Background
St Cuthbert’s Church in Blackpool has long been an oasis of prayer and a sanctuary of stillness amid the bustle of everyday life through it’s regular services. Bransby Wilson has been working with the church for many years and has helped introduce practical solutions that support the church and it’s visitors.
Challenges
The church has always wanted to ensure it remains a welcoming and joyful place for everyone who visits. They wanted to provide a stress free parking experience for visitors, helping to minimise confusion, congestion and unnecessary hassle so that visitors can focus on their visit rather than parking arrangements.
Prior to working with Bransby Wilson, the church operated a self-ticketing parking system. When we became involved, we introduced pay and display solution designed to better meet the church’s needs.
The church’s main priority was to ensure that it’s parking facilities were used by genuine visitors rather than being misused by non-visitors. At the same time, it wanted a solution that would require minimal involvement from church staff, allowing them to focus on their ministry and community activities rather than dealing with parking related issues.
Given the nature of the church and it’s tole within the local community, it was important that parking remained affordable and accessible for visitors. The church wanted reasonable tariff rates to provide fair and convenient options for those attending events and services.
As a result of its competitive pricing and convenient location, the car park quickly became one of the busiest in the area. With increasing demand, operation responsibility was high to ensure efficiency and positive experience.
Over the course of more than eight years working together, a number of management improvements and operational changes were introduced to ensure parking facilities continued to meet church’s evolving needs. It included occasional modifications to parking arrangements, as well as adjustments to parking criteria for different services and events.
Over time, they also required close coordination with a neighbouring pub to manage staff parking arrangements in a way that worked for both parties. Careful planning was needed to ensure smooth operations and maintain positive relationships on both sides.
Solutions
Automatic Number Plate Recognition(ANPR) System: Bransby Wilson introduced ANPR system with cameras installed to capture every vehicle entering and exiting the car park. This allowed the site to be monitored effectively, helping to prevent misuse by non-visitors while ensuring spaces remained available for genuine church users. The automated solution also reduced the need for church staff involvement, providing a simple parking management system.
Ensuring Smooth Day-to-Day Operations: We also managed the day-to-day operation of the car park, providing customer support via phone and email for any queries relating to payments or parking criteria. Regular maintenance was carried out to ensure the site remained safe an well-presented. We also worked closely with the neighbouring pub to coordinate staff parking arrangements, ensuring the requirements of both sides were met effectively.
Customised and Evolving Solutions: Throughout our partnership, Bransby Wilson provided a flexible parking management solution that adapted to the church’s changing requirements. As church management evolved over the years, parking arrangements and operational processes were regularly reviewed and adjusted to ensure they continued to meet the church’s needs and priorities.
For example, when parking criteria needed to be modified or staff parking arrangements required adjustment on specific days of the week, we implemented these changes promptly. This ensured the parking operation remained aligned with the church’s evolving requirements while maintaining day-to-day functionality.
Reasonable Tariff Structure: We also adjusted the tariff structure in line with the church’s aim of offering reasonable and accessible pricing for visitors. While this helped encourage greater use of car park, it also led to increased demand. As a result, extra care was taken to manage capacity effectively and prevent congestion, ensuring the site continued to operate smoothly.
Outcome
Overall, the solutions implemented have been highly successful, with all operational and management challenged effectively addressed over time. As a result, Bransby Wilson and the church have maintained an excellent working relationship and continue to collaborate closely. The partnership has now been in place for over eight years and remains ongoing.
