Changes to parking in Reading could be coming soon

For drivers who don’t have the luxury of an off-street car parking space, finding a place to leave your car in Reading can be a hassle. Parking spaces in residential streets are regulated using parking permits, which can be issued on a permanent and temporary basis.

These permits are currently issued to residents physically.

But that is set to change as Reading Borough Council is due to approve a policy to make permanent permits digital.

Reading currently has 19 parking zones which cover nearly 17,000 households and 12,000 parking spaces, so any change would impact a significant number of people.

The move follows a trial of digital parking permits in Lower Caversham.

A trial of the rule change involved digital parking permits being used for permanent residents and visitors in the 02R parking zone King’s Road, Queens Road and parts of Coldicutt Street.

Caversham Parking Zone 02R, involved in the pilot scheme for digital parking permits in Reading. Credit: Reading Borough Council

During a consultation, 17 people made comments about the switch to digital, with neighbours raising confusion about visitor parking and booking under the digital system.

Following that feedback, visitor parking permits will be issued using physical cards.

Reading Borough Council’s Labour administration wants to move ahead with making the permanent permits digital, with the exception of people who do not have access, who will be able to use a paper system.

John Ennis (Labour, Southcote), lead councillor for transport, said: “We are looking to modernise the way we provide our parking permits, transferring it online and reducing the wait for permits to be processed and dispatched, creating an easier, quicker and simpler system for residents.

“We have taken onboard the feedback from the trial in Lower Caversham which, on the whole, went smoothly. “Importantly, those who do not have access to the internet, will still be able to use the previous system and will still have to display a permit in their vehicle.

“Physical visitor permits will remain in operation pending the results of a separate trial.”

Information from the council website states that digital parking permits will be rolled out on Sunday, November 1.

But in order for the digital parking permits to be rolled out, the policy must be approved by the council’s traffic management sub-committee, which will be meeting on Wednesday, September 13.

If the changes are agreed, the council will inform current parking permit holders about how to apply for the digital permits a month before their existing one expires.

The council is conducting a separate trial into digital visitor parking permits which, if successful, could be implemented in November 2024.