We’re asking people who wish to park around Brighton & Hove including some city parks to download the Pay by Phone app.
Work has begun to decommission and remove Pay & Display machines used for parking payment and all machines will be out of use by 31 May.
The decision to remove the machines was made at Budget Council on 23 February and represents a significant financial saving of £220,000 in 2023/24 as well as ongoing yearly savings.
These savings come from not having to maintain, repair and replace machines, collect cash payments or go ahead with a planned upgrade to 4G technology.
The change mirrors other local authorities. Westminster City Council removed its machines in 2019. Enfield and Harrow Council have already begun the process of removing theirs.
Residents and visitors will now be required to pay for paid parking via the Pay by Phone app, by calling the Pay by Phone telephone number 01273 458 458 to pay by credit or debit card or by purchasing parking at one of the city’s PayPoint vendors.
Payment machines will remain in place at council barrier car parks (The Lanes, Regency Square, Trafalgar Street, London Road and Chapel Street) but Pay and Display machines will be removed from Norton Road, King Alfred, Black Rock, Rottingdean West and Rottingdean Marine car parks.
78% already using Pay by Phone
Currently, 78% of all on-street parking transactions are made using the Pay by Phone app and telephone number with 22% made using the machines, with just 2% of these being cash payments.
For the small number of people without the use a debit or credit card, parking can still be purchased at one of the 158 Paypoint vendors, spread out across the city.
We will be working with partners to promote the use of the app to residents and installing signage where the Pay & Display machines currently sit to make people aware of the change.
Benefits of using the Pay by Phone app
Pay by Phone has been used to pay for parking in Brighton & Hove since 2012 and has handled well over 20 million transactions in that time.
Using the app allows you to pay for your parking easily, without needing to find exact change and if needed, gives you the ability to extend your parking session.
On average, Pay by Phone app users actually spend less per transaction as they don’t have to try and guess how long their stay will be. This means less overpaying by cash and card ‘to be safe’.
Using an in-built map, the app generates a list of your nearest parking locations.
You can also set alerts on your phone to remind you when your parking session is about to end, which can help you avoid receiving a Penalty Charge Notice.
Read more about using Pay by Phone in Brighton & Hove
Using PayPoint
For those who would still like to pay with cash, you can pay for on-street parking at any retailer displaying the PayPoint logo.
PayPoint allows you to pay for parking with cash or cards at over 150 stores across the city.