The UK automotive market is growing at a robust annual rate of 7.21%, placing increasing pressure on existing parking infrastructure. This demand hasn’t just impacted residential and commercial spaces—it has also extended to community places like churches.

One such example is Erdington Baptist Church in Birmingham, which was facing a host of challenges due to unauthorised parking. This not only created difficulties for parishioners and staff but also undermined the sense of security and accessibility for neighbouring businesses and community facilities.

Challenges:

Unauthorised parking led to several parking issues:

• Frequent unauthorised vehicle use made it difficult for parishioners, staff, and genuine attendees to find available parking spaces.
• Religious gatherings and events resulted in severe congestion around the church, leading to discomfort and frustration for visitors.
• The absence of a proper monitoring system led to the misuse of parking spaces and missed revenue opportunities.
• There was an urgent need for a durable, sustainable, and convenient parking solution to improve security and accessibility for all motorists.

Site Map

Solution: Omne Technology Pay and Display Machines

As a trusted trade associate of Euro Parking Services, we implemented a customised parking management system for Erdington Baptist Church using Omne Technology Pay and Display machines, supported by CCTV surveillance to maximise efficiency and security.

Here’s how the system worked:

• Upon entry, CCTV cameras capture real-time footage of the parking space. Our 24/7 real-time monitoring team keeps a track on the entry and exit times to ensure proper usage.
• Motorists use Pay and Display machines to book their parking space for a chosen duration.
• The machine issues a parking ticket, and an e-receipt is sent directly to the motorist via email.
• Our back-office staff track the duration of each stay using CCTV data. If a vehicle overstays the paid time, a Parking Charge Notice (PCN) is issued, ensuring compliance within the church’s parking space.
• E-permits are offered to frequent visitors and church staff, granting them unrestricted access to the parking space.
• To further enhance convenience, we also enabled the use of the RingGo mobile app, allowing users to pay for parking remotely without needing to interact with the machines.

This integrated solution not only restored order and security to the church’s parking space but also provided a more convenient and reliable experience for all users.

Key Benefits

The implementation of Omne Technology’s Pay and Display machines, in conjunction with CCTV monitoring, delivered several measurable benefits to the church:

• Reduced Operational Costs: The automated system minimised the need for human intervention during the payment process, reducing staffing requirements.
• Additional Revenue System: The church was able to generate passive income from legitimate parking use, creating a sustainable source of supplementary revenue.
• Discourage Unauthorised Parking: The presence of monitored Pay and Display machines significantly reduced parking abuse and deterred non-compliant motorists.
• Integrated Enforcement through CCTV: By cross-referencing booking durations with real-time footage, back-office staff could accurately detect overstays and issue Parking Charge Notices when necessary.
• Improved User Experience: The machines featured a user-friendly interface, making the payment process simple and accessible for all visitors.
• Flexible Payment Options: Multiple payment methods, including debit/credit cards, online platforms, and phone-based payments, enhanced convenience for users.
• Remote Payment Capability: Integration with the RingGo mobile application enabled visitors to pay without interacting with machines or staff, further streamlining the process.

Positive Outcomes Observed by the Church

Following the installation of our Pay and Display machines alongside CCTV monitoring, the church reported several notable improvements:

• Increased Revenue: The introduction of parking charges created a new stream of income, now contributing directly to church funds.
• Improved Compliance: Unauthorised parking was significantly reduced, leading to better regulation and use of the available parking space.
• Enhanced Security: Continuous CCTV surveillance ensures only authorised vehicles are allowed to park, improving overall safety for parishioners, staff, and property.
• Better Availability of Parking: With fewer unauthorised vehicles occupying spaces, genuine attendees and staff now have easier access to available parking.
• Greater Convenience and User Satisfaction: Parishioners appreciate the
  added ease and flexibility brought by the payment machines, CCTV coverage, and RingGo mobile app. These tools have improved accessibility, fairness, and peace of mind.
• Seamless Access for Regular Users: E-permits issued to staff and frequent attendees ensure they can access the car park without disruption or delay.

The Pay and Display machines from Omne have provided a resilient, efficient, and user-friendly parking solution for Erdington Baptist Church. This case study demonstrates how our technology can be tailored to suit a variety of sectors and underscores the role of modern parking systems in transforming community spaces. By enhancing security, improving convenience, and maintaining accessibility, our solutions help ensure that places of worship remain welcoming and well-managed.

If you’re interested in learning more about our Pay and Display machines or would like to explore installation options for your site, please get in touch with us today. Our team will respond promptly and offer a free site assessment to help you get started.