Car parking consultants
The sense of arrival at a visitor site or destination is a critical element of the visitor journey. For most visitors, the car park is the first physical touchpoint they encounter, and first impressions matter. A well-designed, well-managed car park sets a positive tone for the entire visit. Car parks can also become a key revenue-generating asset.
Car parking advisory services
Planning Solutions Consulting specialises in car parking consultancy for visitor and tourist destinations — from country parks, heritage sites and forest recreation areas through to coastal and rural destinations. As visitor experience and car parking consultants, we advise on the full range of considerations that shape a successful car parking offer, including:
Sense of arrival: Creating a positive first impression for visitors
Space planning: Determining the right number of car parking spaces
Tariff strategy: Setting appropriate charges for your market
Revenue messaging: Communicating how parking income is used to support the site
Payment systems: Selecting and implementing the right technology
Visitor infrastructure: Supporting facilities and wayfinding
Commercial opportunities: Maximising the revenue potential of your car park
Business plan development: Building the evidence to support investment decisions
Car parks can also serve a broader, multi-functional role. Inspired by the aires found across France, which provide short-stay overnight accommodation for campervans and motorhomes. Car parks can be designed to accommodate a range of uses, from catering concessions to serving as a base for water sports businesses and assisting with membership recruitment, all of which help extend their commercial value and enhance the visitor experience.
Car parking architectural design services
We have an established relationship with Hiraeth Architecture who can lead on the physical design of car parks through all RIBA stages of work alongside preparing and submitting planning applications and assisting in identifying full capital costs.
Working in some of the most complex sites in the country, Hiraeth Architecture specialises in design on sensitive sites. This ensures that their proposed solutions are contextual and responsive to their surrounding environments, minimising their impact, and allaying many of the concerns that might otherwise exist.
We have worked with Hiraeth Architecture on a number of recreation and tourism projects – from preparing a Sustainable Development Plan for Freshwater West in Pembrokeshire, a honeypot coastal destination site, through to preparing a Development Plan and Business Plan for Broadland Country Park and Development / Visitor Experience Masterplanning at Gnoll Estate Country Park.
Selected car parking Projects
- Hampshire County Council: Advised on approaches to car parking payment systems across their full portfolio of country parks
- National Trust / Freshwater West: As part of a sustainable development plan prepared with Hiraeth Architecture, advised on future design and operational considerations for the beachside car park at this popular Pembrokeshire destination, which was generating increasing visitor numbers
- Buckinghamshire County Council: Conducted a review of country parks, including a detailed assessment of car parking provision.
- Falkirk Council and Historic Environment Scotland: Contributed to a Strategic Tourism and Infrastructure Development Plan for Blackness Castle, addressing key parking challenges.
- East Lothian Council: Working with Hiraeth Architecture, prepared a visitor management plan for key coastal honeypot sites, with car parking as a central consideration.
Operational experience of managing car parks
Our advisory work is complemented by direct operational experience. Our sister company manages a number of popular visitor attractions and tourism businesses — including Kent Life Heritage Farm Park, CONKERS (a 120-acre discovery site), Cotswold Country Park and Beach, and the Royal Esplanade Hotel. Across these sites, we actively manage approximately 1,300 car parking spaces, alongside coach parking provision, giving us a grounded, practical understanding of car park operations that informs everything we do as consultants.
How can we help?
If have any questions about carrying out a car parking feasibility study or exploring future options at an existing or new car park at a visitor or tourist site please don’t hesitate to call Richard Linington on 07866 742628 or email richard@pslplan.co.uk