View from the regions around 4pm and then everyone stays for a drink and to continue the chat. Its a full day we finish about 6pm, but its always so worthwhile. I have recently retired from the local authority sector and, at the meeting, people said they wanted to go out to mark the occasion with me. So, we are going to hold a proper group social event and go out together for the evening. It shows the value of these meetings in making strong connections and forming friendships with people from all parts of the sector whom you otherwise would not get to meet. North East Regional group: Steve Foster, chair It was fantastic to meet up with everyone again face to face. Everyone felt the same: being able to walk around a room and see people you have only seen on a screen for the past two and half years was great I even met some who I havent had a chance to have a Teams meeting with yet. The insight you gain from just spending five minutes chatting to someone is invaluable. We had our regional managers meeting in the morning and the wider BPA group meeting in the afternoon. The BPA team also sat in on the regional managers meeting. It was really useful to have them there because some of the issues and queries that were brought up they are able to take back and feed in at a national level. This regional and national exchange of information is what makes these meetings so valuable. No matter where you are in the UK, there are issues that are common to us all, such as pavement parking. There will be differences in how we apply policies in different regions and even variations in areas within that region; for example EV charging provision will look different in Newcastle city centre compared with the Yorkshire Dales, but its good to share our concerns and solutions to ensure we are all on the same page as much as possible. One huge topic for us in Newcastle is the climate emergency and how we get to net zero. The point was raised that we need to get away from the term car park which is more It shows the value of these meetings in making strong connections and forming friendships with people from all parts of the sector whom you otherwise would not get to meet associated with the use of the space in the 1970s and 80s and move towards thinking of them as mobility hubs where people can access all forms of sustainable transport and continue their journeys without the use of a car. We had a good roundtable discussion on clean air zones and also an EV workshop looking at charging provision, which was a great opportunity to discover the latest developments nationally and regionally. We talked about moving traffic enforcement as well, including the steps the local authorities that have adopted the powers have taken to ensure due diligence, and the latest figures from Derby. We also had updates on the National Parking Platform: finding out more about where that is at and who is coming on board with it. Recruitment is a huge issue for our sector, no matter where you are in the UK. Regionally, we are very keen to have as much scope as possible to show what opportunities are available in the parking profession because, currently, people see civil enforcement officer as a very restricted and narrow career path. We need to start talking about the issues that put people off and address them. I am passionate about driving an apprenticeship programme and outlining a clear career path progression so we get to the point in 20 years time where we look back and wonder at a time when people didnt make a conscious decision to choose a career in parking. North West Area covered: Cheshire, Cumbria, Greater Manchester, Lancashire and Merseyside No of members: 68 Date established: 2005 Frequency of meeting: Twice a year To get involved and find out more: Contact Joanna Barnes, BPA membership engagement officer, at joanna.b@britishparking.co.uk North East Area covered: Northumberland, County Durham, Tyne and Wear, and the Tees Valley No of members: 33 Date established: 2005 Frequency of meeting: Twice a year To get involved and find out more: Contact Joanna Barnes, BPA membership engagement officer, at joanna.b@britishparking.co.uk 40 PN Nov 2022 pp38-40 Regional.indd 40 27/10/2022 13:58