The British Parking Awards celebrate the achievements of inspiring people
The British Parking Awards 2023 competition was launched last month aboard a riverboat sailing on the Thames. A gathering of around 150 parking professionals enjoyed catching up with friends and colleagues, as well as making new connections, while all around us London put on a fantastic show. The voyage featured some unexpected memorable moments as the Golden Jubilee was escorted by squadron of helicopters as it headed down river to Tower Bridge, which raised in salute as we sailed underneath followed by an elegant Thames barge.
One of the highlights of the evening was the presentation of a Lifetime Achievement Award to renowned consultant Peter Guest, who has spent over 50 years researching and advising on parking around the world.
On a personal note, Peter was one of the first people that I met when Landor LINKS launched Parking Review back in the late 1980s. He then become a key member of the British Parking Awards jury panel. Our ongoing conversations have been a great education in parking, and influential in shaping my own inquisitive and independent-minded approach to the subject. It is clear why so many people in the sector regard him as the parking experts’ expert.
Thank you Peter.
Mark Moran Editor
Thames riverboat
In a landmark study, PCM’s Annie Oliver has been analysing incidents of aggression against parking attendants
The human aspects of managing parking deserve more attention within the sector, writes Hannah Fuller of Unity5
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Mobility Hubs 2023 explored the planning, development and implementation of a new form of urban transport interchange 41
A look at JustPark’s new in-car booking system, Q-Park’s Visitor Parking Portal and Zatpark’s integration with 4Sight Imaging
The Royal Surrey County Hospital has built a car park that provides much needed parking spaces for NHS staff 42
A global survey reveals that motorists around the world share a desire for more accurate parking and charging data
The provision of electric vehicle charging for cars and HGVs along major routes is emerging as a major talking point
Climate change charity Possible warns a poorly planned electric vehicle charging roll-out is a threat to walking, wheeling and disabled access
Electric vehicle chargepoints are “invading pavements” with significant impacts on anyone making walking or wheeling trips, especially disabled people. This is a key concern in Streetspace Invaders, a report commissioned by climate change charity Possible with support from inclusive cycling charity Wheels for Wellbeing. Freedom of Information requests revealed that despite government targets to prioritise pedestrian space and disabled access, local authorities are allowing electric vehicle (EV) chargepoints to be installed on pavements. Best practice guidance from Transport for London states EV chargepoints should be installed on kerb buildouts in parking spaces rather than on pavements, but Possible’s research has found that London councils have installed four times as many EV chargepoints on pavements than in converted parking spaces.
The Streetspace Invaders report was written by Leo Murray, Possible’s director of innovation and engagement. He writes: “The government has set an objective for half of all short trips in towns and cities to be walked, wheeled or cycled by 2030, requiring road space to be reallocated away from private cars and towards active travel. De-cluttering pavements is officially recognised as an essential part of enabling more trips to be made by active travel.
“But the Department for Transport has recently slashed budgets for walking, wheeling and cycling improvements, while at the same time massively increasing budgets for on-street EV chargepoints and announcing that around half-a-million public chargepoints will need to be installed by 2030 in order to meet demand from drivers under net zero plans. This has created a huge pressure on
local authorities to accelerate the roll-out of charging infrastructure on UK streets, but without creating a set of conditions on where they are placed has led to many local authorities placing them in pedestrian space instead of taking parking space away from cars.”
Possible welcomes EV chargepoints, but is worried the roll-out is eating away at footways, whilst simultaneously failing to provide accessible charging for disabled drivers. “It is a new and totally avoidable access catastrophe,” writes Murray. “Pavement installations can have a profound impact on the already generally poor quality of the walking and wheeling environment for people with additional mobility challenges, particularly wheelchair users and those with visual impairments (like poor quality walking and wheeling environments including narrow pavements, cracked paving slabs, tree roots, street clutter, missing dropped kerbs and lack of tactile paving).
“The Equality Act and the obligation not to disadvantage disabled people seems to have been ignored by the public bodies funding and delivering this infrastructure. On top of this disadvantage, disabled people who do have access to cars and would like to switch to EVs find that the overwhelming majority of public chargepoints are completely inaccessible to disabled drivers. Making footways more difficult to navigate for all pedestrians also deters walking and wheeling trips more widely. Ensuring active travel is a viable option for all is just as important for meeting climate targets as changing the way cars are fuelled, but to do that, we need to be removing clutter from footways, not adding to it.”
Possible and Wheels for Wellbeing have written to the respective government agencies responsible for delivering EV charging and walking targets, the Office of Zero Emission Vehicles and Active Travel England, calling on them to come together to agree on a set of common principles with respect to placement of on-street electric vehicle charging points.
In her forward to the report, Isabelle Clement MBE, director of Wheels for Wellbeing, writes: “Recent years have witnessed significant shifts in transport policy as we move towards more healthy and sustainable ways to get around. Wheels for Wellbeing has worked hard to ensure that accessibility and inclusion for disabled people is at the heart of active travel policy and we have been very pleased with the progress we have seen. However, the pressure to decarbonise transport and clean up air quality has also led to increased focus on electric cars. Encouraging people to switch to EVs and providing the infrastructure that enables them to do so is often seen as an obvious solution. Unfortunately, this is not the case for disabled people.
“EV infrastructure built onto pavements often blocks access for disabled pedestrians who are walking or wheeling as well as causing significant trip or safety hazards. At the same time, the EV charging points themselves are often not accessible for disabled drivers, creating a double barrier to mobility. In this context, Wheels for Wellbeing is pleased that Possible has taken the initiative to undertake this detailed research to review the installation of EV charging points across London boroughs. The results do not paint a pretty picture for disabled pedestrians or drivers, but the data provides an essential backdrop for campaigning to ensure full and equitable access to sustainable travel for all.”
Streetspace Invaders makes a number of key recommendations:
• Local authorities should adopt holistic, integrated sustainable transport strategies which include short and long-term targets for both public EV chargepoint rollout and reductions in traffic and car use, alongside explicit policies to presume against siting EV chargepoints on pavements other than in exceptional circumstances – and never where installation of a charger will narrow the usable width of the pavement to less than two metres.
• Sustainable transport strategies must be geared to support access to both the pedestrian realm and to EV chargepoints for disabled people, in line with the Equality Act and the public sector equality duty.
• Lamp column conversions are a pragmatic solution for rapid, low cost, low disruption deployment of slow chargers in residential areas which does not contribute to permanent clutter. However, work is urgently needed to ensure these chargepoint designs are accessible to disabled drivers. New street furniture that may be needed to host fast and rapid chargers should always be sited on an accessible kerb buildout.
• The Office of Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV) should include assessment criteria on placement and public realm impacts for all on-street chargepoint funding awards, in particular the On-Street Residential Charging Scheme (ORCS) and Local Electric Vehicle (LEVI) fund, with clear design standards and an explicit presumption against funding local authorities to put EV chargepoints on footways. OZEV should inspect on-street chargepoint installations it has funded to ensure compliance with standards before releasing final funds.
• Active Travel England (ATE) should bring into its remit the assessment of EV charging infrastructure strategies, procurement and deployment to ensure these protect pedestrian space and support active travel. ATE should withhold support for access to wider transport funding where standards are not met. ATE should liaise with OZEV to agree a set of common principles.
The climate change charity Possible has been thinking about the fact that cars are parked for 95% of their lifespan, and how every car journey starts and ends with a car parking space. The campaign group says cars end up dominating public space, especially the kerbside, where cars seem to be prioritised over the needs of people. The charity observes: “Sometimes cars creep onto pavements and snatch away the already limited space for those who are walking and wheeling; this makes walking and wheeling really unappealing, prevents people with wheelchairs, buggies and guide dogs from getting around easily and safely – even forcing them into the dangerous roads and reinforces the desire to drive even short journeys.”
Possible says prioritising cars in public spaces leads to problems such as carbon emissions, air pollution, road danger, noise and reinforcing inactive lifestyles. The charity says: “We don’t think that’s fair. Research shows that the availability, accessibility and cost of parking has a more significant impact on car ownership rates than costs like insurance and fuel. Parking policy is therefore key to combating the climate crisis, improving air quality, promoting active, shared, and sustainable travel, making transport more accessible, and delivering safe and attractive streets.”
Because parking policy sits within the control of local authorities, Possible believes it can be used to enact significant changes at a local level. However, the charity is worried that not all local authorities are using parking policy to full effect. The charity says that council policies tend to deal primarily with permits and enforcement. However, local highway and traffic authorities can:
• control parking on residential streets, in town centres and other destinations, and are responsible for good management of streets and pavements
• manage housing estates, with the power to control parking
• operate public car parks
• set parking levels in new developments; and for front-garden parking
• hold the power to introduce local workplace parking levies on employers with workplace parking.
Possible states: “A good local authority parking policy should bring all of this together seamlessly with objectives on the environment, transport, the public realm and the economy. Good parking policy can benefit our health, the environment, as well as making it easier for those who own cars to park near their homes by getting rid of commuter and destination parking.”
Possible has created an online tool to help campaigners, residents, councillors and council officers to assess their local parking policies, and produce a Parking Action Plan which they can use to advocate for taking space away from cars and giving it back to people and nature. The charity says: “Depending on where you live, you may feel your local authority does not have a parking policy worth subjecting to detailed analysis or you may not have time to assess the parking policy in your area. If so, we’ve made it easy for you to send an local authority an e-mail to ask them to review their parking policies for the sake of people and the planet.”
www.wearepossible.org
Lambeth coordinates a nationwide Blue Badge Day of Action
Over 80 local authorities took part in a Blue Badge Day of Action last month. The focus was on supporting genuine Blue Badge holders by tackling those individuals who are using other people’s badges or abusing the system. The day of action on 26 May has been championed by London’s Lambeth Council, which coordinated work from local authorities all over England and Wales to target stolen and fraudulently used Blue Badges.
The first Blue Badge Day of Action in 2022 saw Lambeth work with 19 London boroughs. With the success of last year’s Blue Badge action day, Lambeth invited all participating councils to put police and traffic enforcement officers on the streets on the same day this month. For 2023, 82 councils took part.
Lambeth has made enforcement of the Blue Badge scheme a priority. Last year the south London council removed 62 fraudulently used Blue Badges from the borough’s streets.
This year’s day of action saw Lambeth identify 26 fraudulently used badges, including four stolen badges, three lost badges and four badges which had been cancelled due to the holder being deceased.
Lambeth will now collate all
the local figures on how many Blue Badges are inspected, how many are seized, and for which offences – to compare area with area and share good practice.
Cllr Rezina Chowdhury, cabinet member for sustainable Lambeth and clean air, said: “Lambeth was the first London borough to really address the issue of Blue Badge fraud, establishing a dedicated investigation team in 2008. Since then Lambeth Council has prosecuted hundreds of drivers for misusing Blue Badges, as well as other serious offences such as driving without insurance.
“We have acted because parking fraud and the abuse of parking services costs local authorities significant amounts of money to deal with every year, funding that could be better
spent on providing essential services to our residents.
“We have taken a zero tolerance approach and are proactive in tackling the problem. We have specialised in-house training for all of our on-street enforcement officers to help them identify fraudulent or misused blue badges.
“We also conduct our own regular on-street patrols with specially trained officers in plain clothes conducting spot checks on badges being used. Vehicles displaying badges that are being misused are towed away to our vehicle pound.
“This work not only protects parking income, but also the parking needed by our disabled motorists.”
A Blue Badge helps people with real health needs – includ-
Badge holders in Bath & North East Somerset.
On 26 May the council and One West carried out checks to 146 Blue Badges and found three instances of misuse, seizing three Blue Badges.
So far this year, the council has seized 26 badges and has a 100% prosecution rate tackling instances of Blue Badge misuse.
ing hidden disabilities such as mental health conditions – to park and get on with their daily lives. But drivers misusing Blue Badges are committing a criminal offence punishable by up to £1,000 fine. Stolen or counterfeit badge users can also be prosecuted under the Fraud Act 2006, which can lead to up to 12 years’ prison and unlimited fines.
As well as the inconvenience for disabled motorists and passengers, Blue Badge fraud means committing financial crime –falsely claiming congestion charge exemption can save £3,900 per year, falsely claiming a Blue Badge exemption for a resident’s parking permit between £50-£250 a year and misusing a Blue Badge to cheat on-street parking charges could mean more than £10,000 lost.
Bath & North East Somerset Council carried out 146 Blue Badge checks as it took part in the national day of action against misuse of the badges.
The council’s civil
enforcement officers worked with additional support on the day from the council’s partner One West.
