Safer Parking Scheme

The Safer Parking Scheme is an initiative of the Associations of Chief Police Officers aimed at reducing crime and the fear of crime in parking facilities.

Safer parking status, Park Mark®, is awarded to parking facilities that have met the requirements of a risk assessment conducted by the Police.

These requirements mean the parking operator has put in place measures that help to deter criminal activity and anti-social behaviour, thereby doing everything they can to prevent crime and reduce the fear of crime in their parking facility.

For customers, using a Park Mark® Safer Parking facility means that the area has been vetted by the Police and has measures in place to create a safe environment.

A copy of the Assessment Guidelines can be downloaded here.

The BPAs involvement with the scheme

The scheme is managed by the British Parking Association (BPA) and supported by the Home Office and Scottish Government.

Who can join the scheme?

The Scheme is open to everyone with an interest in the reduction of crime and the fear of crime in society. Parking facility owners/operators who join the Scheme are from a variety of commercial and public sectors and a whole range of parking facilities are covered by the Scheme.

How much does it cost to join the scheme?

To become a member of the Scheme there is an annual fee of £50. This entitles you to all the benefits listed below.

There is a charge for registering each facility that qualifies for the Park Mark® Safer Parking Award. A sliding scale exists that provides a discount relative to the number of facilities you wish to register as follows:

How to become a member of the Safer Parking Scheme

There are two types of membership as follows:

Full membership is designed for operators/owners of parking facilities, and entitles you to a host of benefits. The majority of Safer Parking Scheme members hold this category of membership.

Affiliate membership has been created for professionals such as consultants, architects, planners and others who dont operate car parks but who provide advice and design services to parking facility operators/owners. This membership entitles you to all the benefits full members enjoy at a cost of £50 per annum.

For an application form please contact the Safer Parking Team on 01444 447318.

How to achieve Park Mark® Safer Parking Award status

There are two steps to achieving your Award:

• Become a member of the Safer Parking Scheme and receive consultation services of our expert Development Managers who will help you get your parking facilities to the required standard.
• Have your parking facility assessed for the Award. Accredited Police staff will visit your site and assess your facility against the Safer Parking Scheme criteria. Your Development Manager will assist you through this process.

Once your facility has passed the assessment you will receive the Park Mark® Safer Parking Award and will then be entitled to all of the benefits that come with being an Award holder.

In terms of producing Park Mark® signage for parking facilities please see our list of licensed suppliers.

Key scheme membership benefits

• Demonstrating to your customers a commitment to creating a high quality parking facility that feels safe and has measures in place to reduce levels of crime.
• The consultation services of our expert Development Managers who will work with you to bring your parking facilities to the required standard to achieve the Park Mark® Safer Parking Award.
• The services of specialised Police Officers that will come and assess your facility to ensure that it reaches Park Mark® Safer Parking Standards.
• Belonging to a nationwide government backed scheme to reduce crime and improve public services.

Key award holder benefits

• Holding a prestigious award that benchmarks your parking facility as being one that has measures in place to reduce crime and the fear of crime.
• Free listing of your parking facility on the Park Mark® website.
• Promotion of the Park Mark® Award through nationally run advertising and PR campaigns.   

A new guidance leaflet has been produced covering information on this topic and providing resources for Park Mark® Award holders. Click here to download