NEWS COMPANIES AND PEOPLE

Newsdesk: 01223 477439 editor@britishparking.co.uk

STEAMING AHEAD IN THE EAST

MIDLANDS

East Midlands Trains has placed an order with Parkeon for six of its Varioflex pay-on-foot parking systems.

They will replace the current pay and display control equipment in the late spring at

Chesterfield, Derby, Kettering, Leicester, Market Harborough and Wellingborough stations.

School governor Patrick Larner with Bignold Primary School pupils.

Car park scheme is top of the class

Organisers of a fund-raising parking scheme in Norfolk are celebrating being named the best in Britain. Norwich-based

parking operator RCP Parking and Bignold Primary School became the first winners of a national Parking in the Community award at a ceremony in London. Te school has

turned its grounds into a popular city-centre shoppers’ car park at weekends and during school holidays for the last 20 years. Te scheme was run

by parent groups and manned by a team of helpers but, in 2007, national parking firm RCP Parking was called in to operate it on a professional basis. Te 150-space car park

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APRIL 2010

raises money for school improvements and a range of good causes – even helping children as far afield as Africa. RCP Parking and

Bignold School won the prize at the British Parking Awards 2010 at the Intercontinental Hotel in Park Lane. Te newly introduced

award celebrates parking schemes that make a valuable impact on local communities and show the good work that parking personnel can do.

Te glass trophy

was collected by RCP Parking general manager Tony Wakeling, with Abby Page and Lilly Beatson, two mothers who co-chair the Bignold Friends’ Group (BFG). Wakeling said: ‘We’re

absolutely delighted that this excellent Norfolk partnership is being celebrated at a national level as a shining example of how parking really can play a positive role in communities. By running the site professionally, RCP Parking ensures that the Bignold School car park continues to prove a fantastic fund-raiser.’ School governor

Patrick Larner, who also attended the London awards event, said: ‘RCP Parking are exceptional partners – under their very slick, enthusiastic and professional stewardship, we have raised more money than ever for school funds. We are very pleased

indeed that our Norfolk scheme has become the first winner of

this important British Parking Award.’ A new school library

has been created with the support of car park funds. Money has also gone towards major refurbishment of the school’s kitchen and dining hall, so what was once a ‘warm and serve’ operation, serving ready-prepared meals, now creates healthy dishes of its own. Te school minibus

operation has been improved, new playground equipment is being enjoyed and a sensory garden has been created in the school grounds. Funds raised have also

been spent on turning an old mobile classroom into a colourful ‘magic room’, used for music and play.

The new systems will accept both cash and credit or debit card payments, and will also be set up to offer special discounts and other bespoke options. A total of 22

entry/exit lanes via terminals and barriers will be in operation at the stations, plus 16 automatic and seven manual pay stations. Six Varioflex

servers will manage the installations – processing card payments, generating financial and statistical reports, and monitoring service requirements to optimise revenues and provide users with a reliable and efficient service. A spokesman for East Midlands Trains said: ‘We’re looking forward to working with Parkeon to install this new equipment, which will bring some welcome improvements for our passengers.’ The contract was awarded to Parkeon in accordance with OJEC requirements – the official branch of the European Union dealing with tenders and procurement.

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