There are currently more than 7,600 registered Blue
Cllr Manda Rigby, cabinet member for transport said: “We’re glad to support the campaign and continue our efforts against Blue Badge misuse. The disabled parking bays throughout B&NES are a lifeline to vulnerable residents and they’re reserved solely for the people that need them.
“Of course, our civil enforcement officers will continue to monitor and challenge potential instances of misuse and fraud if identified.”
Northumberland County Council joined scores of local authorities across the country to tackle fraudulent use of the Blue Badge scheme. During the day of action on 26 May the council’s civil enforcement officers were joined on their usual patrols by officers from the corporate fraud team.
Cllr Gordon Stewart, cabinet member for communities, said:
“The Blue Badge parking scheme is key for our residents with mobility problems or hidden disabilities, allowing them to park their vehicle close to their destination, either as a passenger or the driver. However, fraudulent use of Blue Badges is not acceptable and means those who genuinely need to use these parking spaces can find themselves displaced by people who do not.”
Summer visitors to a Hampshire seaside resort can use a park & ride service to reach the beachfront. Portsmouth City Council will be running its annual Southsea park & ride service daily through the summer.
The council says the service will be helping reduce traffic congestion, ensuring cleaner air and quieter streets for everyone.
People can pick up the Southsea bus by parking at the Portsmouth park & ride site for just £4, a fee that is discounted when using a smartcard.
Passengers using the Southsea service will be able to alternate with the daily park & ride bus to the city centre or Hard Interchange. Hopping on and off between the two routes with the same ticket will be permitted.The service is also being promoted as a way to explore the city’s thriving culture scene, stopping off at popular attractions
such as Charles Dickens’ Birthplace and the D-Day Story museum along its route.
The P&R service also offers an alternative journey option for commuters and those travelling through to the Isle of Wight, as well as visitors to the city centre shops, Gunwharf Quays or Portsmouth Historic Dockyard.
Cllr Gerald Vernon-Jackson, cabinet member for transport, also shared his excitement, remarking: “We know that Southsea seafront is a popular destination for everyone in the
The House of Commons Library has published a guide to parking in England. Parking in England FAQs was written by Marguerite Dallas and Dr Roger Tyers.
The guide is designed to inform MPs on themes such as: who has responsibility for parking policy; how devolution influences parking; the use of DVLA driver data; the role of bailiffs; abandoned vehicles; and wheel clamping.
It also includes sections on parking on parking on private land, including the pending code of practice for the sector.
summer, and the Portsmouth park & ride service is a great option for people to avoid parking stress and fees. Not only is travelling by bus a greener option than private cars, it can also help to reduce congestion and air pollution in the summer.”
The service will be run by Xelabus, whose commercial manager Philip Blair said: “Travelling by bus is very much a green alternative to driving in by car, helping to reduce the number of vehicles and emissions in the city.”
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Civil enforcement officers working for Hackney Council’s parking service have been brought back into council employment.
The parking service had previously been outsourced to APCOA Parking.
Parking is the latest service area to be brought back inhouse as part of the east London council’s ‘insourcing’ drive, which aims to support the local economy and guarantee fair pay for its employees.
The council says that as an in-house service the parking team will have better pay and conditions.
The parking team will also have an expanded role that will see them tackle engine idling, untaxed and abandoned vehicles and Blue Badge fraud.
In addition to their role enforcing the borough’s parking zones – helping to improve road
safety and tackle pollution –civil enforcement officers (CEOs) will also patrol school gates to enforce against engine idling and will also report fly tipping and anti-social behaviour if they come across it.
Some 54 enforcement officers are now employed directly by
the council in a new structure that will see teams work in one of three districts – north, central and south Hackney – which will mean teams have more flexibility to respond to road safety issues as they arise.
The CEOs will be supported by a team of 18 CCTV enforcement officers and six nuisance
vehicle officers, who have also been brought back in-house.
Mayor of Hackney Philip Glanville said: “We’ve long been committed to insourcing staff because it ensures they have fairer pay and conditions, which is especially important as we go through the cost of living crisis, and means we can offer a better service to local residents.
“Insourced services also tend to perform better and save us all money. It was great to join officers at the Tomlinson Centre to celebrate their return to the council.”
Cllr Mete Coban MBE, cabinet member for climate change, environment and transport, said: “Parking enforcement officers play a crucial role in promoting road safety, tackling pollution and keeping buses moving in the borough. I’m delighted that they’re now coming back inhouse so we can make the service more responsive for residents and provide greater career opportunities for our staff.”
APCOA Parking has praised several civil enforcement officers (CEOs) who came to the aid of members of the public in difficulty during May.
Two CEOs working in Sandwell in the West Midlands had stopped their car to pick up a colleague. Whilst they waited, the officers heard a noise and both turned to see an elderly lady on the ground and a male running from the scene with a red handbag that he had stolen.
The two colleagues followed the assailant up the hill in their car and then one officer exited the vehicle in order to pursue the fleeing attacker on foot. The officer subsequently returned the bag to its rightful owner.
In the London Borough of Hillingdon, an APCOA CEO stopped near an infant school on his route to change a tyre for a distraught resident who was struggling and already late for work. When prolifically thanked for his help and asked for his full name so that he could be recognised by the council, he refused, only saying that: “It is my duty as a human to help people in distress.”
The resident was sufficiently moved to contact the local council who shared the comments with APCOA.
An APCOA spokesperson added: “The officer in question works as a CEO for the borough as well as studying for further qualifications as a student. He is a great role model for our community and a real asset to our team.”
“Not all superheroes wear capes,” said Kim Challis, APCOA regional managing director UK&I. “We are very proud of the work that our CEO’s do every day, come rain or shine, and often in the face of much unwarranted criticism. These officers showed both kindness and courage and are such a valuable part of their communities.”
Motorists and residents in Peterborough are being asked to show respect for parking officers as part of a campaign to crackdown on abusive incidents.
The Cambridgeshire council is raising awareness about the positive work undertaken by its parking team. It is particularly concerned about the abuse civil enforcement officer often face whilst working to educate motorists on safe parking practices and protecting the public from dangerous parking.
The call for respect comes after 21 serious cases of abuse were reported by parking officers last year, including physical attacks, spitting and even death threats.
One civil enforcement officer said: “In the past I had twelve eggs thrown at me all at once. I had to have a shower at work because the eggs were all in my hair. If we talked to people like they do sometimes we would get reported for it.”
As well as carrying out parking duties, the team will always look to help members
of the public in distress. Earlier this year, four quick-thinking officers came to the rescue of a school pupil who had been struck by a vehicle whilst they were on duty.
Another parking officer said: “Yet despite all these things we do I normally get abuse shouted at me on average about three times a day. I normally have someone spit, if not at me, then in my vicinity at least once a week. I have been slapped once, and on one occasion someone rammed me with a bike they were riding.”
Adam Payton, the council’s community safety neighbourhood manager, parking, said: “It is completely unacceptable that our parking officers who are working hard to educate motorists across the city continue to face abuse.
“We want to raise awareness of their work and what they have to put up with in the hope that residents can treat our parking officers with respect. They are working to keep this city safe and deserve to be treated with respect.”
‘Not all superheroes wear capes’
WPS PAY, the smarter parking payment method, takes the customer experience to the next level by optimising parking convenience. WPS PAY is a flexible payment method, offering easy and instant parking fee payment by mobile phone. Searching for a pay station or waiting in the queue is now a thing of the past.
WPS PAY is the latest in parking payment technology. With this innovative approach, customers pay their parking fee directly from their mobile phone instead of at a pay station, by simply scanning the QR-code on their parking ticket, or through strategically placed signage for ANPR only parking facilities.
The customer is instantly directed to the WPS PAY platform where they can quickly pay their parking fee, with their chosen method of payment, and leave the parking facility with a smile.
Westminster City Council has taken the decision to make School Streets permanent following an 18-month trial. The central London council launched School Streets trials at a number of schools in January 2022.
The scheme aims to create safer spaces around schools during school drop-off and collection times, to encourage pupils to walk, cycle and scoot on school journeys in an environment where the risk of collision with motor vehicles is reduced.
Roads around schools during peak times are often dominated by vehicles contributing to high levels of pollution and increased risks to pedestrians and cyclists, and road safety continues to be a serious issue, particularly on the walk to school. In 2021, there were 4,301 child pedestrian casualties on UK roads.
During restricted times, some motorised traffic is prohibited to enter the School Street. Exemptions are available for residents, Blue Badge, White Badge and emergency vehicles.
As part of the interventions, extensive signage was installed at all sites and some boundary areas. Some School Streets were
also equipped with CCTV enforcement cameras over the course of the trial.
The council monitored traffic, pedestrian, and air quality levels around primary schools during the trial period. Active travel modes (walking/cycling/scooting) during the times of operation across all school locations averaged at 91.6%. Morning dropoffs saw a reduction (33%) in nitrogen dioxide during the times of operation of School Streets. This is an above the London average, said Westminster. Afternoon collections saw a significant reduction (61%) in
nitrogen dioxide during the times of operation of School Streets as well.
Eleven Westminster primary schools will benefit from the permanent School Street scheme. And the council is also looking to expand the scheme to a further five schools each year over a three-year programme.
Cllr Paul Dimoldenberg, cabinet member for city management, said: “School Streets have been successful in reducing the number of vehicles around school at drop-off and pick-up times. This will have major benefits for air quality around our
Parents in Durham are being encouraged to give up using the car for the school run and instead walk with their children to school. Durham County Council wants to reduce congestion in the town of Newton Aycliffe caused by school gate parking.
The county’s safety team is working in collaboration with Durham Constabulary’s Newton Aycliffe neighbourhood policing team and the County Durham and Darlington Road Safety Partnership.
The Walking Bubble Challenge encouraged families to walk, cycle or even scoot to school to win prizes for their class. It was launched during Walk to School Week, which ran from 15 to 19 May.
A ‘walking bubble map’ was created for each participating primary school. Each map had the school in the centre with a voluntary 100-metre no parking zone and a 400-metre bubble, equivalent to a fiveminute walk to or from the site, drawn around it. Pupils recorded on a classroom wall chart if they had walked, cycled, scooted or parked further away from the school and walked through their bubble. Prizes were awarded for the biggest
percentage uptake for a class and school, along with rewards for every school that took part in the challenge.
Cllr Elizabeth Scott, cabinet member for economy and partnerships, said: “This was an exciting challenge and it’s been great seeing all the children getting involved already. As well as being better for the environment, walking to school is great for improving physical and mental wellbeing.
“If more families choose to walk, or even
schools and make it safer for children to walk, cycle or scoot to school. I’m very pleased to announce that School Streets will now become permanent fixtures outside 11 of our primary schools and we will look to introduce more in other parts of Westminster. Westminster City Council is absolutely committed to improving road safety and encouraging sustainable and active forms of travel.”
Melissa Royle, deputy headteacher at Queens Park Primary school, said: “We’re really pleased School Streets are being made permanent. Cars used to come down here so fast and breathing in the car fumes was very unpleasant. The safety of our pupils is paramount, so this has made a huge difference.”
Amna, a parent and Queens Park resident, said: “I think School Streets is a great idea, I totally agree with it. It’s much safer for children and parents in rush hour when we’re coming to collect our children and we’re all in a hurry. It makes us all feel much safer.”
A pupil at Queens Park Primary school said: “I like the road being closed when I walk to school because I don’t have to breathe in the dirty pollution. I also feel more calm because I don’t have to rush across the road.”
bike and scoot, it will help us to reduce parking congestion at the school gates –something which is often a concern for parents and the surrounding community. Safer parking around schools keeps our children safe.”
Sergeant Andy Boyd, Newton Aycliffe neighbourhood police, said: “Inconsiderate school gate parking is an issue in every community across the country. Together with partners, we wanted to problem solve around this and creating a competition which got school pupils to encourage their parents to leave the car behind seemed like a good start. Not only could this decrease congestion and risk at school gates, but it also contributes to a healthier start and finish to the school day.”
One of the schools taking part was Woodham Burn Community Primary. Headteacher Damian Sparrow said: “We’ve taken part in the Walking Bubbles Challenge, it’s been a fantastic initiative to try and encourage children to come to school by bike, scoot or cycle. It’s massively increased the number of children who come to school in a healthy way and reduced the amount of cars that have parked on the drives.”
Detectives are investigating a string of apparently random arson attacks on cars in and around a quiet Dorset town.
Thirteen vehicles were set on fire overnight in the Wimborne and Poole areas of Dorset. Two properties were also destroyed or damaged on the night of Sunday 14 May and the early hours of Monday morning.
Fire crews worked through the night to put the fires out.
