. The government is also planning to build a network of new lorry parks across Britain to hold vehicles having to negotiate more stringent paperwork checks when arriving in Europe when UK leaves the customs union and the single market on 1 January.

The Kent Access Permit (KAP) system could be enforced by police or using cameras monitoring the number plates of vehicles entering the county at points such as the Dartford Crossing bringing freight from Essex.

Drivers of lorries weighing more than 7.5 tonnes will need to apply for the permits online and show that they have all the paperwork they need to ferry goods to Europe.

In a letter sent to the freight sector last month, minister for the Cabinet Office Michael Gove set out the government’s “reasonable worst-case scenario” planning for when the UK leaves the single market and customs union rules at New Year. The scenario envisages just half of big businesses and 20% of small businesses would be ready for the strict application of new EU requirements at the border. Gove, warned that queues up to 7,000 trucks-long could clog up roads around the port of Dover and Channel Tunnel.

Border disruption could happen whether or not the UK secures a trade deal with the European Union. This is because EU is expected to impose full goods controls on the UK, stopping all freight without the correct documentation at the end of the transition period on 1 January.

Speaking in the House of Commons on 23 September, Gove told MPs: “In those circumstances that could mean between only 30% and 60% of laden HGVs would arrive at the border with the necessary formalities completed for the goods on board. They’d therefore be turned back by the French border authorities, clogging the Dover to Calais crossing.”

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Gove said it could lead to delays of up to two days for drivers waiting to cross the Channel. Although he said those queues were likely to subside after businesses learned from seeing their cargo denied access to the Continent. A similar set of projections were made for a no-deal Brexit a year ago as part of what was known as Operation Yellowhammer.

The Kent Access Permit system would be enforced by police and ANPR cameras. The KAP is intended to ensure drivers have all the paperwork they need, he said. The government has also been consulting on an updated version of Operation Brock, the system used to manage freight vehicles heading to the Channel Ports in Kent.

The government is also developing a Smart Freight System, a web portal operating a red, amber and green traffic light system for hauliers. Only those given the green light, after passing a documentations test, will be given a KAP. A briefing document drawn up by the government’s Border and Protocol Delivery Group reveals the system will not go into a public beta testing phase until the end of November, leaving little time to launch it before 1 January.

Labour’s shadow minister for the Cabinet Office, Rachel Reeves, said: “It is incredible that ministers are only now admitting to their plans to arrest British truckers for entering Kent without new travel passports. With just over three months to go, how are businesses meant to prepare amid this Conservative carnival of incompetence?’”

The reasonable worst-case The “reasonable worst-case scenario” report drawn up by the Border and Protocol Delivery Group was presented to a meeting of the XO (exit operations) committee chaired by cabinet minister Michael Gove for decisions on the next stages of development in the border operating model, the goods vehicle management system and so-called “smart freight” software designed to regulate the flow of traffic into Kent and guard against congestion.

The delivery group report said that between 30-50% of trucks crossing the Channel wold not be ready for the new regulations coming into force on 1 January 2021, while a “lack of capacity to hold unready trucks at French ports” could reduce the flow of traffic across the Dover Strait to 60-80% of normal levels.

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LORRY PARKING “It is estimated a maximum queue of 6,500 HGVs may develop in January,” the report said. “Disruption could be lower in the initial days of January but we would expect sustained disruption to worsen over the first two weeks as demand builds.”

Delays will impact on people returning to work after the Christmas and New Year holidays. The disruption is assumed to build in the first two weeks of January, and could last three months, or longer should France rigorously apply Schengen passport checks on hauliers at Dover and the Channel Tunnel.

The delivery group said: “Considering demand levels in the first week of February, it is estimated that if readiness does not improve by then, queues could reach a length of 7,000 HGVs. In each case it is estimated that HGVs could take two days to reach the front of the queue.” The report added: “Both imports and exports could be disrupted to a similar extent.”

The government says the scenario is not a prediction but an illustration of what could be reasonably expected. A Cabinet Office spokesperson said: “As a responsible government we continue to make extensive preparations for a wide range of scenarios, including the reasonable worst case. This is not a forecast or prediction of what will happen but rather a stretching scenario.

It reflects a responsible government ensuring we are ready for all eventualities.”

fully accessible for commercial vehicles, away from unsuitable roads and low bridges. While the lorry parks are likely to be a temporary solution as new systems, processes and demands are embedded post-Brexit, Logistics UK said it is important that the authorities remain mindful of local businesses and residents, with road disruption to be kept to a minimum. Yarsley added: “The government has to ensure that the sites are staffed with qualified officials who have the means and the authority to get a vehicle border ready if the driver does not have the full paperwork required; this will be essential to keep traffic moving as quickly as possible and protecting supply chains from further disruption.”

Logistics UK is urging its members to adopt the new processes they will need to use. However, it says, firms need early access to both UK and EU systems so that they can conduct testing and training before 1 January. Elisabeth de Jong, policy director, said: “Logistics UK has long warned government of the potential for border delays after the UK leaves the EU, and while there is still time to put mitigations in place to avoid them, it will be a huge challenge for government and industry to achieve.”

Blame shifting

Michael Gove has been urging UK traders to get ready now for new border formalities that could help mitigate the disruption.

