NEPP On-Street Paid Parking

Often referred to as ‘pay and display’, on-street paid parking means parking in marked bays along the roadside, where you register your stay either digitally or by purchasing a physical ticket.

How much it costs to park in an on-street space will vary depending on how long you park, in the same way that car park tariffs work. Clear signage would be displayed at the parking site to explain the options available to you and how to pay.

On-street paid parking offers convenience, especially in areas where off-street parking (car park) options are limited. It allows drivers to park closer to their destinations, reducing the need for long walks, and is common practice in urban areas. Existing on-street sites in north Essex can be found in Epping, Loughton, Buckhurst Hill, Harlow, Harwich, Marks Tey, Colchester Town and Saffron Walden.

Paid parking has proven to be an effective tool for managing traffic flow and ensuring parking availability in busy areas. By deterring long-term parking and encouraging turnover, paid parking schemes can help keep roads clear and traffic flowing smoothly, whilst encouraging the use of off-street car parks.

Enforcement of paid parking is simpler and more efficient than restrictions like Limited Waiting. This helps us to better manage our Civil Enforcement time as they can do a quick check to see if a driver is exceeding time limits or not paying for parking. The time saved here can be spent patrolling priority restrictions where safety is key, such as around schools.

Following the initial approval of the principle in early 2024, paid parking has now been introduced in selected areas of Colchester and Epping Forest. NEPP is now actively developing proposals for further sites, including locations within Braintree District, in line with local parking needs and strategic transport objectives.

Plans are being developed alongside Officers and Members of each relevant District to ensure that any pre-advertising engagement with wider Stakeholders is conducted.

Where the process reaches the scheme consultation advertising stage, residents and other stakeholders may provide feedback and raise any concerns. All comments received will be carefully considered before the amendment, withdrawal, or finalisation and implementation of any scheme.

The Parking Partnership understands the importance of keeping the public informed throughout this process. We encourage everyone to review the detailed reports, which will be available at the appropriate stage, outlining the proposed regulations and permissions, and to participate in the public consultation period. Feedback is invaluable in helping us make informed decisions that benefit the entire community.

Since the beginning of this project, sites across Colchester City and Epping Forest District have already been implemented. The sites being proposed in the current phase – as of October 2025 – are those within the Braintree District as below.

High Street and The Centre, Halstead
The Causeway, Bocking End
Newland Street, Witham

NEPP has been actively engaging with affected District/City partners, Members and stakeholders since early 2024 to support the introduction of on-street paid parking. This engagement, including informal discussions, site-specific consultations and collaborative design work, helps to ensure that proposed schemes reflect local needs and priorities and to develop communications plans prior to finalisation.

In some cases, more localised informal consultation may be necessary and would include affected residents, businesses, and any other identified key stakeholders. We will also be carrying out ‘enhanced’ statutory consultations, which would include letter drops to affected residents or businesses, alongside the standard street and local newspaper notices.

We continue to work closely with district, borough, and county partners, as well as local councillors and community representatives, to shape each scheme. Feedback gathered during these stages helps inform the design and development of proposals before they progress to formal consultation under the Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) process.

The process that authorities must follow is set out in The Local Authorities’ Traffic Orders (Procedure) (England and Wales) Regulations 1996. The process used when making permanent Traffic Regulation Orders, such as waiting restrictions or resident permit schemes, is also used to introduce paid parking.

Once proposals have been drafted and agreed a Notice of Intention will be advertised. This will give 21 days for any objections or other comments to be made. Any correspondence that is received will be considered before a decision is made on whether to introduce the proposal as advertised, make amendments, or stop the proposal.

It’s important to note that the primary aim of civil parking enforcement is not to generate income, but to manage parking and improve traffic flow.

While revenue from paid parking may help cover the increasing costs of patrol and enforcement, any surplus is reinvested back into essential traffic management initiatives; Section 55 of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 ensures that that income generated is ‘ringfenced’ to the parking operations, including enforcement and maintenance of the parking provisions.

This is a highly debated subject, and it is often assumed that there is a direct correlation between free parking and increased footfall. There are several studies that have been conducted that provide some clarity on this issue.

A useful report was produced for the Welsh Government on the impact of parking charges on own centre footfall – this can be found here – https://www.gov.wales/sites/default/files/statistics-and-research/2018-12/150610-assessing-impact-car-parking-charges-town-centre-footfall-en.pdf

There are many articles available online covering the broad spectrum of views on the impact of introducing paid parking, both on and off-street.

There will inevitably be localised impacts however it is our intention to work with local Members and other stakeholders on proposing schemes that balance the needs of local communities with the need to ensure efficient use of the kerbside in prime locations.