Blackpool Retail & Leisure Park
How Ocean Parking got the spaces flowing after years of stagnation.
The Problem
A system was needed which would allow sufficient time for genuine customers of the leisure facilities to use the car park and prevent the misuse of the car park which was regularly stagnating by reaching its capacity.
This car park presented a particular challenge due to the proximity of both Blackpool Pleasure Beach and Blackpool Football Club. It was also the only free of charge car park in the area. We were extremely mindful that with tenants such as Odeon, Bannatyne and Frankie & Benny’s on site, that a normal maximum stay solution would not work.
The Solution
Following an investigative site survey, including tenant consultations and a traffic analysis, we proposed the introduction of a 3-hour maximum stay parking, enforced through the monitoring of ANPR Cameras and supported by a mobile patrol service.
To ensure that the leisure facilities could continue to be used, unrestricted by the general 3-hour maximum stay rule, we installed touch screen authorisation kiosks in the tenant units. These kiosks enable genuine customers to extend their free parking period to between 5 – 7 hours. To advertise the rules to customers, we installed more than 50 prominent contractual warning signs throughout the car parking areas and these signs clearly set out the terms and conditions for parking on site.
Ocean Parking fully funded the cost of all ANPR systems and signage – providing the client with a fully managed service, free of charge.
The Result
The installation of Ocean Parking’s signage alone improved compliance within the car park. Due to the popularity of the location, the car park still reaches capacity but there is now a far more efficient turnover of parking spaces.
Since the implementation of our system, we have seen a steady increase in car park footfall by more than 500 cars per day and the client now benefits from an extra 16,000 visitors per month. Despite the increase in footfall, 30% of the car park always has spaces free, this has enabled the client to revisit a previously rejected planning application for the extension of an existing unit which has now been approved.
The asset owner recently commented: ‘The system Ocean Parking have implemented and the regular occupancy and dwell time reporting they are able to provide us has undoubtedly been the difference between the success and failure of our planning application. We expected substantially less visitors as a result of introducing enforcement, so it is extremely pleasing to see that the system has actually attracted more customers.’