A local man, who has not been named by police, was arrested on suspicion of arson. Dorset police said in a statement: “A full investigation was launched and following a number of enquiries a local man aged in his 40s has been arrested on suspicion of arson.”
The first fire is believed to have been started in Broadstone village, on the outskirts of Poole, but the majority took place three
miles north in Wimborne.
The fire from one vehicle parked in Poole Road, Wimborne, spread to a home, almost trapping a mother and her two daughters inside a flat.
Dorset Police have appealed for witnesses and anyone with home CCTV or dashcam footage to come forward as it seeks to build a picture of the events.
Chief Inspector Andy Edwards said: “This matter has been the subject of a detailed investigation and I would like to thank everyone who responded to our appeals for information, as well as residents in the area for their patience and understanding as we conduct enquiries in the vicinity.
“We fully understand the
impact of these incidents on the victims, but also within the wider communities.
“I want to take this opportunity to reassure residents that officers from our neighbourhood policing teams will continue to carry out enhanced patrols in the area and can be approached by members of the public with any information or concerns.”
Bike thieves are acting with impunity as police forces fail to address the crime, the Liberal Democrats warn.
Analysis of Home Office statistics commissioned by the political party has revealed that in 2022, 65,809 bike theft cases across England and Wales were closed without a suspect being identified. This meant 89% of total reported cases are unsolved.
The Home Office figures show only 1,245 bike thefts reported last year resulted in a suspect being charged or summonsed, just 1.7% of the total 73,979 cases recorded.
Nine police forces across England and Wales saw over 9 in 10 (90%) of bike thefts go unsolved. The worst performing areas with the highest number of unsolved bike thefts were Sussex (95.8%), the Metropolitan Police (93.7%), the West Midlands (93.2%) and Hampshire (92.8).
The Liberal Democrats warned these figures showed the government are effectively ‘decriminalising’ bike theft,
letting criminals off the hook for the robbery of thousands of pounds worth of property.
The LibDems accuse the Conservative government of neglecting neighbourhood policing. They also say police community support officer (PCSO) numbers have plummeted under the Conservative Party’s watch, with over 4,000 PCSOs being taken off the streets since 2015. The Liberal Democrats are calling for a return to proper community policing, where officers are visible and trusted, with the time to focus on tackling local crime.
Liberal Democrat MP Sarah Olney, who commissioned the research, said: “Theft is such a personal and terrible crime. To see so many go unsolved across our communities is a tragedy. These figures show the government is effectively decriminalising bike theft in our local communities, and ministers in Westminster seem content to let it continue. We need to see a return to proper community policing, making our streets safer and ending this free-for-all for criminals.”
Buckinghamshire Council has apologised after penalty notices were issued to a car park full of vehicles.
A sign had been posted stating the Duke Street car park was closed for relining, but the car park filled up, leading to PCNs being issued en masse on 17 May.
The council admitted that car park was in fact only set to be partially closed and the penalties should not have been issued. It will cancel the enforcement notices.
Steven Broadbent, the council’s cabinet member for transport, said: “We want to apologise to the people who parked at Railway Place and Duke Street car parks in High Wycombe and who received
parking tickets during a closure of the car park.
“Whilst we do enforce parking across the county, these tickets should not have been issued and we will be reversing the parking tickets to everyone who received them.
“Only a small number of parking bays should have been closed to install the brand new EV charging bays rather than the whole car park and we did not give our customers enough notice of this action.
“We are sorry for any inconvenience and upset caused. Anyone who has been ticketed should take no further action as the notices will be cancelled, and anyone who has already paid the PCN charge will be refunded.”
Lambeth Council is introducing a new set of emissions-based charges for parking permits as part of its drive to improve air quality across the south London borough. The revised structure will ensure that drivers of vehicles that produce high levels of carbon dioxide vehicles will pay more to park across Lambeth.
Almost a quarter of Lambeth’s annual carbon emissions are linked to vehicles, despite lower car ownership levels compared to other London boroughs.
Lambeth said disadvantaged groups are even less likely to own a car, but more likely to be affected by the effects of car use such as poor air quality, climate change and road danger.
Any additional revenue generated through parking permits will be invested in helping fund activities including the provision of public transport services, highway maintenance and improvements, and environmental projects. The council said this will help sustain public transport fare concessions, including the Freedom Pass.
Lambeth will also promote low-cost active travel schemes including Try Before You Bike, cargo bike hire and child seats on bikes. Parents whose children
receive free meals will be eligible for a discount.
The new charging system will increase the number of parking bands from six to 13, to reflect the impact of vehicle emissions on air quality. It means drivers will be charged according to the car tax band of their vehicle, which is based on the CO2 emissions it produces, for both on and off-street parking permits.
The new set-up, to be brought in by a Traffic Regulation Order, will also increase diesel surcharges for all permit types and increase parking voucher charges for residents and traders. Local residents were consulted on the changes as part of a statutory consultation earlier this year.
Details of the emissions-based charging system come after the
The City of Edinburgh Council is working with NHS Lothian to highlight the positive impact clean air can have on health and wellbeing.
A Low Emission Zone (LEZ) that restricts the most polluting vehicles from driving in the city centre was introduced in Edinburgh on 31 May 2022.
Vehicles must meet the minimum emissions standards to drive within the zone, though national exemptions apply including for Blue Badge holders and emergency vehicles. LEZ restrictions will apply to motor vehicles, except motorcycles and mopeds.
It is predicted that restricting the most polluting vehicles will significantly reduce harmful emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx) from vehicles by up to
50% within the LEZ.
Dona Milne, director of public health, NHS Lothian, said: “The links between transport and health are clear and the LEZ will help to improve health and wellbeing and reduce inequalities for the people of Edinburgh.
“Tackling air quality, alongside commitments in the City Mobility Plan and associated draft Action Plans, will have multiple benefits. Health and wellbeing will be improved as a result of reduced levels of air and noise pollution; improved road safety; more inclusive opportunities for people to travel by walking, wheeling, cycling and public transport; and the increased vibrancy of local communities and economies.”
council announced a Kerbside Strategy that will reclaim public space currently taken up by parking. The council also plans to introduce climate resilient infrastructure including more trees and parklets.
Lambeth will build 25 new community parklets and is inviting residents to submit their designs to make streets greener and more pleasant public spaces.
Lambeth has spent £4.75m on its Highways Improvement Programme (HIP), completing over 25 schemes, and refurbishing some 78,000 square metres of carriageway. The council has also committed £16m to improving transport in the borough, including investment in active travel and better infrastructure.
Cllr Rezina Chowdhury,
deputy leader and cabinet member for sustainable Lambeth and clean air, said: “We were the first London borough to declare a climate emergency, and we have set a target to slash our carbon emissions to make Lambeth a net zero borough by 2030. This new emissions-based pricing structure, along with the forward-thinking Kerbside Strategy and our Air Quality Action Plan, will ensure Lambeth can continue to tackle toxic air and make our shared spaces fairer and more accessible.
“These changes will make our parking fees structure fairer and more reflective of the different levels of pollution produced by vehicles – and ensure those who pollute the most are charged the most to park.”
A Low Emission Zone (LEZ) came into force in Glasgow city centre on 1 June.
The zone – which operates 24 hours a day – covers an area of the city centre bounded by the M8 motorway to the north and west, the River Clyde to the south and Saltmarket/High Street to the east.
Residents within the zone have been given a grace period until 1 June 2024 to meet LEZ requirements. The emission standard is:
• Euro 6/VI for diesel
• Euro 4/IV for petrol/gas vehicles
• Euro 3 for motorcycles and mopeds.
Suitably certified retrofitted or repowered vehicles – where the emission standards are confirmed to a Euro 6/VI
equivalent – will also be LEZ compliant.
Fully electric vehicles meet LEZ requirements in Scotland.
Exemptions apply to: emergency vehicles; HM Coastguard vehicles; military vehicles; vehicles for disabled people (including Blue Badge holders); ‘historic vehicles’; and ‘showman’s vehicles’.
Motorbikes and mopeds are not included in the current LEZ schemes and no restrictions apply.
Non-compliant vehicles entering the LEZ are identified by using automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras.
When a non-compliant vehicle is detected in the zone, a penalty charge notice (PCN) will be issued to the registered keeper of the vehicle.
London’s bus lanes have always been used by blue light ambulances when responding to an emergency, but now vehicles such as liveried NHS patient passenger transport vehicles will be able to use them too.
Transport for London (TfL) will be working closely with London Councils to encourage all London boroughs to adopt the same approach to bus lanes on borough roads over the next few months.
Non-emergency ambulances, police cars and fire vehicles will be able to use TfL bus lanes after a trial resulted in fewer missed hospital appointments.
The trial with Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust saw reduced journey times and fewer missed appointments while having no negative impact on bus journey times.
The trial was set up to help people travel to appointments smoothly. More than 150 nonblue light patient transport vehicles were given access to over 25km of bus lanes in Lambeth, Southwark, Wandsworth and Lewisham on the TfL road network (TLRN). The trial included bus lanes managed by Lambeth Council, It took place over 12
months from February 2022.
It was found that the number of missed NHS appointments fell by around 20% and saved the trust money, with no impact on bus journey times. The trial benefited patients who are unable to use public transport to attend appointments, reducing journey times and delays.
Christina Calderato, director of transport strategy and policy at TfL, said: “Bus lanes have a proven track record of speeding up journeys, and we’re delighted to see further benefits in this trial for Guy’s and St Thomas’ and thousands of its patients.
“We look forward now to more patients across the capital being able to get to their appointments on time and supporting the vital work of the other emergency services, be it a forensics van needing to get to a crime scene or London Fire Brigade
equipment needing to be in the right place at the right time.”
There are more than 8,000 emergency service fleet vehicles that use London’s roads, meaning the Metropolitan Police Service, the London Fire Brigade and the London Ambulance Service will benefit from less congestion and faster journey times, helping to provide a better service to all Londoners.
TfL hopes that outpatients who rely on patient transport at all the capital’s hospitals will now be less likely to miss appointments with knock on savings for the trusts themselves, and improved health outcomes for many patients.
TfL has brought in measures to reduce bus journey times, previously confirming that 85km of bus lanes on the capital’s busiest roads would be in operation 24-hours a day. As part of its
The Mayor of London’s vehicle scrappage scheme now covers all Londoners receiving child benefit and small businesses registered in London.
The scrappage scheme offers financial support to help replace polluting vehicles ahead of an expansion of the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ).
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, launched a scrappage scheme worth £110m in January 2023 to support Londonbased smaller businesses, sole traders and charities, Londoners on lower incomes and disabled Londoners to replace their older, more polluting vehicles with greener alternatives. The mayor then asked Transport for London (TfL) to look at variety of options to extend eligibility for the scrappage scheme which could be rolled out quickly and support as many people as possible. This included looking at using income thresholds and giving targeted support to certain groups.
The widening of eligibility is now considered to be the fairest and most deliverable option that would support those who need support the most.
The changes include Londoners receiving child benefit. There are currently 874,710 London families in receipt of child benefit, with 578,315 in outer London. If a parent earns £50,000 a year or under, they can claim the full entitlement of child benefit, and it is still worth families claiming child benefit if both parents earn less than £60,000 a year.
The current scheme is already open to Londoners on other benefits, such as Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment. This means those eligible can include anyone single earning up to £30,000, couples earning up to £40,000 per year and anyone with children and renting.
Businesses registered in London with fewer than 50 employees can now apply.
Bus Action Plan TfL has committed an additional 25km of bus lanes, contributing to the wider goal of increasing bus speeds by 10%.
Seb Dance, deputy mayor for transport, said: “Making journeys in the capital quicker and more efficient is a key priority of the mayor’s. The trial of this initiative resulted in quicker journey times for vulnerable patients, without any negative impact on bus journey times.”
Ian Abbs, chief executive of Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, said: “Missing appointments is hugely frustrating for our patients and staff, so we are really pleased that this trial with TfL has reduced journey times by up to 16%. It is brilliant that this initiative is being rolled out more widely, meaning even more patients will benefit.”
Craig Harman, director of health and volunteering operations at St John Ambulance, said: “We support the NHS as part of our ambulance auxiliary work and allowing our ambulances to use the bus lanes when we are not responding to emergencies will improve our patients’ experience. In addition, during large events this will enable us to get our resources in the right place as quickly as possible to make sure they are ready to respond to any emergencies. We applaud this move by Transport for London.”
Currently, only those with up to 10 staff can apply. Charities operating in London are now able to scrap or retrofit up to three vans or minibuses instead of just one.