He has told the freight industry that this needs to happen Lorry parking plans irrespective of whether or not there is a deal in the UK-EU trade negotiations. However, the freight industry has warned that Communities secretary Robert Jenrick has given himself powers putting in place the measures needed to avoid border delays will to build truck parks across England to avoid chaotic queues at be a challenge for government and industry. Hauliers are concerned ports when the United Kingdom finally leaves the European that they are being cast as the “fall guys” for delays and disruption Union. A statutory instrument Town and Country Planning likely in January. Tensions are rising, with a recent meeting (Border Facilities and Infrastructure) (EU Exit) (England) Special between the freight industry and govDevelopment Order 2020 enables the ernment being described as a government to start construction in “washout” by the Road Haulage council areas without the approval Association (RHA). of local officials.

RHA chief executive Richard The government has started conLogistics UK is urging the government Burnett said: “For years we’ve been structing holding facilities for lorries to ensure that drivers will have access warning government that there will in Kent that will be used to park to facilities such as toilets and showers be delays at ports but with 70 working goods vehicles that have the correct days to go until the end of the transipaperwork to enter the EU. The holdChris Yarsley tion period they’re still not engaging ing pens will be a key part of Britain’s with us to come up with the solutions. plans to avoid border delays from 1 The answers to the questions that January, when full customs controls we raised in our letter to Mr Gove will be imposed on goods travelling and during a subsequent roundtable meeting on Thursday 17 from the UK, whether or not it reaches a trade deal with the bloc.

September still remain unanswered; and for the industry on The Border and Protocol Delivery Group report also calls for which the entire nation depends for maintaining the flow of advice centres to be set up across the country, with 39 sites goods across borders, the future looks very bleak indeed. We identified at truck stop and service stations on all main motorways described last month’s meeting between industry stakeholders including the M6, M40, M1 and M20. These centres would need and Mr Gove’s team as a total washout. The government’s promises to be equipped with printers to help hauliers who do not have the that the UK will be ready for business on 1 January are just a right documentation prepare for their onward journey to ports in whitewash, and right now it appears that traders and haulage Kent, Portsmouth, Holyhead and Felixstowe among others. The operators are being left to carry the can.” document notes to the Department for Transport that work to Should there be no trade deal agreed, UK hauliers would have provide the advice centres is currently “unfunded”, with a parallel to rely on special permits rationed by the Department for Treasury bid for £18.5m still in development.

Transport. Hauliers have also raised the possibility that the UK The document recommends that a Border Impact Centre (BIC) will have to sign up to EU rules limiting driver hours, in order to is set up by 31 December to help national and local authorities get access to European roads. manage the change in border-destined traffic. The document also explores Kent authorities co-locating with France’s Lille Crisis Cell in order to jointly mitigate potential chaos on the roads.

In response to emergency legislation passed by government to allow for the allocation of a reported 29 potential sites for lorry parks across the UK, Chris Yarsley, Logistics UK’s policy manager for road infrastructure, said: “Logistics UK supports the development of suitable infrastructure to assist with border readiness; these sites are essential to keep disruption on the UK’s roads to a minimum post-transition period, and for keeping trade moving as smoothly as possible across borders. We have been urging the government to ensure that drivers will have access to facilities, such as toilets and showers, if they are to be held in place for some time and are therefore pleased to see that the Order includes a provision for welfare facilities.”

However, Logistics UK is urging the government to build the Are we nearly there yet? lorry parks in locations close to road networks and that they are

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LORRY PARKING

1

So, where do you park 7,000 lorries?

Design studio Fatkin has an answer Just how much land would a 7,000-space lorry park need?

Answering this question is the challenge that architectural practice Fatkin decided to answer as a fun exercise – and that may be the only occasion in which the words ‘fun’ and ‘Brexit’ appear in the same sentence.

The Fatkin team said: “Following the revelation that Brexit could see 7,000 trucks queuing in Kent, we started to wonder what this would actually look like on the ground. After all, Fatkin specialises in parking and infrastructure, and we like a challenge. We hope this simple visualisation brings some clarity to the situation.”

Founded in 2014, Fatkin is an emerging architectural practice based in West London and Cardiff that has worked on a number of town centre, university, station and hospital parking projects and cycle hubs, working with companies such as HUBER Car Park Systems, Morgan Sindall and Wilmott Dixon.

Besides car parks, the practice has explored how to reimagine the use of the urban kerbside in the form of parklets. During the London Festival Architecture 2019 the Fatkin team created the London Cablet by taking a decommissioned diesel black and peeling it open to reveal a public place for sitting, relaxing and playing. www.fatkin.co.uk

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Every picture tells a story…

1 It turns out 7,000 lorries take up a fair bit of room. If all 7,000

lorries were queued in a single file row they would go all the way up the M20 and halfway back again. This doesn’t leave much room for other traffic.

2 Alternatively, could the 7,000 lorries be parked up in a dedicated

site? Well, they would need an area of land the size of: • 280 x Wembley football pitches, or • 4 x Bluewater shopping centres, or • 20 x Dover Castles.

The site is split into 40 cells of 175 lorries in order to provide firebreaks and simplify management. Provision of central amenities such as gyms, cafes, hotels, retail units, fuel stations, medical facilities, vehicle service garages and a wellbeing centre would serve the transient population of up to 15,000 people. Future provision of EV charging for lorries would require a local power station, perhaps off-shore wind or tidal. Each of the cells would be provided with welfare facilities including a social lounge, toilets, showers, laundry equipment and a canteen.

