Background
Suffolk Wildlife Trust is known for its work in wildlife conservation and nature recovery across Suffolk. The charity focuses on protecting endangered species through ongoing efforts to restore natural habitats and safeguard the environment from potential harm.
The trust cares for around 50 nature reserves and manages approximately 7,100 acres of land, working to conserve and protect wildlife. We work with them at Knettishall Heath Nature Reserve, which includes around 200 parking spaces for visitors.
Challenges
Suffolk Wildlife Trust’s initial requirement was to implement a modern, cashless parking system that supports flexible payment options for visitors.
In addition, the Trust aimed to minimise misuse of customer parking spaces and ensure consistent, fair enforcement across the site. A key priority was to adopt an efficient, streamlined approach to car park management in order to deliver effective and reliable results.
The Trust required a clear and visible reporting system to better understand car park usage patterns and support informed operational decision making. Daily reporting capabilities were essential, alongside a feature that allowed the creation and management of an authorised vehicle list for staff.
Crucially, the system needed to be fully self managed, enabling the Trust to add or remove vehicle registration numbers independently, without needing to rely on external support for each update.
Solutions
Cashless Payment System: The car park was upgraded to a cashless system, incorporating payment machines and offering payment via card, mobile phone, and a dedicated parking app. This also allowed motorists to pay for parking up to midday the following day.
Performance Reporting & Support: A daily report is generated to evaluate the efficiency of the management solutions implemented in the car park, assisting in decision-making and operational improvements. This is supported by site reports, quarterly reviews, and customer service advisors who offer guidance and support, including tariff adjustments based on seasonal changes and parking duration such as dwell period, peak hours and more.
Enhanced Security with ANPR and Allow- List: To prevent unauthorised use of the car park, we implemented an Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) system. This system captures vehicle details upon entry and exit. So, we setup and online portal system to manage a staff parking allow-list, thus improving our capacity to identify and manage any misuse of the car park.
Clear Signage for Reserve Visitors: We installed new signage throughout the car park to clearly indicate the car park is for reserve visitors only. These signs comply with British Parking Association (BPA) regulations and are designed to be easily understood, preventing unauthorised parking and ensuring compliance with parking time limits.
Outcome
By implementing these solutions, the car park has seen a remarkable improvement in it’s management. The ANPR system, combined with the allow-list, has effectively reduced and prevented unauthorised parking and enhanced proper use of parking spaces bringing stable parking revenue for the site owners.
Further, the clear, compliant signage has successfully communicated parking regulations and better experience for motorists and less hassle for the Trust.
