PATROL PARC Awards shortlist announced

The shortlist for this year’s Parking Annual Reports by Councils (PARC) Awards has been announced.

The PARC Awards recognise annual reports on local authority parking services and traffic management. This year, 2017/18 annual reports are under review.

The annual competition is run by Parking and Traffic Regulation Outside London (PATROL), a joint committee represents over 300 local authorities in England, outside London, and Wales.

Louise Hutchison, director of PATROL, said: “The PARC Awards form part of PATROL’s commitment to promoting best practice in the dissemination of public information on civil enforcement to increase understanding of traffic management objectives.

“The observation of the Transport Committee inquiry on civil parking enforcement in 2013 remains relevant today: ‘Civil traffic enforcement is an issue that provokes strong views from the public... with a deep-rooted perception that local authorities use it as a cash cow.' This underlines the importance of reporting, including the unpacking of parking finances and showing how any parking surplus is spent.”

The shortlisted annual reports:

• Brighton & Hove City Council
• Cheshire East Council
• Devon County Council
• Durham County Council
• Newcastle City Council
• North Essex Parking Partnership
• Sedgemoor District Council
• South Lakeland District Council
• Sunderland City Council

The Independent Review Group members assessing the 2017/18 reports this year are: jury chair Peter Bayless (head of traffic and safety at Hampshire County Council – retired); Jo Abbott (communications manager, RAC Foundation – retired); Kelvin Reynolds (director of policy and public affairs at the British Parking Association); and Natasha Monroe (marketing and brand manager, Four Communications).

Hutchison said: “In selecting the PARC Awards shortlist this year, the Independent Review Group commented on what it felt were improved standards of annual reports across the board, together with the increasing number of authorities producing reports.

“The review group was also pleased to see an emergence of reporting on the range of factors influencing traffic management strategies, such as the drive to improve air quality.”

Five trophies will be presented. Awards will be given for Overall Winner.

There will be three awards for Reporting:

1. Innovation and New Services - Where authorities have provided one or more examples of innovations or new schemes delivered to improve traffic management, in order to meet the needs of the community.
2. Customer Service - Where authorities have reported on steps taken to proactively engage with their community.
3. Presentation of Finance and Statistics - Where authorities have transparently and effectively conveyed income and expenditure around traffic management, including the use of any surplus, or presented statistics on parking and traffic management in a visually compelling way.

This year sees the arrival of a new award category, Outstanding Digital Format, which will recognise authorities that have harnessed digital formats to improve the accessibility and availability of report information.

Shortlisted authorities are invited to the PARC Awards reception at the House of Commons on 16 July, where the award winners will be announced. The event is sponsored by Huw Merriman, MP for Bexhill and Battle.