3 What would it look like if this site was located just outside Dover?

NB: Lorry park shown indicatively only, without consideration for planning policy, site constraints, landscape, access or viability.

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LORRY PARKING

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huber

car park systems

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PARKING STRUCTURES

A

parkway is a railway station, normally on the outskirts of a regional or city centre which can also serve as a park & ride interchange allowing further onward travel. Now, Highways England and Network Rail have collaborated on new guidance to help local authorities and third party funders decide whether or not a parkway rail station is an appropriate investment.

The document says parkway stations can potentially support the objectives of: better access to urban areas; relieving the strategic road network; and the government’s low carbon agenda.

Both the road and railway networks have experienced significant change because of COVID-19. Through the new guidance and by working together, Highways England and Network Rail hope can ensure infrastructure investment is targeted in the right locations, notably where the networks can complement each other. They also want to support the government’s housing agenda and facilitate the most appropriate and sustainable transport options that connect new residential communities to the centres where people work and recreate.

This is the first time Highways England and Network Rail have collaborated on such a document. Mike Smith, Network Rail’s strategy and planning director, system operator, said: “Network Rail and Highways England are committed to working more closely together to better serve rail and road users. While our transport systems are largely physically separated, they are inextricably linked and we know passengers expect the transport system to work smoothly as one.”

The document is designed to provide guidance for those assessing a parkway solution in their local area, such as: local authorities and Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs); third party funders; and strategic planners.

When attempting to establish the case for new infrastructure to either the road or rail networks, both Highways England and Network Rail assess how the wider transport system would be affected by the changes, as well as what functionality the new infrastructure would introduce. For example, risk of added congestion on additional train services and/or connected roads.

Based on a review of the performance of parkway stations opened since 2000, the guidance sets the following minimum standard thresholds for new stations: • Volume of nearby households with car access: contains at least 54,000 households with car access within a 20-minute drive time catchment • High-value employment: contains at least 57,000 Level 4 educated (tertiary) individuals within a 20-minute drive time catchment • Economic mass: contains at least £3.5bn in total household income within a 20minute drive time catchment • Easily accessible from the Strategic Road Network (SRN): located within six miles from the SRN.

Bristol Parkway’s car park

Pathway to parkways Network Rail and Highways England have worked together to identify the criteria for successful parkway stations When parkway proposals are considered, there are important common factors to be analysed, says the guide. If a parkway station is deemed to be the right transport solution, this will allow stakeholders, funders, and planners to discuss with Highways England and Network Rail what a feasible parkway station might look like.

“The rail and road infrastructure are part of the wider transport sector, encompassing trains, cars, lorries, as well as active travel modes, such as cycling. It is important to consider not just parkway stations but all station environments in this wider context,” states the guide.

Access to the rail network is an important consideration of many surface access strategies, particularly airports. “The location of parkway stations near to other transport hubs such as airports can help to further increase modal shift and relieve pressure on the surrounding road network,” the guide suggests.

A significant indicator in the viability of a prospective location for a parkway station is whether or not the intercity flow between the prospective station’s major urban centre and the city it is connected to has a large volume of existing rail demand.

“In such a case, a new parkway station on the periphery would abstract some passengers from the intercity flow while enabling residents of the periphery to gain access to the rail service without needing to enter the urban centre’s core,” suggests the guide.

“This added convenience would also be expected to encourage new users to take up the rail service, generating new passengers in addition to those that are abstracted.”

The guide says that successful parkway stations are often positioned on the periphery

of a major urban centre in order to serve rail flows to another city (often London or Manchester).

“A parkway station serving flows from an urban centre to another often far-away city is much more likely to be heavily utilised than one that only provides road users with rail links for the last few miles into an urban centre,” says the document. “For example, Oxford Parkway is extremely successful because it serves people living on the periphery of Oxford that want to travel into London (and not just those wanting to go into Oxford).”

The efficiency of traffic flow, particularly around the peaks is important as this could affect existing congestion on the road network. The guide says it is important to also consider the location of parkway stations in relation to capacity and provision of the Major Road Network (MRN) and local roads, as these roads provide vital links between the Strategic Road Network (SRN) and parkways.

Place-based context is critical to understanding the potential of parkways and the extent to which they will benefit the SRN, says the guide. “A parkway directly adjacent to a motorway function will have a very different impact to one further away from the SRN, yet both could attract markets to rail that would otherwise use road. Urban centres with air quality challenges are increasingly keen to understand the impact of road traffic, especially at peak time, using both strategic and local networks in as efficient a manner as is possible. Finally, costs directly associated with driving will also be a factor – for example, the cost of city centre parking compared to parking charges at the parkway.”

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PARKING STRUCTURES

Dorset County Hospital MSCP gets green light Multi-storey car park will help site cope with rising patient numbers Plans to build a multi-storey car park at a hospital to make space for its expansion have been approved by Dorset Council despite concerns over the structure’s potential visual impact.

Dorset County Hospital (DCH) in Dorchester has been allocated £62.5m by the government to expand its emergency and intensive care services to meet demand.

