Technology trial to support on-street parking enforcement

Parking enforcement in one part of a residents’ scheme in Brighton will have some extra help this month (February) to tackle illegal parking and make sure that spaces are available for legitimate permit holders.

NSL, which runs Brighton & Hove City Council’s parking enforcement, will be trialling a camera car fitted with automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) technology that can ‘read’ number plates. The technology will be used to direct civil enforcement officers (CEOs) to where there are vehicles without valid permits or where parking sessions have overrun, which could potentially save the foot patrols time.

CEOs will use the information to check the highlighted vehicles and issue a penalty charge notice if necessary. CEOs use hand-held devices to cross check permits and parking sessions.

The month-long trial is being carried out in streets within Preston Drove, Stanford Avenue and Preston Park Avenue, which are all within the Area J residents’ parking scheme. Signs are being put up in the streets where the trial is happening.

Councillor Gill Mitchell, chair of the city’s environment and transport committee, said: “NSL asked us if we would host a short trial to see whether this technology could help our on-street parking and ensure a proper use of spaces.  The technology will support, not replace parking attendants.” 

Brighton & Hove City Council is committed to making parking services more accessible through technology and is looking at digital permits that residents and businesses can apply for and renew online without the need to go to the parking centre.

The trial is being carried out by NSL at no cost to the council.

The ANPR vehicle, which can be a car or a moped, cannot issue PCNs and only holds vehicle registration numbers. CEOs already record vehicle registration numbers as part of the enforcement process. The numbers recorded by the ANPR vehicle will be deleted within one month of the trial.

Streets in the trial are:

  • Preston Park Avenue
  • Beaconsfield Villas
  • Havelock Road
  • Waldegrave Road
  • Chester Terrace
  • Cleveland Road
  • Lucerne Road
  • Southdown Road
  • Edburton Road
  • Preston Drove
  • Stanford Avenue