Do you need to park on campus? It is nearly time to make your application for a new virtual parking permit.
Do you need to park on campus? It is nearly time to make your application for a new virtual parking permit.
As our campus continues to open-up, more colleagues will be needed on site to provide support and meet our business needs. So, we have been considering how to make our car parking arrangements workable for this next phase and for the longer term.
Recognising that as more people return to campus the demand for parking will likely outstrip availability, and to help us to manage this, we will soon be reintroducing parking permits and tariffs for cars and other motor vehicles to park on campus.
As you know, we implemented changes to campus car parking during the pandemic that included the suspension of reserved parking and parking charges for all colleagues. In April, to help increase availability of parking spaces, we introduced measures against cars parking on campus without permits and/or parking in non-designated spaces. The next stage is to introduce the new virtual permit system that was delayed last year due to the pandemic and to make changes to the allocation of parking bays for different University requirements.
New parking arrangements
This will begin with the introduction of a new standard ‘right-to-seek’ permit for most parking bays on campus, and increased availability of standard and accessible parking bays across our estate. The new virtual permit will cost £10 per year, reduced from the previous charge of £50 and for the first time will be extended to motorcycles and mopeds. This permit will give the right to seek and park in a standard parking bay in specified campus car parks, excluding reserved, visitor and accessible bays.
Parking tariffs will also be reintroduced for cars and similar vehicles with options for both hourly and daily rates, with the latter working out cheaper across a full working day and the former more suitable for a shorter stay. The tariff has been set at £1 per hour up to a maximum of £6 for the day, this remains below equivalent tariffs for local public car parks in the city centre. As part of the new arrangements, a map and listing of parking bays will be available so permit holders can be clear before they travel where standard spaces are located.
We hope that by doing this, we will make access to parking on campus fairer for all.
The income from campus parking tariffs will be used in part to support investment in future improvements to all areas of University travel and transport including, parking infrastructure, active travel facilities and public transport incentives.
When to expect changes
These changes are due to begin rolling out in August, beginning with applications for and issuing of standard permits, with the payment of parking tariffs expected to begin 1st September. All details of the new virtual permit system and parking locations included in this scheme are available on a new section of the Travel & Commuting NUConnect site. Those interested in acquiring a standard parking permit can register via this new site to receive updates on when permit applications open. You can also ask questions using a form on the site, which will be used to produce a Frequently Asked Questions page in the near future.