Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) technology enables officers to cover beats more efficiently.

Newcastle City Council operates eight city centre multi-storey car parks, and 47 surface car parks, providing some 5,900 parking spaces. There are a further 2,300 on-street pay and display parking spaces across Newcastle, and 14,500 resident and visitor permits issued.

Working on foot, Civil Enforcement Officers (CEOs) are time constrained with the number of on- and off-street parking areas they can visit in a shift.  

In addition, infringements of parking restrictions in the residential areas is commonplace and leads to a high level of complaints and demands on the CEOs time.

Furthermore, the parking service needs to drive to their beats in diesel-powered vehicles, adding to the problem of air quality in the city.

The Council sought to develop a parking solution to enable CEOs to cover more locations quickly and efficiently while also promoting travel by sustainable modes.  

Solving the problem

A composite solution was developed that incorporated the use of E-bikes fitted with ANPR cameras.

The cameras would allow CEOs to readily identify parking violations based on the integrated data from the virtual permit and payment data integration. The E-bikes would allow the CEOs to cover their beats more quickly and take advantage of the additional efficiencies offered by a beat optimisation solution.

Key outcomes

The feasibility study undertaken in 2019 by the Newcastle City Council and Urban Foresight partnership identified significant operational savings and revenue generating potential, valued at £250k over a 5-year period. 

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