‘Impressive’ Orwell Place car park among the first in the UK to achieve Park Access EV award
Orwell Place car park in Dovercourt is one of the first in the UK to earn a prestigious new national award for electric vehicle charging facilities
The Park Access EV award, part of the Safer Parking Scheme run by the British Parking Association (BPA), sets high standards for car parks that provide safe, well-managed spaces and ensure that EV charging points are easy to use for everyone, regardless of accessibility needs.
Opened by Tendring District Council (TDC) on the former site of Starlings Garage and the Queens Head Hotel in 2023, Orwell Place is more than just a car park. It includes public toilets, attractive landscaping, and doubles as a community event space, hosting seasonal attractions such as a Christmas market and Easter fair.
Councillor Mick Barry, TDC’s Cabinet Member for Car Parks, said the award demonstrates the council’s commitment to accessibility and sustainability.
“We’re delighted that Orwell Place has achieved the Park Access EV award – one of the first car parks in the UK to do so.
“It shows how serious we are about making our facilities inclusive and future ready.
“Orwell Place is a great example of how we’re combining accessibility with modern features like EV charging to meet the needs of our community.
“Supporting electric vehicle charging is part of our wider ambition to create a cleaner, greener Tendring, and we’ll keep investing in improvements that benefit residents and visitors alike.
“Parking is something people tell us matters to them, and we’re determined to keep standards high, so our car parks remain safe, welcoming, and well-managed. We’re proud to continue the Householder Parking Permit, giving residents free parking after 11am at most council-run car parks, helping local people and supporting local business.
“This year we also achieved Park Mark accreditation for 30 sites – more than any other district in Essex – which is a fantastic achievement and a credit to our Parking Services team.”
The Park Access EV accreditation enables drivers to identify car parks and EV charging facilities that are safe, well-managed, and accessible for all users.
Naomi Parsons, BPA Area Manager, said only four car parks nationwide have achieved the new accreditation so far.
“Orwell Place car park is a very impressive car park which has successfully met all the criteria for Park Mark, including management and operations,” she said.
“This means the car park is also accessible for all users and therefore achieves the standards for the Park Access EV award.”
For more information visit https://www.britishparking.co.uk/Schemes
To find Park Mark awarded car parks visit www.parkmark.co.uk
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.