Police Crime Prevention Initiatives to manage Park Access scheme

Management of Disabled Motoring UK’s accessible car park accreditation moves to Police CPI on 1 April

Delivery of Disabled Motoring UK’s Park Access accreditation is to be undertaken by the national Police Crime Prevention Initiatives organisation from the Spring.

Park Access is a nationally recognised UK accessible parking scheme for parking operators. Vis the accreditation, DMUK wants to enable everyone, regardless of their accessibility needs, to identify car parks and facilities, such as EV chargepoints, that they can use with ease.

The accreditation had been managed on behalf DMUK by the British Parking Association alongside Safer Parking Scheme, which is a Police CPI initiative. However, Police CPI is set to take over direct management of the safer parking scheme, whose accreditations are called Park Marks. In parallel, DMUK is entering into a new partnership with Police Police CPI to develop the Park Access scheme.

From 1 April 2026, Police CPI will assume operational management of the Park Access and Park Access EV Accreditation, alongside its Safer Parking Scheme initiatives.

The Park Access Accreditation was launched by DMUK in 2014 as the Disabled Parking Accreditation. DMUK began receiving operational support from the British Parking Association in 2016. The BPA administered Park Access in parallel to its delivery of Police CPI’s Safer Parking Scheme.

Each car park submitted for a Park Access accreditation undergoes an assessment by BPA area managers. The Park Access EV version of the accreditation includes requirements and recommendations for accessible EV charging informed by the British Standard Institution accessibility standard, PAS 1899. 

Park Access status is issued to the car park not the organisation. This is because local authorities or large private companies can have many car parks, but not all of them will pass. 

There are now 1,300 Park Access accredited car parks, which can be found at train stations, hospitals, universities, town centres, shopping centres, leisure centres, airports, supermarkets, banks and constabularies.  

DMUK wants Park Access to become recognised throughout the whole of the UK for accessible and inclusive parking and electric vehicle charging facilities. The charity believes a more direct relationship Police CPI will be fundamental in providing enhanced operational management and further growth.

Graham Footer, chief executive of Disabled Motoring UK, said: “This transition represents a significant milestone for the Park Access Accreditation. Partnering with Police CPI provides a strong foundation for future development while preserving the values, standards, and impact that have underpinned the scheme since its inception. This partnership with Police CPI ensures the scheme continues to raise accessibility standards in car parks for disabled motorists and build confidence in safer parking facilities.”

Michael Brooke, deputy chief operating officer of Police Crime Prevention Initiatives, said: “Police CPI is delighted to be forming this partnership with DMUK. Bringing together our focus on personal safety and crime prevention with DMUK’s expertise in representing disabled motorists, we are committed to improving awareness, accessibility and experiences for disabled road users nationwide.”

Set up by the Police Service in 1989, Police Crime Prevention Initiatives delivers a range of innovative crime prevention and demand reduction initiatives to support the wider UK Police Service, central government and the general public. The vision is for Police CPI to be the leading catalyst for crime prevention with a simple mission at its core.

Its initiatives include: 

• Secured by Design (SBD)
• The Police Crime Prevention Academy
• The Licensing Security Vulnerability Initiative (Licensing SAVI)
• Secured Environments
• The Park Mark Safer Parking Scheme
• The Community Safety Accreditation Scheme (CSAS) and Railway Safety Accreditation Scheme (RSAS)
• Guidance and Policy for Security Systems
• Fraud Resources.