Dorset County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust said its emergency department, which was designed for 22,000 patients a year, was dealing with nearly 50,000 people prior to the COVID-19 outbreak.

The extended facilities will be built on the site of existing surface-level car parks, which would be replaced by a seven-storey, 654-space car park off Williams Avenue.

The car park will be delivered by main contractor Prime, working with structural engineers Stripe Consulting and architectural practice Ryder.

Proposals to free up land by building a multi-storey car park were unanimously agreed by councillors last month, despite planning officers recommending refusal. The officers had advised Dorset Council’s northern area planning committee to reject the car park application, on the basis of its size, positioning and massing. The officers described the structure as “an incongruous addition” to the hospital.

The officers’ report said the structure would detract from

The planned car park the character and appearance of the wider neighbourhood, which includes historic buildings, a conservation area and Victorian and Edwardian houses.

Some members of the public had also raised concerns about the planning application, claiming the car park would be an ‘eyesore’. Concerns were also raised about the impact on wildlife, particularly hedgehogs, losing their habitats.

However, roughly 80% of the comments on the planning application have been in support of the multi-storey car park. Project supporters cited improved patient experience, reduced stress and poor public transport facilities as reasons why the application should be approved.

Planning committee chairman Cllr Sherry Jespersen said the members were satisfied that the harm to the heritage and landscape would be outweighed by

social and economic benefits.

The hospital trust said: “We are very grateful to the local councillors for so carefully considering our application and recognising the importance of this development for our hospital and local people.”

The funding has been allocated to DCH as part of the national Health Infrastructure Plan and the project had been recognised as a priority. The plans include the expansion of the Emergency Department (ED) and Intensive Care Unit (ICU) as well as the establishment of an Integrated Care Hub as part of a long-term project to deliver the recommendations of Dorset’s Clinical Services Review.

The hospital’s strategy director Nick Johnson said: “Our existing Emergency Department and ICU were not built to accommodate the volume of patients we are seeing now. We must create addi-

Coventry hospital car park approved Plans for a new 1,600-space staff car park at University Hospital, Coventry have been approved at a meeting of Coventry City Council planners. Construction work will start soon on the car park, which will be located on land to the east of the hospital site, with developers expecting it to be ready in Summer 2021.

The new car park is intended to enhance the overall experience for staff, patients and visitors accessing the hospital, as well as improving access for emergency vehicles and public transport.

Professor Andy Hardy, chief executive officer, University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust said: “We are

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extremely grateful to Coventry City Council for listening to the views of our patients and staff. This new car park will hopefully transform the experience for our patients, visitors and staff.

“This development will allow us to offer additional secure car parking to our dedicated and deserving staff, who work around the clock to care for patients.

“Car parking has historically been one of the biggest issues we face as a Trust.

I’m excited that we will soon be able to improve everybody’s overall experience.”

The development will increase parking capacity for patients and visitors at the front of the hospital. The main entry and

tional space and facilities to ensure the safety of our patients,” he said. “We are delighted to have been allocated £62.5m of government funding for the development of these essential clinical facilities and named as a national priority project.

“However, before we can progress with this major building programme we need to free up space on the hospital site by constructing a multi-storey car park to accommodate the lost spaces and improve parking for patients, visitors and staff.

“Anyone visiting our hospital knows that parking has been an issue for many years so we simply cannot build on our car parks without replacing the spaces. We’re committed to green travel but many people coming to our hospital need to travel by car – the public transport links from rural areas of Dorset are simply not adequate.”

exit point for the new car park will be onto Clifford Bridge Road via the existing routes.

The new car park will include 34 electric vehicle charging spaces and 46 passive charging spaces, 34 motorcycle parking spaces and 160 bicycle parking spaces.

The car park is being built by University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire (UHCW) NHS Trust’s development partner Prime and construction company Montel Civil Engineering.

Will Bilbrough, development director at Prime, said: “We worked closely with the Trust and Coventry City Council throughout the planning process to overcome the challenges involved in developing a site of this nature.”

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PARKING STRUCTURES

Meadowhall Interchange parking upgraded Network Rail and Northern hope improved car park will increase park & ride patronage The car park at Meadowhall Interchange in South Yorkshire has been upgraded at a cost of £166,000.

Resurfacing work was carried out by Northern and Network Rail over a fourweek period at the station.

In addition to resurfacing work, which was funded by Network Rail and carried out by The Input Group, the car park’s CCTV has been upgraded and infrastructure has been added to allow for the installation of electric vehicle charging stations in the future.

Steve Hopkinson, regional director at Northern, said: “The improvements to the car park has made a huge difference to the look and feel of Meadowhall Interchange and will vastly improve the journeys our passengers make when they drive to the station.”

Matt Rice, North and East Route director for Network Rail, said: “There is now a more secure, well maintained car park that should give commuters a real peace-ofmind when they leave their car and catch their train. The car park at Meadowhall had fallen below the standards we expect, but working alongside our partners Northern, we’ve made Meadowhall more welcoming for passengers returning back

The revamped car park to the railway in the weeks and months ahead.”

Tim Taylor, South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive (SYPTE) director of customer services, said: “Investing in park & ride infrastructure offers customers the option of making at least a part of their trip by public transport – helping towards

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improving air quality and reducing congestion on the roads into towns and cities, journey times and stress.”

