Walker's positive vision for parking

British Parking Association president places emphasis on standards, communication and staff safety

The British Parking Association’s new president Richard Walker used his official inauguration speech to set out his priorities for his year in office.

Speaking at Westminster Central Hall in London on 21 October, Walker said he wants to place an emphasis on maintaining high standards of service, ensuring safety of frontline staff and improving the way in which the sector communicates.

Walker is the group manager of the North Essex Parking Partnership (NEPP). As well as being an advocate for the Positive Parking Agenda and Park Active initiative, he has been the recipient of several British Parking Awards.

Richard Walker: BPA President’s Reception 2024

I’ve already been in post for three months since July, speaking at various events as president. It is one of my goals to get to as many places as I can, and to speak to as many of people in parking as possible in the process.

I want to reflect on our core principles, as a sector, on the challenges we face, and the vision we must uphold to drive us forward. During my presidency, I would like to focus on three critical areas:

• Maintaining high standards
• Protecting frontline workers
• Effective communication and good governance

Maintaining standards

We must always maintain high standards and consistency in the way we deliver parking services, and I am keen to continue the good work of my predecessors who formed and led the Positive Parking Agenda.

The Positive Parking Agenda can assist us when addressing issues such as ensuring the penalty charge level is an effective deterrent, because as we know, in many places it is currently failing to do this job.

One of our great strengths as an association is lobbying, and the principles of the Positive Parking Agenda allows us to demonstrate a measured approach when campaigning on this, and many other issues – such as fair use of camera technology, and better management of dangerous, and obstructive parking, on the footway.

There are many other issues that are important to members: Digital TROs; a National Parking Platform; persistent evaders; and the Private Parking Code.

We must and will maintain our lobbying focus, and keep a watchful eye, on emerging government policy  in order to help inform, and shape, new and emerging legislation.

Frontline workers

BPA members work to ensure that we keep people moving and getting to where they are going in their millions every day.

We know that stories in the media can have a negative impact on our workers, which can in turn lead to mental health issues, absence, and in some cases, Actual Bodily Harm against the staff in our workforce.

Such abusive behaviour is of course completely unacceptable – at any time and in any work environment. If nothing else, we need more recognition – and protection in law – for our precious frontline staff.

Communication and governance

Ensuring we focus on effective communication and good governance are two other areas I am also passionate about.

Clear and consistent communication is something I have been keen on driving and delivering within my own organisation, and I hope to bring the same to this role, too.

If we do nothing else, and I cannot stress this enough, we must communicate clearly in order to maintain a good culture and continue to enjoy and build good working relationships.

Our strength is in our diverse and inclusive BPA community. Our sector contributes significantly to society and to our economy and, together, we have a key role to play in supporting growth.

I would like to encourage the British Parking Association to continue being innovative, as we have done with our successful series of BPA Live event and with our excellent Parkex event, which continues to evolve and engage record numbers.

The BPA has also moved quickly to set up the new Parking on Private Land service board to help oversee the important work ahead for this vital part of the sector. We must be proactive, as well as reactive, to change.

My community

I would like to thank the BPA Council members for joining my 'Coffee with the President' meetings over the summer. We'll start to use some of the ideas discussed to innovatively improve council meetings.

An important group I would like to gather insight from is our past presidents. I would like to invite them to join a past presidents’ alumni, with regular conversations about how we can take the association forward.

I would like to thank my immediate past president Stuart Harrison, vice president Mike Marrs, the BPA board of directors, the BPA council, and those who have previously served as directors and elected members for their service

Stuart in particular has been an incredible ambassador for the association and our sector, having embraced the presidency last year as he does everything else, with positivity, enthusiasm, and passion.  I’m sure you will join with me in wishing him all the very best with his new venture.

To our BPA staff team, thank you for helping me prepare for today, for organising, and re-organising this reception, and for assistance with this speech.

I am still humbled to be elected as your president, and I will strive and endeavour to serve, and help lead the association, and its membership, to the best of my ability throughout the year.

Richard Walker is president of the British Parking Association