Parkex 2021 Day one: The changing face of parking After warm welcomes from BPA President John McArdle and BPA chief executive Andrew Pester, the first live session dived straight into unpicking some big themes: the significance of parking in the wider mobility sphere, why it struggles to get recognition for the part it plays in enabling accessibility and what we can do about it. Spencer Palmer, director of transport and mobility at London Councils, asked why parking is not perceived as a service and received some interesting answers. Its quite faceless people dont really understand it is a service that is run and operated for them, said Dominic Millen, head of climate action and sustainability at London Borough of Enfield. Also, I dont think people really understand the value of a space. Dr Giuliano Mingardo, senior researcher, transport and urban economics, Erasmus University Rotterdam, said that communication is key we are good at telling people they have to pay, but not so good at telling them why. We need to make some friends! Along with others such as shopkeepers and landowners we have a common goal of creating wonderful urban areas where we can live, work, play. Parking is a key part of that, but we shouldnt just tell each other at events like this; we should also tell the wider world. There were examples of how other cities including Antwerp and Amsterdam are trying to balance the parking needs of residents and visitors, and a look closer to home at the John McArdle, BPA President Added value Each day there was the opportunity to join short lunch-and-learn and research sessions, to find out more about specific issues. There was an update on the ongoing, multi-agency work to tackle persistent evaders and nuisance motorists; a discussion about what effects the industry has seen following the introduction of the Breathing Space legislation, which came into effect in May; a look at the evolving world of camera technology; and the state of play on clean air zones. Delegates could also dip into the world of multivendor phone parking, voice-recognition software for parking appeals, and smart parking solutions. Research sessions covered putting polices on sustainability into practice with regard to infrastructure, and urban design. There were also numerous product displays during the event, showcasing innovation and forward thinking that will shape the sector in the future including on smart cities, data and camera technology. way Cornwall manages its parking during the summer season, when the population can swell by 300-400,000. Its about informing the public that good parking management supports our towns, economy, service and the environment, said Craig Taylor, strategic parking manager, Cornwall Council. Dr Theo Thuis, managing director innovation, Q-Park BV international head office, said he believes we need to rethink the framing of our service perhaps even including the parking fee in the services people access through parking, rather than paying for it separately. We need to have a more integrated urban-area approach and analyse the parking balance in a more modern way to give everyone access, he said. Lets talk kerbside management rather than on-street parking, mobility hubs rather than off-street parking, and mobility services rather than parking spaces. Getting the best result for our members Some of the biggest news recently, certainly for private parking operators, has been the governments response to the consultation Parking (Code of Practice) Act enforcement framework. This session saw speakers from across the BPA membership putting across their views of where some of the gaps are in the proposals and explaining more about the ongoing work the Association and its members are doing to ensure the best possible conclusion for the industry.* There is a great deal that is quite positive, but a lot that is disappointing and the lack of detail is a concern, commented Stuart Harrison, chief strategy officer at UKPC. Gary Osner, CEO of ZZPS, also picked up on the missing content: The government response doesnt refer to debt recovery at all. Will debt recovery as we know it be allowed? The government has recently announced it will hold a further technical consultation. The panel looked at the next steps for the BPA, which are focused on active collaboration and engaging persuasively with stakeholders, particularly over the proposed rate of the parking charge. Members were urged to contact their clients and write to their MPs and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to show what will happen if these changes come into effect. We now need to gather as much factual evidence as we can to support our argument that there is a value to parking enforcement and maintaining an effective deterrent, said Conor Greely, director of Carflow. Sitting at the table of change There was also the chance to see the inspirational webinar put on by the Women in Parking group.** Women, from the parking profession and outside, gathered to share their experiences of becoming more visible in industries that have traditionally not been so diverse. In order to be, you have to see, said Sara Fisher, business development manager at Ballast Nedham Parking. If we can show people what we do and share enjoyment of what we do, it will go a long way. In a discussion that ranged from being the token woman on a team through to pay disparity, being pigeon-holed, training and development opportunities, and job satisfaction, the message was clear: if we create a supportive environment, we can enable more women to achieve great things. 22 britishparking.co.uk PN July 2021 pp18-27 Parkex Review.indd 22 25/06/2021 15:50