A new grace period will apply for sole traders, microbusinesses, small businesses, and registered charities who have ordered brand-new compliant vehicles, but have been informed that delivery will be delayed past 29 August when the larger zone goes live – or if they have booked an approved retrofit appointment for a non-compliant light van or minibus before that date.
The scrappage scheme will be kept under ongoing review. The Mayor has asked TfL to actively monitor applications from care workers to ensure they are benefitting from the money available.
TfL said the vast majority of vehicles in the capital are already ULEZ-compliant, so most Londoners will not need to pay the ULEZ charge, change their vehicle or retrofit their van or minibus. The latest data shows that 9 out of 10 cars, and around 8 out of 10 vans seen driving in the zone on an average day are already compliant.
Lincolnshire County Council has been instructed to apologise for its failure to consult with disability groups when implementing an active travel scheme involving the installation of parklets.
The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman (LGSCO) ruled the council had not complied with guidance over the removal of parking spaces in Louth. The council removed three disabled parking spaces from Mercer Row in March last year as part of works designed to make the town more accessible to pedestrians and cyclists. Two of the Blue Badge spaces were reinstated in August.
The ombudsman investigated the issue after receiving a complaint from a member of the public.
The LGSCO found the council at fault for failing to consult with any local disability groups
or to complete an equality assessment when designing the changes.
The council had said that specific disability groups were not easy to find online. However the ombudsman said the council had provided no evidence that it had looked for or attempted to contact any of them, adding: “There are many disability groups based in Lincolnshire that are easy to find online.”
The ombudsman criticised the local authority for poor recordkeeping and said the council should apologise to local dis-
ability groups and provide training to staff.
In response to the Ombudsman report about the levels of engagement of the Louth Active Travel Scheme with people who have greater mobility challenges, a Lincolnshire
spokesperson said: “We have apologised previously for the issue raised by the Local Government Ombudsman report, and we happily do so again to everyone affected by the points highlighted.
“The need for substantial engagement across all the sectors affected by such schemes is an important element in determining the correct options to pursue.
“With the ongoing experimental orders restricting both the traffic in the Cornmarket and parking availability on Mercer Row in Louth, we understand that – despite the pandemic restrictions in place at the time – more thorough engagement with local people, and in particular those with greater mobility challenges, could have been undertaken.
“We will do everything we can to ensure that learning from the experimental order helps shape the future opportunities in the town and across the county as far as enhancing walking and cycling opportunities are concerned.”
A car park portfolio with almost 15,000 spaces across cities including London, Manchester, Liverpool, Bristol and Birmingham has been acquired by alternative investment firm GreenPoint Partners in a £305m deal. The portfolio comprises 37 facilities in city centre locations primarily operated by NCP.
The acquisition expands GreenPoint’s European mobility logistics platform. GreenPoint will work with NCP to identify opportunities to enhance operations, implement electric vehicle infrastructure and introduce technology-enabled services.
“We are excited to expand our European mobility logistics platform with such a high-quality portfolio of metro locations,” said Chris Green, founder and chief executive of GreenPoint.
“Alongside our existing rela-
tionship with Infinium Logistics, we are building a portfolio of high quality mobility logistics assets that over time can also play an important role in the decarbonisation of transportation.”
Alexander Çakir, partner and co-head of real estate at GreenPoint, said: “With our exceptional team, deep technology expertise and the support of a group of like-minded invest-
After leading the launch of electric vehicle chargepoint operator Liberty Charge, and overseeing its subsequent re-brand to Believ, Neil Isaacson will be leaving the company to join a business in the hydrogen industry.
Perran Moon, chief marketing officer, will become interim chief executive officer until a permanent CEO is appointed later this year.
During his time with Believ, Isaacson has helped to secure investment to take the business from concept to becoming an established chargepoint operator in the space of three years. Isaacson said: “My journey with Believ is one that I will always remember fondly, and I am proud of what we have achieved. The team we have built is extraordinary – a group of people
who care so much for our goal of cleaner air for all, and work tirelessly to build our proposition.”
The company is a 50:50 joint venture between Liberty Global and Zouk Capital, which is the manager of the HM Treasury-backed Charging Infrastructure Investment Fund (CIIF). Believ partners with sister company Virgin Media O2 in the deployment of charging infrastructure, enabling the installation of chargepoints at scale and pace throughout the UK.
Believ predicts it will have 4,000 sockets installed by the end of 2023 and has already delivered more than 2.4 million kWh of charge. Initially focussed on supporting local authorities in meeting residents’ EV charging needs, Believ recently launched a new B2B proposition.
ment partners, we are well positioned to invest in improving these assets to create a marketleading UK parking and charging platform.”
The car park deal marks the third investment between GreenPoint and Ivanhoé Cambridge. The transaction has also seen new investors Ivanhoé Cambridge and Greater Manchester Pension Fund (GMPF) joining GreenPoint
alongside existing investor GCM Grosvenor, which has increased its commitment on behalf of its clients.
Cllr Gerald Cooney, chair of the Greater Manchester Pension Fund, added: “At GMPF, we are dedicated to being a long-term, responsible investor in businesses that have a positive impact for our members and communities, and we look forward to working with GreenPoint to deliver mobility and logistics solutions across the UK.”
Shoosmiths’ real estate investment team acted for the seller on the £305m sale. The Shoosmiths team was led by real estate partner and co-head of the firm’s investment group, Nathan Rees, supported by principal associate Chris George and associate Kathryn Kinsey.
Shoosmiths worked alongside Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, which advised on corporate and financing matters. Gowling WLG acted for the buyer.
ChargeUK has been launched as the trade association for the UK’s EV charging industry. The organisation brings together 18 companies installing chargepoints.
As the sector continues to increase the availability of charging and to accelerate investment and delivery, ChargeUK said it will work collaboratively with government and other stakeholders to break down barriers and shape the policies and regulation needed to enable transition.
Osprey Charging Network’s chief executive Ian Johnston is the inaugural chair of ChargeUK. “The formation of ChargeUK is an exciting day and is a demonstration of the electric vehicle charging industry’s growing size and importance to the UK economy,” he said.
“Together we are investing billions of pounds to get more chargepoints in the ground right across the country. These numbers reinforce our commitment to the UK’s net zero future.
“We will continue to be a proactive partner to government as we deliver a
world-class charging infrastructure, giving the nation’s drivers confidence to transition to electric vehicles.”
Transport decarbonisation and technology minister Jesse Norman welcomed the new body, saying: “The launch of ChargeUK shows how industry working together, alongside the government, can release private investment, improve delivery, raise standards and promote the use of electric vehicle charging infrastructure for drivers across the country.” www.chargeuk.org
Founding members
• Be.EV
• Believ
• BP Pulse
• char.gy
• ChargePoint
• Connected Kerb
• ESB
• evyve
• Fastned
• Genie Point
• Gridserve
• Ionity
• Mer
• Osprey
• Pod Point
• PoGo Charge
• RAW Charging
• Shell Recharge
MiPermit will become the headline partner of Swindon Town FC for the 2023/2024 season. The Robins currently compete in EFL League Two, the fourth tier of the English football league.
The MiPermit cashless parking service is provided by Chipside, a company based near Swindon in Wiltshire. MiPermit enables car park operators to accept electronic payments for public parking, resident and visitor permit and season tickets.
MiPermit branding will now appear on the front of all three shirts for the 2023/2024 season.
This is MiPermit’s third year backing the club. Over the past two seasons, projects have included match day activations with community and school groups to more recently working together on setting up a new structure for the car park at The County Ground following the
club’s purchase of the stadium earlier this year.
Swindon Town FC commercial manager James Watts said: “We are delighted to announce MiPermit as the new headline partner for Swindon Town FC in what is already shaping up to be an exciting season on and off the pitch. It is great for the club to be involved with a brand that is growing not only nationally but internationally and we look forward to working together over
the next 12 months and beyond.”
Simon Cheung, head of business development at Chipside, said: “The continuation of our partnership gives us a fantastic opportunity to help grow and support Swindon Town FC as a strong local business. We look forward to working with a club which has a good forward vision and a fantastic community spirit. MiPermit are proud to be a partner – COYR!*”
*Come on you reds!
ZZPS, a company that specialises in the collection and management of unregulated debts, has been listed in the Sunday Times Best Places to Work 2023 list.
The newspaper states: “Training is part of the job for staff of parking ticket debt collection agency ZZPS. The entire 29-strong workforce at the Surrey-based firm has achieved their Level 3 NVQ in notice processing.
“Those being chased for payment of often controversial parking fines may feel less enthusiastic about ZZPS employees’ professional qualifications, however.
“There are also workshops on topics such as conflict management and GDPR legislation. Bacon sandwiches and pizza lighten the mood and staff can work from home if needed.”
The Sunday Times Best Places to Work list recognises organisations who have consistently high levels of employee experience and wellbeing in the UK.
We currently supply and have vacancies around the UK for Permanent and Temporary positions:
Unity5, a software company working in the parking and environmental management sector, has revamped its Zatpark product brands.
The new identity is designed to enhance recognition of Unity5 as a technology provider whose mission is “Making the complex simple”.
The project sees Zatpark, Zatmobile, Zatpermit, Zatkiosk and Zatenviro receiving new brand marks and identities.
The new brand family seeks to help delineate corporate and product entities.
The branding reflects the link between the main Unity5 brand and the product brands, a link reinforced via the colour palette, a more modern brand mark and supportive imagery.
Dave Herbert, chief executive officer, Unity5, said: “We have adopted an approach that combines recognition of the value of our product brands in
their respective sectors, whilst ensuring that each brand entity is mutually supportive.
“Unity5 has its foundations firmly in the technology sector and our aim is simply to make complex business processes simple in whichever sector we support.
“The brand evolution is a long time in the making. Over the past 10-plus years, Unity5 has established its credentials as a leader in the delivery of software-as-a-service (SaaS) parking management solutions. Our new product brands are much more representative of a philosophy which aims to make complex business processes simple.”
Unity5, founded in 2010, is a SaaS technology company. Based in Exeter, the company has focussed on developing technology solutions for business and consumer environments.
• Civil Enforcement Officers
• Environmental Enforcement Officers
• Parking Back Office (Appeals/Notice Processing/Correspondence)
• Parking Change Management
• Interim Parking Managers
• Car Park Attendants/Marshalls/Stewarding
• Parking Supervisors (Both Enforcement and Back Office)
• Parking Management (Both Enforcement and Back Office)
• Heads of Parking/Directors
• Parking Technologies (Business Development and Project Managers/ Field Service Engineers/General Managers)
• Off Street Parking (Business Development, Contract Managers and Regional Managers)
• CCTV Operators – SIA and BTEC qualified
Looking for staff or need employment?
Please contact our experienced team on:
Tel: 0203 668 5680
Email: parking@unity-recruitment.co.uk
Web: www.unity-recruitment.co.uk
Showcasing excellence, celebrating success
Winners to be announced at the Royal Lancaster London, 15 September 2023
Supported by
Category sponsors
www.britishparkingawards.co.uk
The British Parking Awards comprise competitve categories and a set of special trophies, including the EVolution Awards, a section devoted to the emerging electric vehicle infrastructure sector.
The Parking Person of the Year award is open to all local authorities and private operators that may nominate an individual parking employee who has consistently made an outstanding contribution to the industry and represents a ‘model of excellence’.
The Rising Star Award shines a spotlight on people who have made parking their career of choice. The recipients may be young employees or recent joiners of any age.
The Parking Team of the Year Award recognises the excellent work of both on-street and off-street parking operations. It is open to teams working in both the public and private sectors.
The Outstanding Car Park Operation Award recognises car parks that are managed, designed and maintained in a way that makes the start and end of each driver’s journey a pleasant experience.
The Communication Award recognises imaginative, engaging and informative approaches to communicating with the public and other organisations. It encompasses advertising campaigns, websites, social media and publications.
The Back Office Award shines a spotlight on the excellent work of back office teams working for local authorities, private parking operators, transport consultancies and civil enforcement agencies.
Parking can be a challenging profession. The Front Line Award is dedicated to parking personnel who engage with drivers and the general public as a part of their day-to-day activities. This award will recognise excellent customer service, communication skills and community engagement.
Partnership working is vitally important in the parking sector. The partnership may involve pairings or groups of local authorities, companies, professional bodies, campaign groups and other stakeholders.
Parking is an essential public service and can be a positive contributor to local communities. The Parking in the Community Award recognises people working within the parking sector who have engaged with and supported their local communities.
The Parking Technology Award recognises advances in the systems used to manage parking. The innovation will be a piece of parking hardware, a device or a wider system that makes the management of parking more efficient and/or customer-friendly.
The Best New Car Park Award is a site-specific category that recognises outstanding design and construction techniques that turn car parks into landmark structures.
