Whilst the main output was the Parking Strategy, it was vital that there was a supporting study included to provide robust analysis of the current situation in the five town centres across the borough based on data gathered by our project team.
Contained within the Parking Strategy needed to be recommendations for future actions and projects that considered demand management and emerging technologies for a parking service that would be fit for the future. This also included a detailed programme of implementation for the projects.
The project was split into two key stages. Stage 1 involved the comprehensive evidence-based parking study report. We undertook a quantitative understanding of the number of car parks and spaces, their location, and performance to ensure that supply meets demand and was optimally situated for residents, visitors and businesses. This assessment enabled the identification of sites that may not offer many benefits as car parks, creating opportunities for regeneration and alternative uses.
Furthermore, the study anticipated future regeneration and development projects across the borough that would have a likely impact on parking demand in specific car parks. This included forecasting growth in car parks using Tempro.
In addition to the evidence-base, the study report also summarised the existing parking service, identifying areas for improvement. Areas our project team focused on included the enhancement of car parks through a regeneration programme, the opportunity to integrate active travel and sustainable transport within council owned car parks, and within the five town centres, the introduction of new parking technology, and enforcement opportunities.
Stage 2 of the project focused on the development and creation of the parking strategy. Our team developed an overall parking vision that captured the purpose of the strategy, which for the Basildon borough included the improvement of car parks, encouragement towards active and sustainable transport, and supporting the ambitious regeneration across the borough.
Four strategic objectives were created to capture the car park policies, and four objectives captured the on-street parking policies. The objectives were focused on how the vision could be delivered and enabled the policies to be grouped into the relevant themes.
The policies provided the detail on what the council should be delivering. The policies also setup the implementation plan, which was separated into short, medium, and long-term actions.
Two phases of public consultation were included in the contract to capture stakeholder views on the existing parking service, and to understand the support for the strategies vision, objectives, and policies. The consultation incorporated digital engagement, and in-person events to allow all stakeholders to participate. Across the two phases, over 5,000 stakeholders participated in the consultation, with the majority illustrating high levels of support.
As the strategy was implemented as a borough-wide strategic plan, it wasn’t possible to focus on individual towns and villages. With the strategy in place, we have been able to support the council apply the policies at a local level, identifying a series of parking schemes and projects that can be delivered to bring about improvements in the parking service.
