Peterborough provides safer parking for public

News | Community

All three car parks in the Safer Parking Scheme in Peterborough have successfully passed their reassessments for Park Mark® Award status.

Riverside, Trinity Street and Car Haven car parks all ensure members of the local community and visitors can park their vehicles in well maintained and safe facilities.

The Safer Parking Scheme (SPS) run by the British Parking Association (BPA) for the Association of Chief Police Officers, was developed to provide a benchmark standard for all parking areas across the UK, to create safer parking areas both for the public and their vehicles.

The Park Mark® Safer Parking Award is granted to parking areas that have achieved the requirements of a risk assessment conducted by the Police. These requirements mean the parking operator has put in place measures that help to deter criminal activity and anti-social behaviour, thereby doing everything they can to prevent crime and reduce the fear of crime in their parking area.

Car parks with the award can use signage featuring the distinctive Park Mark® tick, so that drivers know exactly where to go for safe parking. Certain parking facilities that have received the Park Mark® Safer Parking Award have seen a drop in vehicle-related crime of over 80%.

Local Authorities across the UK are becoming increasingly aware of the Park Mark® scheme and the benefits it brings to help prevent crime and boost confidence amongst residents and visitors. Peterborough City Council has been a member of the scheme since 2005.

Sarah Ellis, Assistant Parking Manager for Peterborough City Council said: “We have a strong network of civil enforcement officers, the administration team, as well as a maintenance technician, all working together to provide high standards of health and safety for the public in all of our facilities. The Park Mark® Awards are very much part of our commitment to the community.”

Kelvin Reynolds, Head of SPS at the British Parking Association said: “With the number of Park Mark® awards on the increase - we now have over 3500 members - it proves that the scheme is an invaluable tool in helping to make parking environments safe and increasing public reassurance in these areas. When drivers leave their cars in Park Mark® award car parks they will find them exactly as they left them on their return.”

September 2008 - Peterborough UK Community Website