Portas (December 2011) calls for more free parking and a parking league table but this is to ignore the true costs of free parking and so called ‘league table fatigue’. The Report makes no reference to some of the excellent parking facilities provided in many of Britain’s towns and cities and ignores Park Mark® the Safer Parking Scheme which is driving down crime and reducing the fear of crime in car parks everywhere.

There is no such thing as a free parking space: someone has to pay for it. To call for it is to misunderstand why parking is managed and what the true costs of this are.

It is widely known that when parking charges were abolished in hospitals in Scotland and Wales, patient accessibility didn’t improve; instead nearly all the spaces are taken up by staff and commuters to the detriment of visitors and patients. The same risks exist in town centres.

If free parking was provided it would not necessarily result in, for example, an increase in shoppers as is the experience of many towns who try ‘free parking at Christmas’ shows. It has to be provides ‘smartly’ for it to work as intended. This requires effective enforcement which costs money. It also ignores the truth that in many towns centres a large share of parking facilities are provided, not by the local authorities but by commercial businesses and private parking operators who are not in a position to provide free parking, and who often provide much better quality facilities than their public sector counter-parts.

People are prepared to pay for good customer services and quality parking facilities. They do not like to pay for poor services and shoddy facilities. Funds are needed to do this. Who should pay for it? Surely the users have a contribution to make? It is true that Out-Of Town Centres often provide oodles of free parking; that is their choice spurred on by Planning and Business Rate anomalies that encourage it. That’s where the real solutions lay; not in free parking in town centres.

Similarly a league table showing the different costs of parking throughout the UK is not helpful. It does not take into account local needs or demands and the quality of the parking provided. It also ignores the important role that public transport can play in improving town centre accessibility. That is the key ‘accessibility’ by whatever means and good quality parking facilities have an important but not pivotal role in this.

The law already requires local Councils to publish their Parking Accounts and the use of any surplus income is strictly controlled. We agree that parking accounts should be made transparent. The Traffic Management Act indicates that local authorities produce annual reports for their parking operations, and we encourage our members to do this. Annual Parking Reports should reference the benefits the high street derives from the delivery of good Civil Parking Enforcement (CPE) locally. CPE Annual Reports, or a lack of them, is a missed opportunity for many local authorities to explain why parking is managed and what they do with any surpluses generated; or more importantly how much subsidy goes into the system!

We believe in better communication with the public to ensure they understand parking regulations, why car parking often has to be charged for, how to appeal against parking tickets and also how to park considerately and sensibly. The WHICH? Guide to Parking is jointly produced by us.

Good quality, well designed and properly maintained parking provision is vital to the prosperity of Britain's towns and cities. The BPA works diligently towards this sharing best practice, encouraging fair, reasonable and legitimate parking enforcement, and the promotion of safer parking through ParkMark®.

We would encourage partnership working in local areas to ensure inclusiveness of all involved in managing operations in town centres.  This, in turn, would create transport policies which embrace and meet local needs, address environmental concerns and are holistic in their approach. 

It is also important to encourage consistency and parity between public and private parking operations to try and minimise confusion for motorists.

In summary, not free parking, but good quality, safer parking for all and a fair and level playing field between out-of-town and town centre shopping through better planning and business rate laws.

Kelvin Reynolds, BPA Director of Operations and Technical Services