Borough-wide digital visitor parking permits going live

A new digital visitor parking permit scheme will be rolled out across Reading next week.

The new system is more convenient and easier to manage for residents and will replace the need for visitor scratchcards.

The expansion of the scheme follows a successful 15-month trial in Caversham which showed many of the visitor parking hours were previously wasted.

All new applications for visitor permits will be supplied with digital versions from Wednesday 12 November. However, all existing paper permits will remain valid until the last date printed on them.

Each permit pack will equal 120 hours and residents will be able to book visits in minimum blocks of one hour, allowing more flexibility of how the time is used. Under the previous scratchcard system visitor parking could only be booked for half a day at a time, resulting in many wasted hours.

Households which are part of the scheme will receive two free packs, equalling 240 hours in total, and they may purchase another five packs per year, totalling 600 hours, at a cost of £26 per pack.

To book parking for a visitor, permit holders simply log on to their account wherever they are, select the number of hours they want to use, set the start time and date and enter the registration number of their visitor’s vehicle.

Residents can view their permit bookings online and set a reminder for when the session is about to expire.

There is no need to worry about scratching off the correct date and time on a card and displaying it in the vehicle.

Civil enforcement officers (CEO) patrolling the streets can use handheld devices to instantly check if a vehicle has the right to be parked in a residents’ zone. Spotter vehicles with automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) also operate around the borough, checking vehicle details and sending CEOs real time information about any vehicles that are in contravention.

Households who do not have access to an online account will still be able to apply for physical visitor permits by email or post.

The parking permit web page may be down for a short period of time on the morning of Wednesday 12 November while the switchover takes place.

Digital residents’ permits were introduced across Reading in November 2023 and a trial of digital visitor permits started in Lower Caversham in March 2024.

The trial showed that most visitor parking sessions were short, with more than 42% using just one or two hours. This demonstrates the benefit of the flexibility of being able to book hourly parking rather than having to use half-day permits.

Also, residents no longer have to wait for physical visitor permits to be produced and sent out, plus it saves the Council money and uses less resources.

Cllr John Ennis, Lead Councillor for Climate Strategy and Transport, said:

“Digital visitor permits offer residents much more flexibility when it comes to booking parking for their visitors.

“Parking can be booked by the hour which means householders will no longer have to waste half-day permits on short visits, which account for a majority of cases.

“Bookings can be made and managed instantly online and there is no need for physical permits to be displayed in vehicles.

“The digital scheme cuts down on printing and postal costs while civil enforcement officers can still instantly check parked vehicles on their handheld devices, backed up by spotter vehicles which can check the number plates of parked cars.

“We know residents remain keen on enforcement against unauthorised cars which may be parking in their neighbourhood and taking up limited spaces. I can assure residents that will continue.

“Residents should continue to use their existing paper permits which remain valid until the last date printed on them, and physical permits will still be available for residents who do not have access to an online account.”