The award for the Best Car Park Renovation reflects how car parks can be transformed into inspiring buildings with a genuine social value and can host a variety of uses.
These are special awards reflecting key themes.
The School Streets Award is a special award that recognises innovative approaches to managing the kerbside and wider street scene in a way that creates vibrant and healthy town and city centres.
The Safer Spaces trophy recognises the many ways in which parking policy, design and management practice can help improve the quality of the environment and encourage a sense of wellbeing.
Parking is an essential urban service without which towns and cities would cease to function. The Connected Parking Award will be presented to a person, organisation or project in the UK or internationally that is fundamentally rethinking and reinventing the way in which parking is planned, designed, provided, experienced and marketed.
The recipients will be selected by the jury from either the field of entries or the wider parking sector.
The MiPermit Inspiration Award recognises individuals and organisations that have made a significant contribution to improving parking. Inspiration Award recipients are exemplars of excellent practice that have inspired colleagues, clients and the wider parking community.
The Lifetime Achievement Award will be presented to a parking professional who has made an outstanding contribution to the sector over the course of their career.
This award will be presented to an exceptional entry that has impressed the jury.
The world of parking and EV charging are connecting. This convergence is covered by EVolution, a new channel developed by the Parking Review team to look at zero-emission travel.
The EV Technology Award will recognise the development of innovative approaches to providing electric vehicle charging infrastructure, systems and services.
The EV Chargepoint Provider Award will recognise the work being done by organisations enabling drivers of electric vehicles to recharge on their journeys. The category is open to chargepoint network operators, parking operators and specific destination managers providing EV charging facilities.
The EV Champion of the Year is an individual or organisation that has had a significant impact on progressing the transition to zero-emission driving. The recipient may be a policy-maker, campaigner, technologist, business or organisation.
The British Parking Awards 2023 competition was launched aboard a riverboat sailing on the Thames. The cruise was a spectacular showcase of London at its best, with the City of London, Docklands, Greenwich and the South Bank looking luminous in the evening sunlight. The voyage featured some dramatic moments – as the good ship Golden Jubilee set sail from the Palace of Westminster a squadron of military helicopters provided an unofficial flypast and Tower Bridge raised in salute as we sailed underneath followed by an elegant Thames barge.
Peter Guest has over 50 years’ experience as a transport planner. He is regarded by many as the parking experts’ expert. Over the past half-century, his career has covered all aspects of national transport policy, municipal parking policy and operations, car park design, parking systems and equipment design and specification, parking, law, enforcement and demand management.
His career started at the Greater London Council during the 1970s, where he was involved in the evaluation of urban road schemes including work on the development of an urban form of COBA. He was responsible for the 1977 Through Traffic Survey that measured traffic crossing central London and was involved in studies to investigate road pricing and demand management in London. From 1981 he was involved in the development of strategic parking policies and the development and introduction of new measures to deal with illegal parking. While at the London Strategic Policy Unit (LSPU) during 1986-87, Guest prepared responses to various government consultation papers. He was technical advisor to the London Boroughs’ Transportation Scheme, and he became involved in a study of weigh-i- motion systems and advised government and industry on parking issues.
Next came a move into consultancy, initially with MVA, then the Hill Cannon Partnership and, for the past 20 years, as an independent. As a consultant he has worked in India, South East Asia, Europe, the Middle East and for American clients.
Guest has published many articles and papers and has lectured in Portugal, Brazil, China, Croatia, the USA, UAE, the Philippines and in the UK. He writes for the US magazine Parking Today, has coauthored a book on traffic engineering, and the Institution of Highways and Transportation’s Parking Strategies and Management, published in 2005.
He was a member of an Institution of Civil Engineers working party redrafting the ICE’s publication Recommendations for the inspection, maintenance and management of car park structures, published in 2018. He was also a member of an European Parking Association (EPA) task group responsible for developing the European Standard Parking Award and was a member of the Institution of Structural Engineers group working to update their car park design manual.
Guest was a member and later chairman of the British Standards Committee responsible for parking equipment and he also led the UK delegation to the equivalent EU CEN committee.
Guest was a member of the executive council of the British Parking Association (BPA) for many years and served as BPA president for 2006-07. He was a member of the EPA Panel of Experts and secretary of the group responsible for the EPA Standard Parking Award. He is also an Honorary Member of the Croatian Parking Association.
For many years, Guest served as judge in the British Parking Awards with special responsibility for the Best New Car Park and Best Car Park Refurbishment awards.
And when not studying and planning parking, he loves driving a classic car as a member of the MG Car Club and owner of a 1955 MG Magnette ZA Saloon. Long may they drive.
It is no secret that parking is an emotionally charged subject and, unfortunately, frontline workers, parking attendants often face the brunt of this emotion. The safety of parking attendants is an issue rarely discussed but one which has become more prevalent in recent years. The Peterborough Telegraph recently reported that abuse is worsening against parking attendants with one warden detailing the assault and abuse they were facing on a regular basis. The newspaper article reported that there had been 21 serious cases against parking officers in Peterborough in 2022 alone (Source A).
In November 2018, Parking Control Management (PCM) began recording incidents and asked our parking attendants to report such occurrences. Since this time, PCM has recorded dozens of serious incidents. However, this does not include routine abuse and aggression which has not been reported. It appears there is an aspect of ‘desensitisation’ to abuse faced and so, to gain more insight into the prevalence of violence and aggression towards wardens, PCM conducted a survey among its operative workforce.
The survey asked nine questions and has had a total of 41 respondents. This feature will analyse the results of the survey and discuss the impacts that violence and aggression towards parking attendants.
We need to better understand the prevalence of violence and aggression towards parking attending, writes Annie Oliver of Parking Control Management (UK)
The first two questions of the survey were as follows:
Q1. In the last 12 months, have you been subject to physical violence while at work?
Q5. How often do you feel unsafe while working because of the risk of violence or aggression?
Q2. In the last 12 months, have you been subject to verbal harassment while at work?
The answers above demonstrate that this problem is not only prevalent, but it is regular and the issue does not appear to be improving. 92.5% of respondents reported that incidents of violence and/or verbal abuse occur at least several times a month and 67.5% reported that they occur at least once a week.
Taking the first question, it is shown that 68.29% of parking attendants had been subject to physical violence whilst carrying out their duties. Findings from the 2019/20 Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW) revealed that an estimated 1.4% of working adults were a victim of violence at work once or more during the year prior to their interview (Source C).
If this were to be taken as an ‘average level’ of violence at work in England and Wales, PCM’s initial data would suggest that parking attendants are subject to almost 50 times the average. The CSEW also reported that respondents in protective service occupations (such as police officers) faced the highest risk of assaults and threats – a rate of 8.4%. PCM’s data shows parking attendants face over eight times this level.
Although there does not appear to be comparable data with regards to purely verbal abuse, there are some industry-specific studies, namely relating to retail. In March 2022, the Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers (Usdaw) released the results of its annual survey into abuse, threats and violence towards shopworkers. These results showed that 90% of respondents had experienced verbal abuse in the year prior (Source C).
While markedly closer to the data collected by PCM, there is still a significant margin, with parking attendants experiencing more than 5% above these levels.
The next three questions of the survey were:
Q3. If you answered yes to either of the previous two questions, how common are these incidents?
It is clear that the risk of violence and aggression is everpresent in the working lives of parking attendants, with 92.68% of respondents reporting that the frequency of incidents had remained the same or indeed, increased. Equally, some 44% of attendants reported feeling unsafe often or very often owing to the risk of violence and aggression.
Question six focussed on police response to incidents and asked: Q6. How far do you agree with the following statement: “The police are supportive when incidents happen.”
It would seem to be a logical suggestion that should one experience violence or aggression, they should contact the authorities, however, only 26.83% agreed or strongly agreed with the statement that the police are supportive when incidents happen. Saying this, the results show less of a consensus than previous questions, perhaps suggesting somewhat of a ‘postcode lottery’ as respondents are based in varying locations across England and Wales. It may also suggest that individuals have had mixed experiences, sometimes finding the police to be supportive and, in other cases, not helpful.
It is also worth noting that, in some cases, data alone cannot demonstrate the true picture. In late 2021, PCM codified reports on three instances whereby their operatives had experienced a sub-par service from the police.
These case studies are detailed below.
Q4. Do you feel the frequency of incidents has increased, decreased or stayed the same?
Incident summary: While patrolling a residential development in Thamesmead, the operative was approached by a female on a motorised scooter who subsequently spat at the operative as she rode past.
Police response: Following the incident, PCM raised the issue with our instructing client who identified the suspect immediately. They asked us to pass their contact information to the police so they could provide this information to them. PCM duly did so.
On 15 September 2021, our client notified us that they had not received any contact from the police. In turn, the presiding officer claimed that they could not get hold of the client, despite all contact details provided being correct and the client denying this claim. On 20 September 2021, PCM emailed the officer
haveexperienced physical violence in the last year
haveexperienced verbal harassment in the last year
“Why don’t they call the police?”
Only26.8% ofrespondents agreed or strongly agreed with the statement
“Thepolicearesupportivewhenincidentshappen”
Whathelps themfeel the MOST safe
Ability to issue postal PCNs (51%)
Body camera (19%)
regarding the matter and subsequently, the client attended their local police station to provide the information held.
By 12 October 2021, the operative had not had an update and so PCM chased the police in this regard. On 16 October 2021, the operative received a call from the police in which they were warned that should the sergeant feel the evidence is insufficient, no further action will be taken.
In late October, a suspect was detained and questioned, but allegedly they were not the person in the footage and so released without charge. However, our client maintains that they correctly identified the suspect.
Unfortunately, our operative has since tested positive for Hepatitis B, but the police officer managing the case has maintained that this is not connected to the incident as the operative said the spit hit their hand.
To date, no further action has been taken.
Incident summary: After issuing a parking charge notice (PCN), the operative returned to his vehicle and was approached by the driver of the enforced vehicle and his friend. They began to question why the ticket was issued through the car window and became verbally aggressive before the driver punched through the operative’s vehicle window, smashing the glass over the operative.
Police response: At the time of the incident, the operative immediately left site and called 999. He was informed that they could not help him as it was not an emergency and that he should call 101. He did so and provided his information and he was advised he would be called in 2-3 days.
A week later, on 19 August 2021, a call was received from the police but a formal statement was not taken. Subsequently, PCM’s head of operations spoke to the police and all evidence was supplied on 20 August 2021.
On 27 August, a PC replied advising that she could not access the evidence provided and asked if she could attend PCM’s office to obtain it. The address was supplied to which the officer advised
said these incidents occurred more than several times a month
feel unsafe becauseof violence/ aggression often or very often
Feltthatraceorgender was a factor 51.22%
When asked how often incidents have a discriminatory element 44.83% of respondents answered always or usually
How has the frequency of incidents changed?
that she is based in Luton and asked if there was a more local office for her to attend. She was advised that all PCM premises were in Slough. The PC asked whether the footage could be uploaded via the GoodSam app. We created an account on GoodSam and replied to the officer asking how long it would take for the account to be activated.
Owing to no reply, on 10 September 2021 PCM chased a response. Again, no response was forthcoming and so PCM lodged a formal complaint with Bedfordshire Police. At this stage, we were told that an officer would be contact. Yet again, no contact was received and so the complaint was chased on 12 October 2021 and it was requested that the matter be escalated.
On 1 November 2021, a call was received from a detective sergeant who advised that the PC had filed the case as closed but it would now be re-opened. The detective sergeant provided his email address and all evidence was sent.
Our operative was contacted on 9 November 2021 and the police advised that they did recognise the offender, but they believe he has moved out of the area and will now try to locate him.
Incident summary: After issuing a PCN to a vehicle parked contrary to the terms, the driver aggressively approached the operative and threatened him. The operative asked him not to be rude and explained he was simply performing his job and began to walk away. The driver again shouted back at the operative who repeated he was doing his job role and so, the driver ran back up to the operative, pushed his body camera and punched him in the face, resulting in a fractured eye-socket and jaw. His injuries have had lasting effects on his sight, which will require further medical intervention.
Police response: Immediately after the incident, the operative called 999 and subsequently waited three hours before the police attended the scene and took his statement. PCM raised the incident with our instructing client who obtained CCTV footage and identified the suspect. On 3 November 2021, the overseeing
officer was emailed for an update and informed that we have evidence/information that would prove useful for the investigation. Four days later, the officer responded requesting the body camera footage. Within 24 hours, PCM responded providing the details of the suspect and requested a means to provide the evidence.
While a suspect was eventually arrested, no charges were brought and there have been no further developments since June 2022. Unfortunately, the suspect continues to harass the operative on a regular basis.