Chris Monk, project manager at The Input Group, said: “It has been fantastic to work with colleagues in the rail industry to transform Meadowhall Interchange’s car park.”

50 Safe and Sound Light and Bright Easy to Navigate No Ponding Water No Paintwork Damage Great Lasting Impression Call to find out more: Southern 020 8654 3149 Northern 01675 488261 cemplas.co.uk

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ELECTRIC VEHICLES

Total buys Source London network Oil company acquires Blue Point London from Bolloré French oil and gas company Total has acquired electric vehicle chargepoint network Blue Point London from the Bolloré Group.

The transaction will see Total take over the management and operation of Source London’s 1,600 chargepoints.

Launched in 2010, the Source London network has been developed in cooperation with the London boroughs. It currently represents more than half of the chargepoints in operation in the UK’s capital city.

Source London’s growth ambitions are supported by the City of London’s ambition to be a zero carbon city by 2050, notably with the aim of increasing tenfold the number of chargepoints within five years.

Total has committed to powering this charging network with

A Source London chargepoint electricity 100% guaranteed from renewable sources, to be supplied by its subsidiary Total Gas & Power. Total is already active in the installation and operation of chargepoints networks in Europe in the Metropolitan Region Amsterdam, Netherlands, and the Brussels-Capital Region,

Zap-Map launches payment app A new smartphone app will allow drivers of electric vehicles to pay for using the chargepoints of multiple operators. EV drivers currently need to have multiple apps and cards to pay to re-charge on around 40 different EV chargepoint networks.

Zap-Map, which already provides an electric vehicle chargepoint mapping service, has now launched a payment portal called Zap-Pay that will allow payments to be made to different chargepoint operators.

Engenie will be the first network available on the app. Zap-Map said firms including ESB EV Solutions, LiFe and Hubsta, would join this autumn.

Ben Lane, chief technology officer and joint managing director of ZapMap, said: “More people than ever are buying an EV, but providing a seamless charging experience is essential to accelerate this shift, cut carbon emissions and clean our air.

“We already buy much of our shopping with the tap of a finger.

Zap-Pay means that EV charging is now the same. No one should need dozens of accounts, apps and cards to charge their car. With one simple app, drivers can now simply plug in and the app manages the rest.”

Ian Johnston, chief executive of Engenie said: “Charging accessibility is critical to accelerating the UK’s transition to electric vehicles. ZapPay, a single payment platform for

Zap-Pay on the Zap-Map app multiple charging networks, complements our commitment to this by adding another convenient choice for customers using our open-access network, which already accepts simple contactless card payment.

“We are immensely proud to be the launch partner for the unveiling of Zap-Pay. It is the latest step in our shared vision for a consumerfocussed EV revolution. With more

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Belgium. The group’s stated ambition is to be operating more than 150,000 electric vehicle chargepoints by 2025.

“By combining today’s existing infrastructures with Total’s knowhow in terms of installation, operation and management of public electric vehicle charging than 250,000 downloads and 90% of our surveyed EV drivers regularly using the service, Zap-Map is the most used and trusted EV charger mapping tool available in the UK. It is perfectly placed to bring this gamechanging solution to market.”

As of September, Zap-Map’s mapping features more than 19,000 chargepoint devices in the UK at 12,000 locations. This is an estimated 98% of all public EV chargers, of which 70% receive live availability status updates every five minutes.

Transport minister Rachel Maclean, welcomed the Zap-Pay concept. “It should be as easy for drivers to charge their vehicles at public charge points as it is to pay for petrol or diesel. This is why I have made services, such as the one launched today, a personal priority as we transition to zero emission vehicles,” she said. “As the EV market continues to go from strength to strength, journey planning and paying with one app or membership card must also follow. Zap-Pay will help do just that, propelling us towards cleaner towns and cities and a zero emission future.”

In addition to delivering a simpler way to pay for EV charging, Zap-Pay will provide live status updates, charging history, PDF VAT receipts and 24/7 customer support. A support helpline will be provided by EVA Global, an e-mobility service provider.

networks, we are starting a new phase, supporting the expansion of electric mobility in London,” said Alexis Vovk, president, marketing and services at Total. “In collaboration with our partners and the local authorities, we will be able to meet both the strong growth in demand for on-street chargepoints and the needs for new mobility solutions of London users.”

The Bolloré transaction should be closed by the end of the year.

The transfer of Source London’s activities will have no impact for current users of the Source London service.

Total has also entered the UK offshore wind renewables market, with Erebus off the coast of Wales and Seagreen off the coast of Scotland.

Total is the latest petrochemical company to enter the EV charging sector, following in the footsteps of BP, which now owns Chargemaster, and Shell, which acquired NewMotion.

Councils may fund grid upgrades The Greater Cambridge Partnership (GCP) may invest in the local electricity network to ensure it can support an anticipated growth in electric vehicle numbers. The GCP comprises three local authorities: Cambridgeshire County Council, Cambridge City Council and South Cambridgeshire District Council.

The proposal to invest in the grid follows a report by consultant Asset Utilities that concluded the area’s network would be unable to cope with future demand.

UK Power Networks (UKPN), the electricity distribution network operator (DNO) for the Cambridge area, was commissioned to identify potential interventions. The DNO concluded that additional demand, could almost triple the existing electricity demand in the Greater Cambridge area, from 240MW to 710MW by 2031.

