Feature: Council Revenue to Increase as Guildford Parking Incorporates ANPR

Published on: 9 Mar, 2026
Updated on: 11 Mar, 2026

Listen to Isabelle Trubshaw’s interview with several customers and a retailer in Guildford, who discuss their views on the recent changes to Guildford’s car parking system…

By Isabelle Trubshaw

Guildford Borough Council has installed new “user-friendly” payment machines across most town centre car parks. But are drivers convinced?

The new machines, linked to on entry automatic number plate recognition (ANPR), were installed in February and  allows card, contactless, cash and RingGo app payments after feedback from customers expressed interest in more convenient payment methods.

Perhaps the most significant observation was that customers were uncertain when to pay. Should they pay at the beginning or end of their stay? Although not specifically stated if would appear that payment at the end of the stay is preferable when the length of stay can be confirmed. But payment on entry is permissible with customers having to estimate how long they will park.

It was also noticed that the barriers at Castle car park seemed a little unreliable with on customer unable to enter because the barrier was not raised and another, although having paid correctly, had the same problem when leaving.

In a council newsletter, GBC announced that this renovation would provide a “more flexible and streamline parking experience”, encouraging faster transactions, improved reliability and accessibility, as well as keeping maintenance costs low.

Cllr Vanessa King

Vanessa King (Lib Dem, Stoke), Lead Councillor for Economy and Place at Guildford Borough Council, said she was delighted that the upgrades are now complete and recognises the importance of customer choice when it comes to paying for parking.

She said: “This work is about making everyday journeys simpler and ensuring our car parks are modern, accessible and fit for the future – while still keeping cash as an option for those who prefer it.”

Despite assurances from a council spokesperson that the changes were “service-led, not revenue-led”, councillors have emphasised the financial benefits of the upgrade.

Millbrook car park payment upgrade

In January 2025, former lead councillor Catherine Houston (Lib Dem, Shalford) described the upgrade as a “financial life-saver” after a recent report estimated that the new system is expected to generate around £300,000 in additional net revenue each year.

She explained that cash payment is very expensive to collect and manage, and that card payments will encourage longer stays and increase revenue.

Cllr Catherine Houston

While car parking already represents a significant source of income for GBC, accounting for 16.5 per cent of the council’s annual budget, Houston highlighted the long-term benefit of the upgrade.

“[It] will allow us to keep our services running [and] without it the council would be in financial difficulty,” she said.

This emphasis on the financial benefits has led some residents to question whether the new system is truly service-led.

In several car parks, machines offer only one or two payment methods. For example, drivers could not, last week at least, pay cash at Millbrook car park.

In our parking survey, one customer said her “heart dropped” when she realised cash was not accepted at the Millbrook car park.

Another customer said additional app fees were frustrating, noting that RingGo charges an extra 10p per stay.

Others expressed general concerns about the increasing use of technology in parking. One reader told The Dragon that “older people like me don’t like change”, describing ticketless systems and automatic number-plate recognition as “very complicated.” She also criticised the lack of printed receipt: “Now I have no proof of payment.”

This upgrade follows a 10 per cent hike in parking prices across long-stay car parks, season tickets, contract parking and garage fees introduced at the beginning of 2025.

Cllr George Potter (Lib Dem, Burpham) explained, at the time, that this change is necessary after three years of frozen prices: “If you think about how long that [three year] time frame has been, and how high inflation has been over that time, a 10 per cent increase is actually a very reasonable increase … and very overdue.”

Cllr George Potter

A GBC spokesperson said that the revenue is re-invested back into running, maintaining, and improving the car parks, including the recent upgrade of parking equipment and improving safety measures across the car parks.

Responding to concerns on how higher prices might impact the footfall of retailers in Guildford, a GBC spokesperson said that usage of car parks remains high.

“We’ve kept this year’s tariff changes as low as possible to avoid deterring visitors to the town,” the spokesperson said. “This year’s increase reflects rising operational costs and helps us maintain safe, accessible, and well‑run car parks.”

Questions have also been raised about how increased reliance on car parking aligns with the council’s environmental policies, i.e. shouldn’t car journeys be actively discouraged?

A council spokesperson said the approach does not conflict with its wider climate goals. “Ensuring our car parks are well‑run and financially sustainable allows the council to continue investing in wider environmental priorities across the borough.”

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