The next two questions of the survey were on discrimination based on race or gender and asked:
Q7. Do you think race or gender has played a role in violence/aggression towards you?
Q9. Which of the following help you most in feeling safer?
Q8. If you answered yes to the previous question, how often do incidents have a discriminatory element?
By a considerable margin, the most popular answer was the ability to issue postal PCNs. Not only is the ability to issue postal parking charges entrenched in law, but it is a vital tool for the safety of front-line parking personnel and as above, parking attendants feel it to be of most help in keeping safe in the course of their duties. The feeling on this was best summarised by one of the responses on the option for ‘other’: “The body camera is a great help but the ability to be able to issue postal PCNs makes a significant difference. CCTV is also important but these days people are not worried about getting caught for hurting people and do not care if it is on camera. They will film such things themselves if they have the chance and wear any consequences of their actions like a badge.”
While it is acknowledged that the sample size of the survey was limited, it undoubtedly still provides valuable insight into the unacceptable levels of violence and aggression faced by parking attendants. It is a matter that is rarely discussed but in the words of the spiritual teacher Eckhart Tolle: “Awareness is the greatest agent for change.”
PCM has a fairly diverse operative workforce, with only 16.67% of parking attendants identifying as ‘White British’. The most represented nationality is Romanian, comprising 73.81% of parking attendants. It very well may be the case that this high proportion of non-British operatives somewhat skews the picture for the prevalence of racially motivated discrimination. This is not to say that discrimination and indeed racial discrimination is not an issue at play – as above, 44.83% said that incidents always or usually have a discriminatory element.
To further this point, below is a case study detailing one of the most striking incidents with a racial discrimination factor.
On 19 June 2019, PM016 was patrolling a site in Croydon. After swearing and shouting racist abuse at her, a man proceeded to throw dog excrement at the operative. This excrement hit the operative in the face, getting into her eyes, mouth and ears. This matter was reported to the police as a racially motivated assault, although no action has been taken by the authorities.
In terms of gender, men make up 69.05% of PCM’s parking attendants, whereas women make up 30.95%. According to CareerSmart, women make up less than 15% of the overall parking attendant and civil enforcement officer workforce (Source D). Therefore, PCM’s above-average representation of women among its parking attendants may somewhat skew the true picture of discriminatory incidents. However, equally, it may very well be the general low representation of women within the sector that gives rise to such discrimination.
While somewhat anecdotal in nature, it has been reported to PCM by female attendants on several occasions that they have noticed that some motorists feel they can ‘bully’ the female parking attendants more so than their male colleagues.
The final question of the survey asked what helps respondents the most in feeling safe.
Annie Oliver is legal and compliance manager at Parking Control Management (UK) www.parkingcontrolmanagement.co.uk
Sources
Source A: www.peterboroughtoday.co.uk/news/crime/peterborough-parking-warden-sayspeople-have-said-they-wish-his-kids-get-raped-as-abuse-worsens-3901573
Source B: www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/causinj/violence/work-related-violence-report.pdf
Source C: www.usdaw.org.uk/CMSPages/GetFile.aspx?guid=58134021-0c81-416c-a93821f5cc2d8f7a
Source D – https://careersmart.org.uk/occupations/equality/which-jobs-do-men-andwomen-do-occupational-breakdown-gender
Patrolling has always been an essential part of the parking ecosystem. However, the parking sector as a whole arguably does not spend a lot of time talking about patrolling.
Patrol officers provide the public with the human face of what is often perceived negatively, and play a crucial role in making sure the user experience is a positive one. This is particularly important in private parking, where there is a choice about which car park to use, so the better the customer interactions with those attendants on the ground, the more likely they are to be repeat customers.
Unity5 hosted, Changing the Face of Patrolling, a webinar that centred around the role of local authority civil enforcement officers (CEOs) and car park attendants, their importance, the challenges they face, how the parking sector is supporting them, and the impact that innovations in technology are having. There has been a huge amount of change and improvement in recent years which we felt warranted some attention.
We had representation on the panel from both the private and public parking industries. Sarah Naghshineh, director, RCP Parking, and Ash Snookes, parking services manager, Leicester City Council, were joined by Tom Palin, product delivery specialist here at Unity5, while I chaired the session.
There was a great deal of discussion, and many questions asked about how uniformed CEOs can be protected from offenders who become hostile when fined. It is a perennial problem and we talked about how the use of body-worn cameras can often defuse tense situations. These, along with automatic number plate recognition (ANPR), are examples
of how cameras can provide a buffer between the CEO and the public and how technology can work alongside, rather than replace, human beings.
Ash said that it is important that local authorities provide everything they can to keep their officers safe, and that Leicester works closely with the police who also take incidents of abuse seriously. Both Ash and Sarah highlighted the need for the industry itself to work hard to change the perception, counter negativity and build a more positive image which, in turn, should help the officers to go about their jobs without fear.
Tom took us through some technical options, such as ANPR scanner functionality on a handheld device, which can be used to scan a vehicle registration for observation or for an instant issuance, speeding up vehicle entry and reducing the chance of any customer negativity. Using this, the CEO would still need to exercise their own judgement before issuing a fine, something that Sarah pointed out was not always possible with the tech on its own. The integration of a software enforcement solution, such as Zatpark, with ANPR technology can also be a real benefit to an operator as the data gathered can be used in the back office to analyse when the key times are at different locations, and where increased patrolling might be required.
Sarah highlighted how patrol officers deployed across RCP sites do more than just manage parking contraventions. They are tasked with managing the general cleanliness of sites and we discussed how customer experience has become part of their role.
Ash agreed that for local authorities the local authority CEO role extends beyond just
parking, and they become an essential first point of contact between the council and the public. However, there might be additional experience and expertise required to manage different offences such as waste management and neighbourhood concerns.
Recruitment can be a challenge in frontline roles because of this, but streamlining operations so that parking and environmental enforcement are combined can lead to cost savings and efficiencies.
One key point that was made more than once was that digital transformation doesn’t mean losing that personalised service that CEOs or attendants provide.
The forthcoming, and much anticipated, code of practice for parking on private land will impact the role of patrolling. Sarah said that more reporting, better auditing and a different way of handling complaints is likely to be required. Software is going to be critical to deliver on new key performance indicators, but ultimately the industry will benefit as these improvements will increase the positive perception of what parking operators do and the services they offer.
Everyone agreed that people in parking are critical but technology can improve their ability to carry out their duties safely and effectively. It is not an either/or situation and in order to recruit well we all need to raise awareness of the positive aspects of the industry and the roles our officers undertake.
Hannah Fuller is head of strategic partnerships at Unity 5.
Changing the Face of Patrolling took place on 18 May 2023. It can viewed on the Landor LINKS Live YouTube channel.
Webinar report: The human aspects of managing parking deserve more attention, writes Hannah Fuller, head of strategic relationships at Unity5Sarah Naghshineh Ash Snookes Tom Palin Hannah Fuller
Mobility Hubs 2023 connected professionals developing new approaches to urban mobility
Mobility hubs are spaces where public, shared and active travel modes are colocated alongside improvements to the public realm. They enable travellers to make smooth and safe transfers between different modes, swapping private cars for shared vehicles, bikes, buses, trains, scooters or walking.
When reimagined as mobility hubs, car parks and park & ride sites are no longer just somewhere to store vehicles. Instead they become genuine interchanges. Meanwhile, the provision of electric vehicle (EV) charging points at mobility hubs supports the transition to zero-emission vehicles.
The emergence of service hubs is also seeing car parks being transformed into logistics bases for last-mile delivery services, click & collect locations and homes to dark kitchens and dark stores.
The second annual Mobility Hubs conference took place in London on 17 May. The event saw speakers and expert panels explore the design, implementation and operation of mobility, electric vehicle and service hubs. The day drew on real-world experience and showcase best practice from around the UK and internationally. In parallel to the conference an exhibition area showcased innovative systems and services for this emerging sector.
Mobility hubs are a concept that has been embraced by local authorities, public transport operators, shared mobility service providers and car park operators alike.
Chair: Simon Lusby, technical director, head of transport & sustainability, City Science
Making a business case for mobility hubs
Trevor Brennan, project lead, England’s Economic Heartland
Mobility hubs and liveable neighbourhoods
Grace Solsby, principal consultant, City Science
How mobility hubs enable accessibility
Olga Anapryenka, principal consultant, new mobility, Steer
The importance of first-mile solutions
Julian Scriven, managing director, Brompton Bike Hire
Consultants, academics and technologists explored how mobility hubs are inspiring new ways of thinking about connecting more sustainable travel options with an improved urban realm.
A panel of developers, architects, construction companies and urban designers discussed creating mobility hubs in car parks, in town centres, as part of regeneration schemes and at the kerbside.
Chair: John Dales, director, Urban Movement
Mobility hubs and transport decarbonisation
Mark Selby, director, Project Beyond Consortium
Data issues for identifying where mobility hubs should be located John Austin, researcher and working
partner, University of Plymouth
Planning a mobility hub from scratch Lucy Farmer, assistant transport planner, and Freddie Lewis, graduate transport planner, Stantec
Mobility hubs as part of an urban expansion
David Knight, director, transport planning, Norman Rourke Pryme
Chair: Mark Moran, editor, Parking Review
Repurposing multi-storey car parks as mobility hubs
Fiona Petch, architect, director, Fatkin
From car park to mobility hub
Markus Lauble, managing director, HUBER Car Park Systems
Creating a kerbside hub
Habib Khan, founder & director, Meristem Design
Investing in mobility hubs
Matt Griffiths-Rimmer, director of communications and partnerships, Hadley Property Group
Experts from the transport, shared mobility and electric vehicle sectors looked at mobility hubs as locations where a range of services can be provided, including car clubs, EV charging, cafés, retail units and click & collect services.
Chair: Peter Ramsey, technical director, future mobility, WSP
How drivers spend their time while they are charging: why you need a mix of rapid and slower EV charging to benefit local shops and outlets
James Cowan, head of sales, Compleo Charging Solutions UK
The final session was a panel discussion which explored what directions the design and operation of mobility hubs could take. There was a feeling among the participants that there was merit in retaining the current flexibility of the concept, which encompasses bespoke facilities, reimagined
car parks, enhanced rail stations, park & rides and an evolution of kerbside parklets.
The debate included some observations by Alex Merriman, a senior policy advisor at the Department for Transport, who made copious notes to feed into the government’s developing thinking on mobility hubs as an place where public
Mobility hub classification and accreditation
Matthew Ledbury, senior policy and advocacy officer, CoMoUK
Mobility hubs: A new role for petrol stations and motorway service areas
Kris Beuret, director, Social Research Associates
transport, active travel, shared mobility schemes and electric vehicle infrastructure can intersect.
The day’s proceedings are available on the official website and already shaping the programme for Mobility Hubs 2024.
www.mobilityhubs.uk
A new multi-storey staff car park is now open at Royal Surrey County Hospital in Guildford. The development provides an additional 194 parking spaces in total, with 50 further bays now allocated for public use on the main hospital site.
The opening of the car park means that 40 staff spaces at the front of the hospital have now been reallocated from staff to visitors, as well as an additional 10 spaces reallocated for oncology patients at the back of the hospital near Royal Surrey’s St Luke’s Cancer Centre.
Ross Dunworth, the Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust’s deputy chief executive said: “I am hopeful that our parking provision will now finally match the high quality of care that we provide. I am sure that this will be extremely welcome news for our community who have struggled to park in good time for their appointments and found it stressful to come and visit loved ones.
“I am also delighted for our
dedicated staff who have had parking issues. I am really hopeful that this multi-storey will be a vast improvement. Thank you to our local community and to Guildford Borough Council for supporting this much needed build.”
Patients and staff played an important role in the success of the planning application by offering their support during public engagement. Over 1,200 responses were received on the
feedback survey that accompanied the online engagement event for the project. Half of the responses were from hospital
staff and the remaining came from the wider community with 99% agreeing that more parking was needed at the hospital.”
The car park was created for Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust by developer Prime.
Bob Smaylen, development director at Prime, said: “This development milestone marks the culmination of two years of complex work to meet the needs of the trust and Royal Surrey County Hospital’s patients and visitors to create a facility that supports outstanding outcomes for the local health system.”
VINCI Building constructed the car park and is continuing with works on adjacent land, previously used as a temporary car park, to create a new private oncology centre. Construction works on the new GenesisCare cancer centre and research hub are due to complete this autumn with fitout to follow. The cancer centre will have its own dedicated car park to serve patients and staff of the new centre.