UKPN said: “It is clear that the electricity network as designed, is unable to meet the future electrical demand requirements or the changing face of technology in Greater Cambridge.”

UKPN identified a need for three new substations and a new East Cambridge interconnector. The estimated cost of the investment, excluding land acquisition, is about £44m.

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ELECTRIC VEHICLES

EV infrastructure needs a boost ITV

The AA and ITV Tonight reveal a lack of chargepoints is suppressing electric car sales

T

he most common reason for not wanting an electric vehicle (EV) is a concern about a lack of public charging points, research by the AA and ITV has revealed. A survey conducted for a documentary broadcast in September revealed that 69% cited an absence of chargepoints as a reason not to buy one.

The number of new fully electric cars being sold went up by 175% in the first seven months of the year. However, that is still only 4.7% of total sales. If the UK government it achieve its aim of ending the sale of petrol and diesel vehicles by 2035, public acceptance of electric vehicles needs to rise dramatically.

ITV’s Tonight current affairs series examined how ready people in the UK were to adopt electric motoring. In a survey carried out with the AA, the ITV show asked people in the UK for their opinion on electric cars. Almost half of all drivers (47%) say they will consider buying an electric vehicle when they next change their car, according to the Populus poll of 17,628 AA members.

Women were more likely (49%) to say they would consider an electric car than men (46%), and younger respondents (aged 16-25) were most keen on buying an electric vehicle as their next car.

Geographically, those living in London (56%) were most likely to consider purchasing an electric car as their next vehicle, as were AB social groups (54%).

The most common reasons for not wanting an EV were: • Lack of public charging points, with 69% stating this as a reason. Regionally, respondents living in Wales were most likely to say that lack of public charging points was a barrier to buying an EV (74%) compared to all other regions • EVs are too expensive (67%) • 66% worried about ‘range anxiety’ or battery range.

Ginny Buckley and Grant Shapps to three scenarios that they think would encourage drivers to buy an electric vehicle in priority order: a) If an EV cost about the same as the equivalent petrol or diesel (47% top three, 26% highest priority) b) More rapid charging hubs with facilities on the motorway network or the outskirts of towns where EV drivers can charge their car (41% top three, 13% highest priority). c) More charging stations at places like supermarkets, leisure centres and shopping centres (41% top three, 10% highest priority).

Motoring journalist Ginny Buckley, who is also the founder of the EV motoring news website www.electrifying.com, spoke to experts, car manufacturers, and the transport secretary Grant Shapps about what can be done to quicken the move to cleaner vehicles. Shapps said the UK now has more charging locations than petrol stations, but conceded that there is still work to be done to make motorway charging easier and more widely available.

Reflecting on the traditional internal

AA members were asked about their level of agreement with a range of statements about electric cars. The top three most agreed with statements were: 1. Electric cars are too expensive (89%) 2. Charging an electric car takes too long (72%) 3. The national grid won’t be able to cope if we all switch to electric cars (63%).

Around two-thirds of respondents said they are worried about battery range, while just over half were concerned about how long the car’s batteries will last.

Men were more likely (90%) than women (87%) to agree that EVs are too expensive.

Across age groups, respondents aged 55 and over were most likely to strongly agree that charging an electric car takes too long (37%).

Respondents were then asked to select up

Edmund King OBE

combustion engined cars, Shapps said: “You’ll look back and think ‘My God, we actually allowed vehicles to pump out noxious fumes, and kids to walk past to go to school and thought nothing of it’.”

While nearly half of the respondents said they would consider buying an electric car as their next vehicle, an overwhelming majority of people said they thought electric cars were too expensive. However, Buckley revealed that while electric cars tend to be more expensive to buy, the lower running costs could mean they are actually cheaper in the long term. The programme highlighted how research by car manufacturer Peugeot suggested that over an average distance of 145 miles, petrol and diesel drivers would spend a respective £16.50 and £14.90 in a family car. By switching to the electric version, a similar journey would cost just £5.18 when using a standard home chargepoint, though it would cost more than that on most public chargers.

Edmund King OBE, president of the AA told Buckley: “The automotive world is going through a radical transition with more change likely in the next decade than in the last hundred years. We need to help drivers overcome perceived myths about EVs and charging. It is incredibly encouraging that almost half of drivers will consider an EV for their next car.

“Our AA breakdown data shows that EVs are more reliable, but when breakdowns occur they are similar to breakdowns on conventional cars with tyres, wheels and the 12-volt battery accounting for about one-third of problems.

“The AA was proud to be a founding partner of the first World EV Day on 9 September. This event should provide opportunities for individuals, fleets and businesses to find out more about the switch to EVs. We need to take every opportunity available to extol the virtues of EVs and continue to dispel some of the myths.”

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PARKING TECHNOLOGY

Turning streets into a Concrete Jungle Concrete planters provide robust street measures while greening the streetscene Architectural urban furniture designer Possible has created self-watering green roadblocks to help with emergency street management schemes designed to aid social distancing and create car-free spaces.

The Concrete Jungle Modal Filter Planter is a cuboid concrete block designed for use as temporary green modal filters to open streets for pedestrians and cyclists by closing them to through-traffic.

