Statement from UWE regarding car parking policy

We have received and considered many concerns raised by the Students’ Union on our car parking policy and implementation. After full consideration, we have decided to release the following statement:

Why is car parking £3 a day or £106 a year for students?

The charges are necessary to help pay for the improvements to sustainable travel for students. We benchmarked ourselves against other universities in the sector and placed the daily charge in line with charges from these institutions.

Why is the exclusion zone in place?

As part of our Masterplan, which aims to improve the standard of facilities on Campus, we plan to consolidate many of our activities onto the Frenchay Campus over the coming years.

A condition imposed by the local Council in the planning approval for the Masterplan is that single-occupancy car travel to Frenchay Campus must reduce by 20%.

At the beginning of 2010, a TravelSmart project team made up of staff and students from across the University came together to determine what actions we needed to take to achieve this goal.

After consultation, the team recommended a series of improvements for alternative sustainable transport options such as new bus routes and more regular services.

The group then outlined a new parking restriction, which would mean that students living in close proximity to Frenchay would no longer be allowed to park on Campus.This is because those students who live on or near Frenchay Campus have more travel options than those living on the outskirts of Bristol.

The group suggested that we should implement these restrictions at the same time as the increased parking charges.

The UWESU Presidents at the time were part of the TravelSmart group which determined these changes. Nick Loughlin and Steve Ward presented to the student executive committee in November 2011 outlining the intentions of the group.

What to do if you consider yourself to have special circumstances

We understand that some people have special circumstances, so if you feel that this applies to you, please email carparking@uwe.ac.uk and we will consider your application.

Why is there no exclusion zone for any other Campus?

Planning conditions from South Gloucestershire Council are for Frenchay Campus only, so the restrictions only apply to this Campus.

Car sharing

Car park 1 is dedicated to car sharing, and we would encourage students to use this facility as much as possible. By doing so, students travelling in the vehicle can share the cost of an annual permit (£106) between them.

Some students have asked if it is possible to get two car registrations on one permit so they can alternate the use of their cars.

Unfortunately the systems in place are not set up to accept two registration plates per application. Similarly, the number plate recognition system installed in car park 20 is not currently configured to accept one vehicle into the car park and reject another if both are listed on the same permit.

We will be working with our internal IT colleagues and external suppliers to modify the systems in place so that we’ll hopefully be in a position to offer alternative permit options for the 2014/15 academic year.

Statement from UWE Students’ Union regarding car parking policy

In response to the statement released by UWE, we confirm that we have raised many concerns from our members regarding the new car parking policy and its implementation.

The Students’ Union is firmly against the increase of car parking and is deeply concerned on the impact it is having on students and particularly disabled students, students with care responsibilities and distance learners where there is little alternative to travelling in by car.

The university has confirmed that they will not reconsider the increase in charges, but we will continue to lobby to ensure that students are considered in all matters corresponding to the implementation of this policy.

For any queries in the meantime please contact us at union@uwe.ac.uk

UWE Students’ Union, October 2013.