Top marks for car parks!

Four council run car parks in Brighton & Hove have retained the coveted Park Mark Award for safer parking.

Car parks at The Lanes, Regency Square, Trafalgar Street and London Road were granted the ‘Park Mark’ Safer Parking status following an inspection by representatives from the British Parking Association and Sussex Police.

The Safer Parking Scheme is an Association of Chief Police Officers initiative which aims to reduce crime and the fear of crime in car parks.

The Scheme sets a national standard for UK car parks that have low crime and measures in place to ensure the safety of people and vehicles.  The inspections cover lighting, surveillance, cleanliness and overall management and the awards are held for two years. 

Following the awards, car parks can display distinctive Park Mark signage which helps drivers find car parks where they can confidently leave their vehicle, knowing the environment is safer.

Cllr Gill Mitchell, chair of the council’s environment committee said:  “This is great news for our parking staff who work hard to ensure that our busy car parks are safe and accessible. It’s very rewarding to once again receive this accreditation which acknowledges that we are getting things right for our car park users.”

Brighton & Hove City Council has also been awarded the Disabled Parking Accreditation by the British Parking Association. This new award is given to car park owners/operators who adopt an active management strategy to minimise disabled bay abuse, that there are facilities suitable for disabled people and that appropriate concessions are made to recognise the extra time required by disabled people.