As lockdown eases, councils are working to adapt streets to provide more room for walking and cycling, and keep cyclists and pedestrians safe. Possible has devised a concrete block that acts as a planter. The use of reservoirs to trap and store rainwater means plants stay watered for up to six-weeks without rainfall. The blocks can be used to block roads to motor vehicles, while letting bikes and pedestrians through.

Leo Murray, director of innovation at Possible, said: “Many of the changes needed to keep our cities moving and our streets safe in response to the COVID crisis are the same changes we already needed to tackle the climate crisis, so the hope is that many temporary measures can become permanent once the pandemic has passed. But for people to want that, we have to make sure that emergency measures are implemented in the most appealing way possible, and that means more than rolling out a mixand-match of plastic and concrete barriers.

“Wooden planters are one of the best ways to manage traffic, but although they

The Concrete Jungle concept are very low cost to install, they can come with a hefty and potentially off-putting maintenance bill for cash-strapped councils.

They can also be vulnerable to drivers of larger vehicles frustrated at having their passage barred. The Concrete Jungle blocks combine the best of both approaches, being cheap to make and maintain, yet still bursting with life, while being impossible to push aside, even with an SUV.” The Concrete Jungle was developed by Leo Murray working with chartered arboriculturist Ben Rose, founder of Stockholm Tree Pits, and Dr Karen Liebreich MBE, founder of voluntary urban greening organisation Abundance London. The inventors said: “It is imperative that when streets are opened up for pedestrians and cyclists by being closed to motor traffic, this is done in the most appealing way possible. The experiences people have of sudden changes to their neighbourhoods to fight the pandemic will be critical to their potential future support for such changes to become permanent.

“In an ideal world, temporary road closures

Bike storage firm gets COVID boost

The Armadillo British cycle storage manufacturer Grease Monkey Cycles says it has seen demand soar due to modal shifts during the pandemic. Growing interest in cycling has resulted in the

company surpassing its annual forecast for sales of bikestorage solutions within a matter of weeks.

Strong central and local government support for cycling

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would be implemented with planters; heavy, bulky beds filled with soil and flowers and shrubbery, which give a sense of what an improvement it might be to have patch of greenery there permanently. However, a decade of austerity and a looming recession means local authorities may be unable to take on any new ongoing costs like the maintenance liability of keeping roadside planters watered.”

The Concrete Jungle Modal Filter Planter has been designed to be a pragmatic compromise between brutalist concrete blocks and full-scale planters, which require lots of maintenance needed. Unlike planters which require very regular watering through dry spells in the summer, the Modal Filter Planters should be able to retain enough rainwater in their reservoirs to keep plants thriving for up to six-weeks with no rain.

It incorporates two large planting recesses with sloping sides that funnel rainwater into Permavoid reservoirs embedded beneath the soil. This enables the use of natural rainfall to irrigate the plants. The planter stores rainwater in the reservoirs to carry the plants through dry periods. There are overflow drainage slots at the reservoir boundary to prevent waterlogging, while wicking capillaries continue to supply water to the roots of the plants between rainfalls.

The Possible team worked with fabricator Elite Precast Concrete to adapt its Kentledge security roadblock, and with water management company Polypipe to incorporate its Permavoid water storage system.

The block features forklift slots in the base and a lifting eye in the centre to allow them to be deployed and removed using a variety of different lifting equipment.

in support of COVID-19 social distancing schemes, and an emphasis on active travel, has seen strong interest in the Armadillo secure cycle storage units, reports the company.

Designed and manufactured in the UK, the Armadillo is designed so that two of the units, each holding five bikes, can fit within the footprint of a standard off-street or on-street parking space. This feature has enabled local authorities race to re-purpose parking bays during pandemic-related street remodeling schemes.

The Armadillo units can be complemented by the installation of bike repair stations that give cyclists access to maintenance tools to ensure they can remain on the go.

Both the storage and maintenance facilities can be found using app-based maps.

Grease Monkey founder David Wray said: “It’s obviously very good news both for the company and all of those

individuals that we employ either directly or through our installation partners, although it does feels a little strange that our success comes as the unexpected silver lining to a tragic turn of events.”

Wray said the company experienced a similar spike in interest in its systems after the Grenfell tower block fire in London during 2018. The blaze alerted housing providers to the need to provide adequate secure cycle parking as a way to discourage the commonplace, and potentially lethal, practice of leaving bicycles secured in stairwells.

“A sudden rise in demand almost caught us out,” said Wray, “but it taught us to make sure all our processes were highly scaleable. Now, with the government’s response to COVID leading to a fundamental surge in cycling, we are more than able to keep up with the pressures to supply.”

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RINGGO

PARKING TECHNOLOGY Measures taken during COVID-19

How the pandemic has changed parking COVID-19 has seen local authorities adopt contactless and digital systems, says RingGo

O

ver half of UK local authorities provided free parking during the first months of the pandemic, a study by cashless parking provider RingGo suggests. The phone parking service surveyed councils across the country to better understand the impact of COVID-19 on the parking industry, what has been learned, what they would do differently and how the impact of this year may shift future priorities. The results show that during the pandemic, over half of councils (57%) across Britain provided free parking for everyone, with an additional 14% providing free parking for key workers. This coincided with an 86% reduction in enforcement, with over half suspending it completely.