Jason Griffiths, regional director at VINCI, said: “Delivering the project has been a great team effort. This scheme will deliver great outcomes for the hospital and the NHS.”
A multi-storey car park forms a key part of plans to regenerate part of Newcastleunder-Lyme’s town centre
The York Place scheme will see the creation of a public open space, shops and offices, a 100-bed hotel and the 450-space Castle car park.
The projects jointly form part of a £30m regeneration of the Ryecroft area, which also includes an Aspire development.
In 2020 Newcastle-under-Lyme secured £11m from the government’s Future High Street Fund for the Ryecroft development blueprint, with £3.5m allocated to the car park development and £3m for York Place.
Simon Tagg, leader of Newcastle-underLyme Borough Council, said: “York Place holds an important position, linking the important Ryecroft project to the wider town centre and its transformation will be significant, both in its own right and as part of the wider regeneration of the area.
“Equally important is the delivery of the new Castle car park, which is the cornerstone of the Ryecroft development because its presence will lift the town: a large, well-lit and safe car park will encourage people into Newcastle day and night and, in due course, allow us to redevelop the old Midway site and some other car parks.”
Building company Willmott Dixon will demolish an existing building in York Place and clear the way for two shop and office buildings, with the public open space created between Ironmarket and Merrial Street. It is hoped that construction of the car park will begin in August and the facility will be open by May 2024.
Cllr Tagg added: “Supporting the long-
term vitality of Newcastle town centre is a permanent priority and the bringing together of these diverse projects on two adjoining sites will increase footfall and boost local shops, restaurants and businesses. While these schemes will inevitably take a little time to come to fruition, I am delighted we are on the way to making them a reality.”
Tuesday 11 July 2023
Civic Centre, Barras Bridge
Newcastle upon Tyne
Hostedby:Programmedwith:Sponsoredby:Supportedby:Organisedby:
Local authority teams from across the North of England and beyond will be heading Civic Centre's awe-inspiring Banqueting Hall for a day of topical debates and networking.
The 2nd North East Parking Show is a forum in which issues such as traffic management, clean air zones, event management, parking payment trends and career development will be discussed. The event will also let parking management teams meet leading technology and service suppliers, who will have an opportunity to showcase their latest products and ideas. We look forward to meeting you and your colleagues at this must-attend event.
Key themes:
l Civil parking enforcement
l Moving traffic regulation
l Clean air schemes
l Training and skills development
l Event management
l Car park management
l Supporting local business and communities
l Partnership working
l Payment technology
l Parking permits
l Electric vehicle charging
Exhibitors include:
Delegate rates:
Private Sector delegates
£195 + VAT
Academics & Charities
£95 + VAT
Local Authority delegates
For further information and to book online visit:
www.landorlinks.uk
JustPark has added an instant booking feature that directs traffic into empty parking spaces and works across a number of different platforms . The multichannel approach means that JustPark’s entire network of private bookable parking spaces can now be found where people need them the most, in their driving seat.
The new suite of proprietary in-car and voice products seeks to improve the discoverability of empty parking bays for drivers whilst in their car, which tends to be the most stressful part of their journey. JustPark says this is the first time a parking app has addressed this demand.
The products are designed to deliver a double benefit, relieving drivers from their peak parking anxiety, whilst at the same time freeing car parks from having to just rely on passing trade.
A recent TechInsights survey of nearly 5,000 drivers globally, cited that details of parking space availability has overtaken traffic information as the top requested in-car connected service for drivers. The new services offered by JustPark make its app compatible with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and both
iOS Voice and Android Voice Access.
To facilitate the products, JustPark has updated its booking process and incorporated a new instant booking feature across the JustPark website, app and in-car products. Within their chosen app drivers will now be shown up to three convenient spaces they can immediately book, drive to and pay for in a few, simple taps.
Parking options are suggested by JustPark’s proprietary recommendations engine using multiple data points to find users the best available space within a short distance. All car parks currently signed up to JustPark will be promoted via the Instant Book service.
JustPark says the new prod-
ucts offer benefits to car park operators, including:
• an opportunity to offer special pricing tariffs to JustPark’s instant book drivers – encouraging fuller capacities
• improved insights and data on driving behaviour
• new customer acquisition channels
• the new products are already integrated into most barrier and automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) systems.
Anthony Eskinazi, chief executive and founder of JustPark said: “JustPark was born out of the knowledge that there are a lot of frustrated drivers out there, driving around looking for a parking space and often passing empty driveways and private car
Car park operator Q-Park has launched a Visitor Parking Portal designed to provide a more seamless customer journey for offices, hotels and event venues.
Q-Park took a consultative approach when devising the portal, working with its local stakeholders to use its technological assets to create a service that meets the needs of destinations.
The Visitor Parking Portal enables businesses to enter the name, email address and number plate (if known) for their visitor. The visitor then receives an e-mail with all the information they need to have a seamless parking experience using Q-Park’s PaSS automatic number plate recognition system.
The visitor is also able to
either add or change the number plate through a link on the e-mail giving ultimate flexibility. The visitor does not need to make any payment at the car park, this is invoiced to the business post-parking. This allows for them to either pay for the parking for their guest or alternatively build this into their product pricing.
John Denton, Q-Park’s head of commercial, said: “There has been an ever-growing demand
from local businesses for a system where they can book parking for their visitors or delegates digitally.
“There are numerous reasons for this, one being the lack of trust in public transport following the various industrial strikes recently.
“Many businesses want to be able to improve the customer journey and pre-arrange parking as part of their overall service package. This results in a stress-free parking experience which will only improve the chance of repeat visits.
“This latest innovation shows that the digital world continues to evolve and we are delighted to spearhead that revolution in the parking sector. We look forward to working with our partners to bring this to market.”
parks that could be better utilised. In fact, spaces where their owners could be making money themselves.
“The in-car technology we have incorporated into our app allows us to truly tackle this initial business mission, helping drivers to safely find an empty space when they need one. Logically a parking app belongs in a car, and through the introduction of Instant Book and the new products it is powering, we have opened the app to every possible usage option, making JustPark the perfect co-pilot.
“The new suite of platforms and product announcements from JustPark offers drivers even greater flexibility and convenience for their everyday parking needs, and will sit alongside their current pre-booking options. JustPark covers 50,000 private driveways, private business car parks, as well as local public car parks – giving drivers a varied choice of empty spaces at their fingertips, without them needing to drive around to check availability – saving driver’s time, fuel and frustrations.”
JustPark was established in 2006 and now connects more than 12 million drivers with 50,000 parking spaces owned by householders, parking operators and local authorities looking to monetise their unused driveway and parking capacity.
Parking management technology provider Unity5 has integrated its Zatpark platform with vehicle identification software developed by 4Sight Imaging.
Martin Cowley, strategic key accounts manager at 4Sight Imaging, said: “The work we have done with Zatpark results in a powerful, accurate and high-value approach to parking management and control.”
Jono Clark, technical services lead at Unity5, said: “As we grow the Zatpark automatic number plate recognition ecosystem, we are able to offer more systems with scalable software-as-a-service (SaaS) solutions that have a positive impact on complex business processes, making the complex simple across all the car parks our clients manage.”
The majority of drivers regularly struggle to locate parking and electric vehicle (EV) charging locations, which means motorists around the world are seeking greater in-car parking and charging functionality, according a new survey. The 2023 Global Driver Survey was completed in May by market research company Borderless Access, which collated the responses of 5,454 motorists worldwide, including 2,225 EV owners.
The survey reveals drivers would value features that help them find available parking and EV charging destinations and to be able to pay for these through their vehicles.
Finding available parking spaces is a significant challenge worldwide, with 92% of respondents highlighting difficulties in locating parking and 8% globally stating this occurs every time they look for available parking, also reflecting an underutilisation of embedded connected services shown across the board.
Meanwhile, the survey reveals, 18% of US motorists have difficulties on every parking search, with significant differences between states: 58% of drivers in New York, 47% in California and 46% in Texas face parking challenges “very frequently” or “all the time”, whereas this number drops to 23% in Ohio.
Nearly half of global respondents deem parking information as extremely or very important, including 67% of American drivers and 72% of US EV owners. Meanwhile, only 3% of global respondents considered parking information as not important, with an even lower figure in the US. As a result, 77% of global respondents say that they would value having a vehicle that offers integrated parking services, enabling them to navigate directly to parking locations. This includes 86% of global EV drivers, rising to 91% of US EV owners.
Just as drivers worldwide showed a strong desire for their vehicles to help them find parking, a similar proportion want their vehicles
to assist with locating EV chargepoints and facilitating in-car payments. Charging anxiety is a well-established concern among EV drivers, but the latest Global Driver Survey highlights just how significant an issue this is – both for automakers looking to increase uptake of electric models and for drivers themselves, who stress about charging in public.
More than 90% of EV drivers worldwide feel anxious about finding somewhere to charge away from home, with that figure hitting 91% in Europe and 92% in the US.
Unfortunately, charging anxiety is not an unfounded fear, with 44% of EV drivers reporting that they have run out of charge and 22% finding themselves stranded multiple times. These figures are particularly high in the US, with nearly half of EV owners running out of charge and a quarter ending up short of their destination with a flat battery multiple times. Meanwhile, 1 in 5 European motorists have run out of charge more than once.
Contributing to this problem, 92% of EV drivers worldwide flagged how they struggled to locate charging points away from home, with 22% highlighting this as a very frequent or constant issue for them. This second figure jumps to a substantial 35% for American EV drivers, highlighting a significant need for technology to help drivers locate suitable charging points.
Demonstrating the scale of the problem, half of US EV drivers fail to locate specific EV chargepoints at least once a month, with 22% saying that this is a weekly issue. Nearly half of EV drivers globally have encountered occupied or “out-of-order” chargers while looking to plug in their vehicles. This is a particular issue in the US and Germany, with around one-third of drivers in the two countries also experiencing issues physically accessing chargers.
Not only did respondents highlight that finding parking is a significant issue in many countries, but they also wanted more accurate parking information. Nearly 1 in 5 drivers in the US complained of difficulties with finding parking on every journey.
Charging an electric car is not only a stressful experience for many EV drivers, but it can also be expensive, with many EV owners being issued unexpected parking fines while charging. 58% of EV drivers surveyed have received unexpected parking fines while charging their vehicles, including 68% of US EV
owners, highlighting the importance of clear and accurate parking and charging information. The survey also revealed that EV owners deem parking information more important than drivers of petrol and diesel vehicles – likely due to the extended stay times and higher risks of parking fines while charging.
Crucially, more than half of EV drivers who have received parking fines while charging believe that more accurate information would have actually prevented them from being fined. Some 39% of drivers cited in-car payments as a solution to this problem –the most requested option – thanks to the combined benefits of being able to pay for parking and charging simultaneously.
Nearly half of American EV drivers reported running out of charge, with this occurring multiple times for a quarter of US EV drivers. Consequently, US motorists have a particular interest in in-car payments to simplify the payment process when they do manage to find a suitable charger. Nearly 90% of global EV respondents would prefer to have a vehicle that offers the ability to locate public EV charging and navigate directly to these, including 91% of US EV owners. These features are no longer regarded as ‘nice-to-haves’ but essentials for EV owners that affect their future vehicle choice according to the survey data.
Globally, nearly 9 out of 10 respondents say they would be more likely to purchase an EV if it had a ‘park & charge’ functionality, enabling them to locate chargers, get associated parking information, navigate directly to these and pay for charging (and parking), all via their vehicle’s media system. For 92% of current US petrol and diesel car owners this would reduce the anxiety of buying an EV. Meanwhile, 96% of existing EV drivers say that combined park & charge features would make them more likely to get another EV. In-car activations and payments for charging are also seen as valuable standalone features with 84% of EV drivers valuing these.
In-car commerce is a rapidly growing industry, with connected vehicles now offering drivers the ability to pay for services such as parking, EV charging, road tolls and even food, directly from the vehicle. Demand for these features continues to increase, with 60% of global respondents valuing vehicle-centric in-car payments and 48% wanting ‘single sign-on’ access across providers, enabling them to access multiple service providers through one account in their vehicle.
American drivers have the strongest desire for these features, with 70% of US motorists surveyed wanting vehicle-centric incar commerce and 61% valuing single sign-on.
Reviewing the most requested in-vehicle services, 64% of global respondents would value having in-car payment options for parking, while 75% of current EV drivers would like to be able to pay for EV charging through their car. American drivers again are particularly keen on having these features, with 68% valuing in-car payments for parking and 81% of US EV drivers wanting to pay for charging from their car. Interestingly, nearly double the amount of respondents requested vehicle-centric options as opposed to food choices for in-car payments.
