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Ten car parks in Basingstoke’s top of town have been awarded Park Mark status following a recent inspection.
The Park Mark Safer Parking Award scheme is an initiative introduced by the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) to reduce crime and its effects within the built environment. It is run by The British Parking Association in conjunction with ACPO CPI (Crime Prevention Initiatives).
The scheme is an annual award and high standards have to be maintained to retain the certification.
Two car parks – Parklands car park and Eastlands car park, both in London Road –renewed their status.
Eight other car parks were awarded the status for the first time. These are:
- Central car park, New Road
- Feathers Yard
- Sarum Hill car park
- Albert Yard, New Road
- Castons Yard, New Road
- Castons car park, New Road
- Southern Road car park, New Road
- Jacobs Yard car park, New Road
The inspections were carried out by Jamie Lawes, Hampshire Constabulary’s crime prevention design advisor for North and East OCU, Martin Bennett, Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council parking manager and Mike Bibby, the British Parking Association regional development manager.
Mr Lawes said: “The examination takes into consideration the layout, design and security of car parks to reduce crime in the local environment. The scheme concentrates on a number of factors including parking management, lighting, layout of parking bays, access control, signage and help points, surveillance, including CCTV systems, and pedestrian and vehicular access. Low crime recording is also a determining factor.”
This year, government funding has been made available through The British Parking Association to fund the council’s scheme membership for the first year for the first ten of those parking areas awarded.
Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for Community Safety and Development, Councillor Harry Robinson, said: “It is fantastic that so many of our car parks have been awarded such status. It is really important for people visiting the town to feel safe parking their cars at all times of day, and I’m so pleased that we can be proud of the fact that our car parks are safe.”
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