BPA news Dates for your 2023 diary BPA Live! a one-day networking and thought-leadership event will take place on 16 March, in London. The programme will feature speakers from the parking and mobility sectors, covering topics such as electric vehicle charging infrastructure, Alliance for Parking Data Standards and the National Parking Platform, future mobility, active travel, equality and diversity, and much more. For more details and to book, visit britishparking.co.uk/BPA-Live or email communications@britishparking.co.uk The virtual AOS Conference will be held on 20 April, and you can find out more on page 26. To register, please go to britishparking.co.uk/BPA-AOS-Conference Parkex is back at the NEC Birmingham from 6-8 June. Book your stand at parkex.net The BPA Members Dinner will be on 29 November, in London. Regional meetings return The BPA is gearing up for another busy year of meetings for members in their regions. A round of virtual meetings will take place in spring, with members getting together in person in autumn. Parking Scotland Expo also returns in the autumn, and the Parking and Transport Wales Group will hold an inperson conference in October. To view and book your place for all future events and meetings, visit the BPA events calendar at britishparking.co.uk/Events Spick and span At the BPA Parking Structures group meeting in October, it was agreed that a guidance note on car park cleaning should be developed. Envisaged as a document similar to the Winter Maintenance in Car Parks guide (see bit.ly/PNDec22WM), the Car Park Cleaning guide is part of the Parking Structures groups objective to share information, knowledge and best practice with the sector, while raising the profile and standards of all car park structures. A working group comprising BPA member manufacturers and consultants from across the industry is developing the document, with a view to publishing it later in 2023. 42 BPA three-year plan set for approval The BPAs new Strategic Plan is due to be launched in March. This bold plan provides a clear vision, together with strategic aims, which will set the direction for the Association during the next three years. As the leading Association for the sector, the BPA is committed to supporting members by improving the services it provides. Given our evolving sector, its essential that the Association remains targeted on those issues that matter most to members. Dave Smith, head of communications and marketing said: Our current strategic plan has served us well, but given the increasing drivers of change, it is now timely to adopt a three-year rolling strategic plan that is reviewed annually. This will enable us to remain focused on the challenges and opportunities facing our members and tailor the relevance of our activities to add best value. Our new plan has been developed in consultation with our members and reflects what is happening in the wider world, such as: drive to net zero; technology and innovation; data and consumer behaviour; and legislative and policy changes by government. The BPA Council will review our strategic aims on an annual basis and the BPA Board will ensure delivery through the year. We are very grateful for everyones contribution to this new strategic approach that will further strengthen the leadership of our modern not-for-profit Association. Park Mark firsts in Newark and Bristol A lorry park in Newark has become the first recipient of Park Mark Freight in the East Midlands. Park Mark Freight is a new and comprehensive assessment managed by Police Crime Prevention Initiatives and the BPA. It extends the Safer Parking Scheme to HGV parking, and meets a growing demand for efficient, well-managed and highquality lorry parks and truck stops to combat vehicle and cargo crime. Cabot Circus, in Bristol, was the first car park in the UK to achieve the Park Mark Plus award, for which environmental sustainability is a key focus. The assessment includes the availability of electric charging bays (of which Cabot Circus currently has 12) and energy-saving equipment. The car park also provides motorcycle parking with helmet lockers, a bug hotel, and some unique design features. Middlesbrough Sports Village which has experienced issues with crime in the past was also recently awarded Park Mark. Steve Cranston, Cleveland Police designing out crime officer, said: It is great to see that the leisure centre owners, Everyone Active, took ownership of the issues and had a pro-active approach to designing out opportunities for crime to occur.