New parking arrangements mean more consistency in Warwickshire

NSL Ltd will take over on-street parking enforcement in November, after Warwickshire County Council officers worked with district and borough councils on drawing up the contract.

Under the new terms, residents will be able to call a number to request additional enforcement at short notice.

The county council says the new package will save it more than £500,000, with NSL only using one office at Shire Hall in Warwick, compared to staff working from three separate offices across the county.

The contract also allows partners in Coventry, Solihull and other councils within Warwickshire to buy in at a later date and benefit from economies of scale, potentially reducing their own parking costs.

Cllr Peter Butlin, the county councillor who deals with policy on transport and planning, said: “We have been faced with carrying out as many of our services as possible with a smaller budget.

“I am pleased to award this contract to NSL Ltd as it enables us to continue a service that the public wants, whilst making savings. The money we save will be put back into the highways budget to allow us to repair roads, improve signage and add safety measures.”

Cllr Richard Chattaway, chairman of the council’s communities overview and scrutiny committee’s task and finish group, which examined the tendering of the contract, said: “We looked at the contract and are satisfied that it will mean that the coverage of enforcement officers will be more responsive, that the proposed savings can be achieved and that there is flexibility in the contract for further savings down the road. We feel this will improve the service for the people of Warwickshire.”

Mark Hoskin, NSL’s local government director, said: “We are delighted to have been chosen to undertake civil parking enforcement services across four of Warwickshire’s districts and boroughs, helping the county realise significant savings whilst providing our expertise to maintain a vital service.”