19 Park Mark Awards for Babergh and Mid Suffolk Council
The council has shown incredible commitment to safety across all their operations
The council has earned Park Mark and Park Access awards for their work improving safety and accessibility in their car parks.
Park Mark is part of the Safer Parking Scheme (SPS), a Police Crime Prevention Initiative that has been successfully reducing crime in car parks for two decades. Managed by the BPA on behalf of Police Crime Prevention Initiatives, the SPS requires each car park to undergo a rigorous assessment by specially trained police assessors. Assessments include management and maintenance of the facility, taking into consideration surveillance, lighting, signage and cleanliness. Car parks accredited under the scheme are awarded the Park Mark certification, indicating they meet the highest standards of safety and security - car parks with this award see an 80% reduction in crime.
Park Access is an accreditation that aims to become recognised throughout the whole of the UK for accessible and inclusive parking and electric vehicle charging facilities. Park Access enables everyone, regardless of their accessibility needs, to identify car parks and facilities, such as EV charge points, that they can use with ease.
The accreditation is issued to parking facilities that pass a rigorous risk assessment conducted by the British Parking Association. This award recognises that the parking and driver facilities in place are accessible to all drivers regardless of their mobility needs, bringing together the very best of two accreditations – the Disabled Parking Accreditation and People’s Parking Award – to become the UK's industry benchmark for accessible and inclusive parking and electric vehicle charging facilities.
Phil Kemp, Designing Out Crime Officer, said "I am thrilled that Babergh & Mid-Suffolk Council has been accredited with 19 Park Mark award for their car parks. This has been achieved by Babergh & Mid-Suffolk Council and it has been a pleasure working with Matt Smith and Lauren Frost-Stevens.
Matt Smith, Parking Service Manager said: "We have worked closely with the Police and BPA to gain the awards and maintain the high standards that are required for our car parks to achieve the Safer Parking Scheme Park Mark awards. I am very proud of our team and to be presented with the award certificates. We have really appreciated the advice and guidance we have received and will continue to learn and make additional improvements where required.”
Colin Sproats, BPA Area Manager said: “I am delighted that Babergh & Mid-Suffolk Council has achieved the Park Mark and Park Access awards, demonstrating their hard work and commitment to provide a safe environment for their users.”
Photo left to right:
Colin Sproats, Matt Smith, Lauren Frost-Stevens, Phil Kemp DOCO.
Notes to editors
For more information please contact the BPA press office – email: media@britishparking.co.uk or visit our Newsroom.
- The BPA is a not-for-profit membership association. We collaborate with our members and stakeholders so they can support their local communities by providing the parking services they need and improving compliance with parking rules and regulations.
- Park Access® is jointly owned by the BPA and Disabled Motoring UK and will be managed and administered by the BPA. The BPA has successfully assessed and awarded parking facilities with its acclaimed accreditations for 20 years. These include the coveted Park Mark® award, part of the Safer Parking Scheme owned by Police Crime Prevention Initiatives (Police CPI), as well as Park Mark Plus and Park Mark Freight.
- Disabled Motoring UK is a national membership charity fighting to improve personal mobility and access for all people with disabilities including drivers, passengers, Blue Badge holders, scooter, and wheelchair users. The charity represents disabled motorists across the whole of the United Kingdom and campaigns nationally on their behalf, acting as a platform to voice their concerns. It also works closely with other organisations to improve personal mobility and access to goods and services for people with disabilities.
- The Safer Parking Scheme is a national standard for UK car parks that have low crime and measures in place to ensure the safety of people and vehicles. A Park Mark is awarded to each car park that achieves the challenging standards. The distinctive Park Mark signage helps drivers find car parks where they can confidently leave their vehicle, knowing the environment is safer.
- The BPA manages the Safer Parking Scheme on behalf of Police Crime Prevention Initiatives Ltd (Police-CPI) and with support from the Home Office and the Scottish Government. Nine Area Managers are employed by the BPA to actively promote and manage the scheme throughout the UK.
- Police Crime Prevention Initiatives Ltd owns the police element of the project. Police CPI works alongside Police Scotland and the Police Service of Northern Ireland to deliver the police element of the Safer Bus Station Scheme.