Commenting on the survey results, Eugene Tsyrklevich, founder and chief executive of Parkopedia, said: “We know that finding parking and charging can be challenging in many countries, however, we were surprised by the consistency, scale and breadth of the problems reported by motorists around the world in our latest survey. This highlights the importance of automakers addressing these concerns directly and providing accurate data and the most desired connected services.
“Currently, locating parking and charging is not only an inconvenience, but a significant stress and cause for anxiety for many drivers, with surprisingly high numbers of EV drivers reporting running out of charge and being stung with parking fines when they do manage to find a charger. With today’s connected vehicles, we believe that these situations can, and should be avoided, by providing trustworthy and accurate data and services to drivers, so if desired, they are able to successfully transition to EVs, or at least complete their journeys with ease.”
Determining the availability of parking near a destination has become the most requested connected car service by drivers worldwide, according to a new survey carried out by TechInsights. The report evaluated 28 connected car services by inviting 4,990 drivers worldwide, including 1,723 Chinese drivers, to rank their interest in each in-vehicle service.
The survey results show that the most popular in-vehicle features among Chinese drivers include assessing the availability of parking near their destination, route optimisation and traffic conditions, and weather conditions that may impact the route. Among these, in-car parking information had a probability of choice for 66% of Chinese drivers surveyed as the most valuable connected car service. Filtering by vehicle brand, it was also revealed that owners of mid- to highpriced vehicles request parking information features more than owners of lower priced vehicles.
The survey found that drivers in China with larger vehicles (large and SUV) rank reserving a parking space before arriving at their destination as the fifth most important feature, while smaller vehicle drivers expectedly rank it lower in priority. However, across all vehicle sizes, drivers increasingly expect parking space availability to be seamlessly integrated into the in-vehicle navigation process.
Unlike the US and Western European drivers surveyed, drivers in China are generally well aligned on what the most important use cases are when age is considered. The top two features requested by Chinese drivers in all age groups are: finding an available parking space near their destination and automatically predicting and navigating frequently travelled routes. In addition, for many younger Chinese drivers, in-vehicle payments have gone from an “optional” feature to a “strong” need. Overall, interest in payment tasks across all demographics continues to increase year-on-year.
The report highlighted that in-vehicle features such as in-car gaming, e-mail editing and sending, social media integration and trip management are generally low priority in China and the rest of the world, even though a growing number of connected cars are now equipped with these features.
Neil Wu, Parkopedia China business development manager, said: “China has a deficit of around 80 million parking spaces, which makes finding a space challenging in major cities across the country. Therefore, it is not surprising that Chinese drivers flagged parking availability information as their top connected car priority in the survey. Despite this, automakers in China are still failing to meet driver demand with their connected car offerings. In Parkopedia’s latest China Driver Survey, connected car services in general were received positively by the majority of drivers whose vehicles had them. However, 1 in 7 Chinese motorists were not even aware whether their car includes parking information services. Consequently, OEMs need to ensure they provide the right range of connected car services to address driver demand and better communicate the features that are fitted to their vehicles to ensure motorists are maximising featured technology and services that enhance journeys and increase brand loyalty.”
The government looks unlikely to meet its target of having six or more rapid or ultra-rapid electric vehicle chargers at every motorway service area in England by the end of 2023, the RAC has warned.
Less than a quarter (23% – 27) of 119 motorway services reviewed by the RAC on Zapmap currently have the target number of chargers to serve the UK’s estimated 760,000 battery electric vehicles.
The RAC’s research found there are around 400 high-powered charging units situated at motorway services capable of charging 682 electric cars at one time. This means there is currently an average of just over three (3.4) rapid or ultra-rapid chargers at motorway services.
When looking at the number of connectors these devices have, there is an average of nearly four (3.8) of the most commonly used CCS (Combined Charging System) connectors and just under two (1.8) CHadeMO connectors, which are predominantly used by drivers of the popular Nissan LEAF.
Some six motorway services in England do not have any high-powered chargers. These are Leicester Forest on both sides of the M1, Tebay South on the M6, Carlisle Northbound on the M1, Strensham Southbound on the M5 and Barton Park on the A1(M).
The government’s Taking charge: the electric vehicle infrastructure strategy, published on 25 March 2022, sets out an intention to accelerate the roll-out of highpowered chargers on the strategic road network through the £950m Rapid Charging Fund so that EV drivers have confidence in the ability to undertake longer journeys.
Mirroring a government policy paper from May 2020, the document explicitly states: “We will ensure that every motorway service area has at least six rapid chargers by the end of 2023, with some having more than 12.”
Currently, there are only six services in England which have more than 12 such devices. These are Exeter on the M5, Rugby on the M6, Reading East and West on the M4, Thurrock on the M25 and Wetherby on the A1(M).
The document also says rapid chargepoints, which can add around 100 miles of range in 35 minutes, are already widely available along England’s motorways and major A roads and that drivers are never more than 25 miles away from a rapid chargepoint. It adds: “Many operators of motorway service areas have embraced the ambition to install six high powered chargers by the end of 2023. Over 70% of England’s motorway service areas now have a plan to deliver this, and we will continue to work with site operators to ensure that every site is reached.”
Latest charging statistics from Zapmap show the UK has 42,566 charging devices of which a fifth (19% or 7,928) are rapid or ultra-rapid. Looking at this figure
that government will not hit 2023 target for electric vehicle charger provision at motorway service areas
against the RAC’s research reveals that only 5% of all these high-powered chargers are at motorways services. The government says it expects there will be around 300,000 public chargers of all speeds as a minimum by 2030 and more than 6,000 high powered chargers along strategic roads by 2035.
Forecasts in the Competition and Markets Authority’s report Building a comprehensive and competitive electric vehicle charging sector that works for all drivers suggest that at least 280,000480,000 public chargepoints will be needed by 2030.
The government believes the Rapid Charging Fund provides a “pivotal opportunity” to open up the market at motorway service areas as well as increase charging infrastructure available to drivers. It says: “The commercial case for high-powered chargers can be difficult, particularly where connecting to the electricity system is expensive and timeconsuming.” The government says that significant steps have been taken across government to address connection issues.
RAC EV spokesperson Simon Williams said: “Our findings show there is much work to be done before the end of the year if the government’s target of having six high-powered chargers at every motorway service area is to be met. Installing these types of units is not straightforward as connecting to the electricity grid is expensive and time-consuming, but clearly more needs to be done to make this process simpler than it is currently. While we understand the government is taking steps to expedite matters, the importance of ensuring sufficient high-powered charging is readily available up and down our motorway network can’t be
emphasised enough.
“As a lack of charging facilities is rapidly becoming one of the most widely quoted reasons for drivers not going electric, all parties involved in making installations happen must work together to overcome this obstacle. We have long argued that rapid and ultra-rapid charging is vital to give drivers confidence they can make journeys beyond the range of their vehicles in the most time efficient way possible. While early-adopters have been prepared to plan their journeys carefully around recharging stops, the everyday driver will want this to be much easier and quicker.”
Rapid charging operator Gridserve has challenged the findings in relation to its network, saying it is set on delivering high-powered chargers at all Moto and Roadchef locations by the end of 2023.
A spokesperson said: “This is not straightforward, and there are issues outside of our control, particularly relating to the timeframes for energising new grid connections. However, we have the funding, the supply chains, the partnerships, and the expert teams all inplace to meet Gridserve’s contribution to delivering the government’s 2023 target.
“In fact, Gridserve has already delivered over 70% of the High Power Electric Super Hubs identified in the RAC report, and given we are less than halfway through the year, and we have the considerable momentum with dozens of additional sites in and entering construction over the next few months, at least from Gridserve’s perspective, we would suggest that the RAC report is a little premature.”
Transport for London (TfL) has awarded Zest a contract to roll out new electric vehicle (EV) charging bays near key routes used for essential road journeys typically made by high mileage, commercial users – including taxis and freight.
The Zest contract is part of TfL’s EV Infrastructure Delivery Programme, which aims to deliver on the Mayor of London’s pledge to unlock land owned by TfL and other members of the Greater London Authority, including the London Fire Brigade, the London Ambulance Service, and the Metropolitan Police, as well partners in the NHS, to increase the density of the rapid charging network across the city.
The 39 new bays will be installed at 24 locations spread across south and south-west London in Bromley, Greenwich, Hammersmith and Fulham, Kingston, Lambeth, Lewisham, Merton, Richmond, Sutton and Wandsworth
David Rowe, TfL’s director of investment delivery planning, said: “These 39 bays are the start of our new programme to boost the number of rapid charging points in the capital by making public land available to private sector providers to support those making the switch to zero emission vehicles. More rapid charging points are key to encouraging people and businesses to make the transition to electric vehicles, giving drivers confidence that they have a place to power up in a short period of time.”
The roll-out will be completed at no cost to TfL, with its partner
Zest set to fund the capital and operational costs of the programme. Zest will provide and operate the chargepoints for 15 years, with no financial costs or operational overheads for TfL.
Under the terms of the contract, TfL will receive a share of charging revenues and a ground rent for the use of its land.
Zest is backed by the government-sponsored Charging Infrastructure Investment Fund (CIIF), the £420m public-private fund whose mission is to be the catalyst for large-scale EV infrastructure projects. Robin Heap, chief executive of Zest, said:
If the logistics sector is to decarbonise effectively, in line with the government’s 2050 net zero deadline, more support will be needed to enable operators to do so, according to a report by business group Logistics UK. The organisation’s Electric Vehicle Report 2023 argues that factors including a lack of fiscal support and an inadequate public charging network are having a significant impact on the confidence of operators to invest in electric vehicles (EVs).
In 2022, EVs represented 0.9% of the UK’s van fleet, up from 0.3% in 2019. While the majority of the businesses surveyed for the report – 62% – plan to have decarbonised their van fleets by 2030, significant barriers remain that prevent the uptake needed ahead of the deadlines.
David Wells, chief executive of Logistics UK, said: “The logistics sector is fully aware of its responsibilities to decarbonise and is keen to do so. However, with respondents reporting wide ranging costs to upgrade their energy supplies to depots – between £100,000 and over £1m – a lack of meaningful scrappage schemes, acquisition costs on the rise and volatile energy prices, it is an uphill battle that cannot continue without increased support from
government.
“Our industry operates on very narrow margins of around 1% and with significant inflationary pressures, increased wage bills and the rise in total road vehicle operating costs, logistics businesses need supportive fiscal measures to be able to upgrade their fleets and energy supplies without having to pass on increased costs to customers.”
With all respondents citing energy supply as their top priority, the business group is also calling for a fair and equitable approach to funding depot electricity connection. “Significant frustration was expressed by our members who regularly use current public chargepoints, with respondents reporting difficulties in finding available EV chargepoint spaces and many encountering broken or inoperable chargers,” Wells told attendees at the Logistics UK conference in May.
“With further issues surrounding the suitability of existing charging facilities for commercial vehicles, Logistics UK is calling for an EV charging and refuelling infrastructure roadmap to be prioritised.
“The UK needs an injection of serious infrastructure to meet its net zero goals, and it is farsighted public sector organisations who are taking the lead. Placing rapid and ultra-rapid charging points directly onto London’s high-volume arterial roads will make it easier for drivers to choose electric and improve the air quality for local communities.”
London has 103,000 plug-in electric cars and vans already registered in the capital. With close to 13,000 chargepoints, London currently has 31% of all EV charging infrastructure across the UK, more than any other UK region.
As of February 2023, London has the most public rapid chargepoints of any European city. Around 880 are rapid or ultrarapid charging points that deliver a full charge within 30 minutes – including 300 units delivered by TfL.
As part of its Electric Vehicle Infrastructure strategy, TfL’s modelling predicts that if current demand continues, the city will need at least 1,600 rapid chargepoints by 2025 and up to 3,900 by 2030.
This must be designed in collaboration with operators, backed with clear guidance and incentives for local authorities. A significantly accelerated roll out of public charging infrastructure that is fully accessible to commercial vehicles, with clear milestones for minimum levels of suitable chargepoint provision across the country, must be an urgent priority for government if our industry is to meet its net zero priorities by 2050.”
The cost and availability of new electric vehicles is also a concern for the logistics sector, with long order deadlines and no viable scrappage schemes putting heavy cost burdens on businesses, particularly SMEs. Wells concluded: “The lifecycle of a vehicle is carefully worked into any logistics business’ budget, to ensure continuity while keeping costs down. Our members should not be expected simply to write off the cost of any vehicles they operate –which could run to thousands of pounds for every operator: a supportive scrappage scheme should be in place to ensure that logistics businesses can stay on the roads without incurring further, punitive costs.”
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