To help with these changes, RingGo worked with local authorities and parking operators to ensure they could safely support the needs of motorists and employees. RingGo provided tailored signage, adjusted app experiences, increased usage of cashless options and even helped with the removal of parking machines in some areas.

Continued pressures Despite the constant change of 2020, councils indicated that many priorities and pressures have remained the same. Topping the overall parking goals list is achieving budgets (57%) and saving costs (43%), two topics that are universally at the top of this list. Maximising compliance was also a key factor with 93% saying that political considerations were driving parking policy. Another topic that has become more prominent is accessibility – 70% said ensuring good accessibility was important while 76% said it is now driving policy decisions.

Peter O’ Driscoll, UK managing director of RingGo, said: “2020 has been challenging for many of RingGo’s customers and partners.

However, it is great to see that they are taking it in their stride, learning from many of the decisions they were forced to make during the pandemic and turning these into opportunities. From embracing touchfree parking to using data and becoming more environmentally conscious, these transitions would all have taken longer under any other circumstances.”

Impact on parking policy following COVID-19

Moving forward While there is still uncertainty around the long-term impact of the pandemic, many councils are now planning for the future, reports RingGo. Moving into 2021, 72% expect to see phone-based parking payments take priority, with 56% correlating this with a reduced use of parking machines. Additionally, 56% are looking to make more data driven decisions, specifically to track sessions and income (95%) and the migration from machine to cashless payments (86%).

Tracking trends and making informed planning decisions around mobility requires information. RingGo said its data dashboards and insights have enabled councils to access statistics, generate graphs and receive real-time updates across of their parking locations.

The need to react quickly during COVID-19 has also deepened the interest among local councils to provide dynamic pricing based on availability (41%), with half saying they would like to base this on vehicle type as well. RingGo said this aligns with 78% noting that air quality is already driving parking policy. One way to offer dynamic pricing is through Emissions Based and Net Zero Parking (EBP and NZP), two services developed by RingGo which link parking charges to the emissions of the vehicle being parked.

Key findings • 57% of councils provided free parking during first months of the pandemic • 72% expect to see phone-based parking payments take priority • 56% are looking to make more data-driven decisions • 41% of councils want to provide dynamic pricing based on availability • 78% claim that air quality is driving parking policy

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PARKING TECHNOLOGY

The ParkIT terminals

The Drop & Go facility

Manchester Airport opts for ParkIT system ParkIT powers contact-free Drop & Go valet car park Manchester Airport is offering passengers an automated and contactless parking experience at its new 8,000-space multi-storey car park that houses the Drop & Go area.

The Drop & Go facility features selfservice kiosks that manage customers through the check-in. Customers’ cars are then collected and parked by the airport’s valet parking team.

On return customers scan to collect their keys from lockers and return to their cars, which are parked a short distance away.

The hardware is integrated into the ParkIT

Core Platform, which provides car park teams with operational visibility of vehicle, key and staff movements.

Wayne Poole, landside operations director at Manchester Airport, said: “We were focussed on building a fantastic customer experience and seamless operation at our newest facility. ParkIT was the obvious choice with its platform’s track record in managing several of our car parks. The process is super simple, and the kiosks and lockers look great.”

ParkIT is part of the Holiday Extras group.

Designa pay station wins design award

Martin Postler A parking payment system manufactured

by Designa has won a major international design award. The Pay Cashless terminal was awarded the iF Design Award 2020 in the Public/Retail category.

The iF Design Awards are presented annually by Hanover-based iF International Forum Design. A total of 7,298 entries from 56 countries were assessed by a 78-strong jury of international experts.

The Pay Cashless station was designed by Designa in collaboration with PostlerFerguson, a multidisciplinary industrial design agency based in London

52 | OCTOBER 2020 | PARKING REVIEW

and Hamburg. Founded by Martin Postler and Ian Ferguson, PostlerFerguson has worked with companies such as Nike, LG electronics and HF Tiretech, as well as UK cultural institutions like the V&A in London, the Museum of Childhood and the Royal College of Art. Martin Postler said: “On the surface, this is a product design award, but far more relevant are the processes, dynamics and innovations, both in terms of production and in Designa’s working methods, which led to Pay Cashless winning this award.

“Close cooperation in the design process was and is the real achievement that is being celebrated. We’ve won a number of design awards over the last 10 years with our partners, including probably the most important one in the world of design, the Design of the Year award from the Design Museum in London.

“We’ve been collaborating with Designa since 2016. It all began with a strategic view of the entire product range, which led us directly to developing the design for the Cashless, Coinless and Cash&Card pay-onfoot machine series, which was complemented with the design of the barrier system.”

ParkIT was awarded the turnkey software solution contract for the car park and partnered with ANPR International, which provided a fully automated vehicle damage recording system that captures high-definition CCTV images of customers’ vehicles when they enter the parking area.

Oliver Ashford, managing director at ParkIT, said: “I’m proud of the team’s ability to deliver this, given the ongoing challenging circumstances and how well the ParkIT platform has been improved to power a safe and secure operation post-COVID-19.”

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PARKING CONSULTANTS A-Z AN ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO EXPERT ADVICE Services include: Demand Forecasts Analysis Strategy Policy Pricing Survey Design & Execution Management Plans

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

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