Lord Street West United

Background

Lord Street West United Reformed Church is a longstanding place of religious value and community activity in Southport’s heart. With a 45-space car park, the church previously operated under a trust-based system, using an honesty box and a standalone payment kiosk.

Issue

While the honesty box and standalone payment kiosk approach reflected the church’s values of openness and inclusivity, it became increasingly difficult to manage, particularly as unauthorised parking grew more frequent due to the car park’s excellent location.

Without any formal enforcement system, the car park was being misused by individuals visiting other landmarks nearby and the existing payment method offered limited financial return. With no means to effectively manage who could and couldn’t use the facility, church operators recognised the need for a more structured solution.

Challenges

Introducing a parking enforcement system at a church required a highly sensitive and thoughtful approach. As a space that welcomes worshippers, families, volunteers, and visitors attending important life events such as weddings and funerals, the church was concerned about maintaining a welcoming environment while addressing the parking issues.

Key challenges included:

• Hesitation regarding the introduction of enforcement, due to fears of an unwelcoming or rigid approach.
• Limited digital knowledge among some church members, particularly elderly visitors unfamiliar with modern parking systems.
• Frequent misuse of the car park by unauthorised users, taking up spaces intended for genuine visitors of church.
• Limited income from the honesty box model, which failed to cover the cost of upkeep or generate meaningful revenue.
• Lack of flexible system to accommodate for busy occasions such as weddings and funerals.

The management team of church knew they needed a solution that balanced structured enforcement with compassion and flexibility, protecting the church’s value while also safeguarding its facilities.

Solution

Minster Baywatch worked closely with the church council to develop an effective enforcement strategy tailored to their unique requirements and community values. Our approach focused on flexibility, ease of use, and clear communication to ensure a smooth transition for all car park users.

Key elements of the solution included:

• iPad installation inside the church building, enabling authorised users such as staff, volunteers, and church visitors to input their vehicle registrations quickly and easily.
• An online system to manage custom allowed list for church administrators with full flexibility for customisation. It’ll allow the church to register permitted vehicles and avoid issuing charges to regular visitors or those attending services.
• Flexible enforcement hours were implemented to ensure enforcement only occurred during peak times or when misuse was most prevalent, while remaining inactive during key church services or low-traffic periods.
• Event-based exemptions allowed the church to notify us of upcoming  weddings, funerals, or large gatherings in advance, during which enforcement would be temporarily suspended to avoid disruption.
• Church administrators received ongoing training and support, ensuring they understood how to use the system and update the allow list when necessary.

This comprehensive solution gave the church full control over its parking facility while avoiding conflict with community members.

Outcome

The transformation of Lord Street West United Reformed Church’s car park management was practical and in keeping with its values.

Key outcomes included:

• Parking revenue tripled, providing much-needed financial support for the church’s ongoing operations and community outreach programmes.
• Unauthorised parking was drastically reduced, with ANPR technology  preventing misuse from those visiting nearby landmarks.
• Community engagement remained strong, with regular users adapting well to the new system thanks to intuitive tools and support.
• Reputational integrity was preserved, as enforcement was applied with empathy and consideration for the church’s unique role in the local area.

The flexibility of the enforcement strategy ensured that genuine users were never unfairly issued Parking Charge Notice(PCN). Meanwhile, the misuse of the facility was effectively curtailed, freeing up space for those the car park was intended to serve.

This case study demonstrates how effective parking enforcement doesn’t have to come at the expense of community spirit. By working collaboratively with Lord Street West United Reformed Church, Minster Baywatch delivered a tailored solution that increased revenue, improved access for genuine visitors, and protected the welcoming environment the church is known for. Even in sensitive, community-led environments, modern enforcement strategies can be applied thoughtfully; with transparency, flexibility, and respect.