BPA Live! to support sport, enable active travel, create place-making opportunities in our streets, increase resilience to climate change, and help reduce traffic emissions. A key priority was to communicate this proactively to encourage people to take the opportunity to rethink what this space is used for. Supporting a new inclusive society Being inclusive was the theme for the afternoon session, with the official launch of the BPAs report into the equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) research carried out during 2022 (see pages 52-53). Recommendations from this research will help inform the BPAs future policy in relation to EDI and ensure that its activities support and promote diversity and inclusivity within its governance and the wider parking sector. The panel also discussed the power of having conversations with staff about calling out abuse and reporting it, so the behaviours are not just considered part of the job. BPA President Jade Neville highlighted the Associations new Framework for Employers, which has been produced with support from the National Business Crime Centre to signpost sources of guidance and advice on reporting abuse and protecting the welfare of frontline staff (see pages 52-53). We are encouraging people to be active bystanders and to call out unacceptable behaviours, she said. This also ties into the wider campaign to prevent violence against women and girls, of which the Safer Parking Scheme plays a key role. The session also considered wider accessibility and inclusivity for the people the industry looks after, including when it comes to payments and appeals. There were some interesting points raised, including around the need for education to prevent digital poverty. Anjna Patel MBE, Chair of the BPA Board, spoke about the work of Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council to create hubs where residents can be helped by members of the council to get to grips with digital technology. Local authorities have an important role to play in taking people on that journey, she said. This conference has given us all valuable insight and knowledge to take back to our respective organisations and continue to raise standards. Parking and politics Richard Holden MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Transport (DfT), opened the day with the message that UK parking is at the forefront of innovation. Speaking about the National Parking Platform (NPP) and the Alliance for Parking Data Standards, which was seed funded by the DfT, he stressed the importance of user choice. The success of the NPP depends on you all; we need local authorities and service providers to work together and embrace the potential that is there. Holden also discussed the governments long-awaited response to the pavement parking consultation: This is a complex issue, particularly when looking at a nationwide approach, he said. We want to take the right step for communities and local authorities to make sure they have effective and enforceable tools at their disposal. I cant commit to a date right now, but we expect to make an announcement about pavement parking in the near future. The final session included an entertaining and thoughtprovoking keynote speech from former MP Lembit pik, and a wider panel discussion with representatives from the parking and security sectors about some of the topics discussed that day. pik urged delegates to remember that they know more about their area of expertise than the legislators, and to have the courage of their experience to speak truth to power, adding: If you do nothing, the future will be done to you. For more on the BPAs work on frontline officer support, see the April issue of Parking News: bit.ly/PNMay23FOS 42 PN June 2023 pp40-43 BPA Live.indd 42 23/05/2023 12:01