Waverley Borough Council is proud to announce that it has taken significant steps towards achieving the prestigious Park Mark and Park Access awards, securing a number of accreditations across its car parks in the borough.
The council received a Park Mark award for twenty-six of its car parks. This is granted to parking facilities that meet the stringent requirements of a risk assessment conducted by the Police and the British Parking Association (BPA).
These requirements ensure that parking operators have implemented measures to deter criminal activity and anti-social behaviour, thereby reducing the fear of crime in their facilities. For customers, using a Park Mark accredited facility means that the area has been vetted by the police and BPA, ensuring a safer environment through quality management, appropriate lighting, effective surveillance, and a clean environment.
In addition, Waverley received a Park Access award for nineteen of its car parks. The Park Access accreditation is the BPA’s UK-wide accessibility certification. It recognizes parking and electric vehicle charging facilities that are accessible and inclusive, enabling confidence in traveling safely and easily to destinations. This accreditation ensures that parking and EV charging accessibility needs are met by car park users on arrival.
Councillor Tony Fairclough, Waverley Borough Council’s Deputy Leader and Portfolio Holder for Enforcement and Regulatory Services, said: “This recognition is testament to the hard work and commitment of our parking team and reflects the council's on-going investment programme that ensures our parking facilities are safe, secure, and accessible for everyone. We look forward to continuing our collaboration with the Police and the BPA to maintain and improve these high standards."
As a not-for-profit organization, the BPA is dedicated to raising standards across parking, safety, and accessibility. Many Park Access sites are also Park Mark accredited, forming part of the nationally recognized Safer Parking Scheme supported by the Police. The Park Mark standard is a crime and fear of crime prevention initiative that audits and certifies car parks based on their safety measures.
Image: From left to right. Deputy Car Park manager Steve Mayo, British Parking Association Area Manager Warren Bradshaw, Car Park Manager Mark Davis