Decision Details

1. Participation in the National Parking Platform has delivered customer experience benefits to residents and visitors alike by making it quicker and easier to pay for parking, using the service of their choice, for those that prefer digital cashless payment. The continued growth of cashless app payment in East Suffolk, despite the passing of service fees to the customer, highlights the importance of convenience to our customers.

2. Providing the option of a choice of parking apps can support digital inclusion, as it increases the likelihood that customers with a preferred app will be able to use a payment option that they are familiar and comfortable with wherever they choose to park. Reverting to a single cashless app or removing this option entirely forces customers to use a payment method they may not be comfortable to use.

3. Doing as much as possible to encourage the use of cashless payment methods also supports the Council’s net-zero ambitions by reducing the reliance on diesel powered security vans to collect cash from the pay and display machines across the district. The greater the proportion of sessions registered through a cashless method, the greater the reduction in mileage and emissions.

4. There are no immediate financial implications arising from continued participation, nor have any particular concerns been identified around the legal implications. Participation serves as a mitigating factor around the risk of a parking payment method being unavailable.

5. Declining to continue participation means that East Suffolk Council will withdraw from using the Platform and will need to procure a single cashless parking payment provider or no longer continue offering app payment as an option for customers. This approach would be detrimental to the customer experience while offering no identifiable advantage over participating – these options are not recommended.

6. Refraining from providing a direction and maintaining the status-quo will allow East Suffolk Council to continue participating in the very short term, but not signing up to the revised contract and governance provisions will eventually result in disconnection from the Platform. This will leave East Suffolk Council without a cashless parking payment provider and will have the same effect as immediately declining to continue participation – this option is not recommended.

7. Should continued participation be approved, East Suffolk Council will be required to agree to a connection contract, as well as continue to feed into the ongoing development of the Platform as consortium members. Commissions are also subject to future review. Delegation of authority to the relevant Strategic Director (in consultation with the Cabinet Member with responsibility for Economic Development and Transport) to take such necessary operational decisions will support the timely and efficient implementation of the direction to continue participation. 

Financial Implications

1.1. There are no immediate financial implications for the Council arising from this proposal. The ongoing operation of the Platform is funded by the participating parking app providers, who are charged a set per transaction fee to cover operational costs and continued development. There are no membership or participation fees for East Suffolk Council.

1.2. A commission rate is set by the Platform, with commissions payable by East Suffolk Council to cashless parking app providers to cover banking and processing costs – the actual value of this is variable year-on-year depending on cashless app usage levels, but is forecast to be around £116k for 2025/26 (based on estimated cashless parking sales of £3.86m). This commission rate is currently set at 2.5% of transaction value + VAT, which is equivalent to the rate previously paid to East Suffolk Council’s former exclusive provider. Under the proposed new contract, commission rates may be reviewed every three years. Such a fee, which may differ, is likely to still be required should East Suffolk Council withdraw from the Platform and source a single exclusive provider.

The options available to Cabinet are:

1. Approve East Suffolk Council’s continued participation in the National Parking Platform under the new consortium arrangement to continue offering multiple cashless parking app options.

2. Decline East Suffolk Council’s continued participation in the National Parking Platform under the new consortium arrangement, with a preference of procuring a single cashless parking app provider.

3. Decline East Suffolk Council’s continued participation in the National Parking Platform under the new consortium arrangement, with a preference of no longer offering a cashless parking option.

4. Do not provide a direction and maintain the status-quo.

That Cabinet:

1. Approved East Suffolk Council’s continued participation in the National Parking Platform under the new consortium arrangement to continue offering multiple cashless parking app options.

2. Delegated authority to the relevant Strategic Director, in consultation with the Cabinet Member with responsibility for Economic Development and Transport, to take the necessary actions to implement this direction until such a time it is withdrawn, including entering the contract referenced in this report