BPA stalwart John Heasman passes away

John Heasman, a driving force in the development and professionalisation of the British Parking Association (BPA), has passed away.

Heasman became involved in the BPA in 1972 while working at Brighton council as an engineer building car parks. He was elected to the association’s executive council in 1973, a role he held continuously until 1994.

He was president between 1989 and 1991, a role that saw him appear on the cover of the first edition of Parking Review in September 1989 in a piece discussing the need to rethink parking policy.

In 1992 Heasman became the BPA’s first formal seminar and exhibition organiser. He launched Parkex with a two-day show in Telford in 1993, laying the foundations for what is now the UK’s biggest parking trade fair.

The association appointed him director general in 1994, a role that he held until his retirement in 2001 at the age of 72.

In 2006 the BPA launched the John Heasman Bursary, which is awarded to individuals undertaking research into parking and traffic management.

Kelvin Reynolds, the BPA’s director of policy and public affairs, said: “John was president when I joined the BPA Council. He struck me as a person totally dedicated to his profession and the association. His contribution beyond his presidency is a legend and I’ve had the privilege to know him and work with him both as a council member and at Parkex in those formative years. His sense of humour, pragmatism and generosity were an inspiration. The John Heasman Bursary is a fitting tribute to a man who gave so much to parking and the BPA.”