As lockdown restrictions begin to lift and activity on campuses increases, we intend to restart parking enforcement from Monday 12 April. If you drive to campuses you will therefore be required to display a permit in any University car park, and in line with University Parking Regulations.
What does this mean for me?
- If you have a permit that shows an expiry of 31 December 2020 or 31 March 2021 this will not be replaced and will be deemed as valid until 31 July 2021, when the situation will be reviewed.
- If you need to park on campus and do not have a current permit you will need to apply for one – but there will be no charge.
- Parking enforcement will resume by the Parking Team on 12 April and vehicles not displaying a valid permit may receive a parking charge notice from this date.
Payments for permits will be reinstated once working from home restrictions are more widely lifted. The type of permits that will be available in the future are currently being reviewed to better support long-term flexible working and increased use of sustainable travel options. We will share details of any new permit types after the Easter break.
At the moment, we are still operating on the basis that, wherever possible, colleagues will continue to work from home and must have received the appropriate permissions to come to campuses.
Travelling to campus more sustainably
Longer-term, and post-COVID, it is clear we will need to plan for a shift to less private car use and reduced parking on our campuses, for a number of reasons. This will be in line with our Sustainability Strategy and Travel Plan, as well as Southampton City and Winchester Councils’ long-term Transport and Sustainability Strategies, which will see a move away from private car travel to greater use of public transport and alternative travel options. We also need to consider the implications post-COVID of any potential longer-term changes in the balance between campus working and working from home.
This will mean fresh thinking around private and business travel and the use of public transport as a city, as well as a University, and will involve wide consultation before any decisions are finalised.
For full details about all methods of travel to our campuses, please visit our Transport webpages.
