Creative Parking Solutions will be managing Burnham Health Centre car park in Slough, Berkshire.
Health centre bosses decided to adopt a parking operation system using Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras to help deal with the increasing demand for parking spaces for visitors and patients.
The health centre was opened in 1971 and has more than 18,000 registered patients coming from an amalgamation of three local practices, together with a team of doctors, practice nurses, district nurses, health visitors, midwives and other specialist staff. The practice is also planning on expanding further by merging with another practice and the patient list will then rise to an estimated 22,000. In addition, the centre will be providing extra facilities such as a drop-in clinic, Citizens Advice Bureau, youth counselling service, diabetic education service and various carers groups, meaning car parking spaces will be in even greater demand.
Not far from the high street, and opposite a school and children’s centre, the car park was being constantly abused by motorists parking their cars to drop off their children and by people leaving their car to go shopping in town. Not having a system in place, the centre was struggling to fight the abuse from motorists.
Patients were complaining due to the constant lack of available parking spaces. One of said: “It is becoming increasingly impossible to find an available space to park: there are some elderly people that need to park close by the practice without having to leave their cars miles away from it and then walk all the way back. It is simply unfair that people who don’t even pay a visit to the building and go shopping on the High Street occupy bays that are meant to be for patients.”
Creative Parking Solutions and the health centre have worked together to address the problem by developing a ‘permit holders only’ policy, meaning patients and staff members will have free parking during their stay at the centre. The permits are activated by entering their car registration number onto touch screens located in the main reception areas, which will allow them to continue parking with ease. Clear signage will be displayed to deter motorists without a permit. Drivers not complying with the rules will be issued with tickets by post.
The camera system will be in operation Mondays to Fridays between 7am-6pm. A spokesperson for Creative Parking Solutions said: “The centre will benefit from our system that will ensure that car parking spaces are being utilised by patients and visitors only. We have established a broad client base, including supermarkets, retail and leisure centres, education, local authorities, and NHS hospitals. Our experience in the field allows us to understand the clients’ needs and – as every site is different- we provide tailored services, like we did for Burnham Health Centre”.