Parking enforcement I was really touched when a resident came out of her house with a cold jug of water on a tray and offered it to the ocer. Just for a while, it was a different world that backed the decision-making process. The move was welcomed by cyclists, walkers and customers who use public transport, but it was slammed by shop owners and many motorists. Sandwells experience offers just one illuminating example of the ambiguity that is rife among high-street users. Businesses frequently petition for free parking to encourage people into the town centres. This is problematic when all the free parking is taken up by the workforce and visitors struggle to fi nd parking spaces, thereby reducing the attraction of visiting the town. Chris Wade, director of the People & Places Partnership which offers guidance to local authorities on town centre revitalisation can see both sides of the story. In our work with local authorities and town centre businesses, we always present enforcement as a necessary part of balancing parking supply and demand, so that high streets can thrive, Wade says. The period of the pandemic has muddied that water, with fluctuating demand and changing charging policies Get involved The BPAs Selfish Parker campaign was launched in October to help members raise awareness of inconsiderate and anti-social parking. Alison Tooze, BPA membership development manager, says: We hope that putting an emphasis on the importance of motorists respecting others, thinking before they park, and not behaving selfishly will help us to start a different conversation about the role of the parking sector. To find out more, email alison.t@britishparking.co.uk You can download resources for the Selfish Parker campaign at bit.ly/PNDec20lead2 added to which, businesses are under ever greater pressure to make ends meet. As a result, and especially in periods, and for places, when parking demand is currently low, town centre customers and businesses are more likely to perceive enforcement as an unnecessary evil to manage the supply. This could change with a busy December. Patel believes consultation will help overcome differences. Local authorities should always be open and consult with everyone who is affected [by a decision], she says. Everyone with a stake in the local community residents, businesses, visitors needs to have a say and buy into an idea. The current climate is presenting us with an opportunity to engage with our service users; we must build on this connectivity through community-focused platforms to forge stronger ties and enhance understanding. Subliminal messaging Back in Bournemouth, Taverners approach to changing hearts and minds is to take to social media and use a range of channels and platforms to get across a continuous, subliminal message. We have to keep banging the drum and help people make a connection between keeping traffic moving and enforcement, then it becomes easier to get the message across, she says. When people are paying off-street parking charges, they need to realise they are helping services to run. There is a big disconnect between what local authorities do and what the public seems to think they do. Most people have no idea about the variety and breadth of local authority services. *For more on the situation faced this summer by BCP Council and others, see bit.ly/PNDec20lead1 16 britishparking.co.uk PN Dec 2020 pp14-17 Lead.indd 16 23/11/2020 16:05