Purpose

Approval to join the NPPC.

Decision

Approve the award of a contract to the National Parking Platform for the provision of an interoperable digital parking payment platform for a period of five years, commencing on 1 August 2026, at a total contract value of £613,140.

Reasons for the decision

1 The Council requires its parking payment systems to be interoperable with the National Parking Platform to provide residents and visitors with greater choice when paying for parking and to align with the Government's national approach to digital parking services.
2 The contract is being awarded by way of a direct award under Section 41 of the Procurement Act 2023, relying on the grounds set out in paragraphs 5 and 6 of Schedule 5. The National Parking Platform is the only supplier able to provide access to the nationally governed interoperability platform required by the Council. Due to the platform's exclusive technical architecture, governance arrangements and integration standards, no reasonable alternative supplier or solution exists that can meet the Council's operational requirements.
3 Awarding the contract will improve customer experience, reduce reliance on a single proprietary payment provider, increase operational resilience and support the Council's long-term digital transformation objectives whilst delivering value for money.

Alternative options considered

Do Nothing – Not Recommended. The Council would continue to rely on existing proprietary parking payment arrangements, limiting customer choice and preventing alignment with the Government's national interoperability programme.