Business parking permit guidance notes

1. Eligibility

Your business address

To qualify for a business parking permit your business address as given on your application form must

  • Be within the community parking zone (legally known as controlled parking zone) as defined by the Parking Places Order for that zone; except 'All Zone' business permits which are available to any business located within the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames
  • Be used for non-residential purposes
  • Not have a restriction on the issue of business parking permits as a result of a planning agreement under Section 106 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 (as amended). See the Properties not allowed parking permits pages for more.

Period

Business parking permits are available in durations of 3 months, 6 months and 1 year. Permits start from the date of issue unless a renewal of a current permit, in which case the new permit will run from the day following the expiry of the current permit.

Number of permits

Each business will normally be allowed a maximum of 5 current business permits, unless otherwise authorised by the Council, except when renewing immediately before the expiry of current permit(s).

Permit holder's vehicle

Must be a passenger vehicle or a goods carrying vehicle the overall height of which does not exceed 2.5 metres and the overall length of which does not exceed 5.25 metres.

Transferable or vehicle specific permits

Applicants may opt for either transferable permits or vehicle specific permits. Transferable permits may be used on any employee or business owned vehicles, other than free Band A permits which may only be used on employee or business owned vehicles registered on or after 01/03/2001 with engine CO2 emissions of 100g/Km or less. Vehicle specific permits may only be used on the vehicle whose registration is that printed on the permit.

2. How to apply

All applications must be completed and signed and submitted with copies of your proofs and payment (where required). Unsigned forms or those without proofs and payment (where required) will not be processed.

3. Proofs

The Council must be satisfied when you apply for or hold business parking permits, that you are entitled to them, i.e.

  • That your business operates from and is located within the relevant community parking zone, or within the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames if applying for 'All Zone' permits

And in the case of vehicle specific permits

  • That your employees own or are authorised to drive the vehicles for which the permits have been issued
  • That for free Band A vehicle permits that the vehicle was first registered on or after 01/03/2001 and has engine CO2 emissions of 100g/Km or less.

Although the Council may not ask for proofs on renewal, proofs may be requested at any time. If you cannot prove continued eligibility then the Council will invalidate your permits and a vehicle may be liable for a Penalty Charge Notice if found to be displaying any of the permits for parking.

4. Permit cost

The cost of permits are based on

  • The duration of the permit
  • The community parking zone the permit is for
  • Whether the permit is the first current permit or a subsequent permit issued to the business
  • Whether the vehicle is Band A (first registered no or after 01/03/2001 with engine CO2 emissions of 100g/Km or less) and so eligible for free permits.

More information on how refunds are calculated can be found in 14. Refunds.

See the Business parking permit prices page for full details.

5. Payment and receipts

Paying by cheque or postal order

Please make cheques or postal orders payable to ‘LBRuT’

Paying by BACS

Make payment with reference 'Business Parking' and your postcode to

  • The Co-operative Bank
  • Sort Code 08-90-34
  • Account 61683631

Receipts

Your permit letter will include a printed tear-off receipt to the bottom-left.

Failed payments

Bounced cheques will invalidate any permit(s) issued and will incur a £10 administration fee.

6. How to use your business parking permit

Each new permit will be issued together with a protective cover which should be affixed to the inside of the vehicle’s windscreen on the nearside. The permit must be displayed on the vehicle in such a way that the particulars are readily visible from the front or nearside of the vehicle.

7. Where to park

A permit will not reserve the holder a right to park in a specific parking bay.

A permit will enable the holder to park in any vacant on-street business parking permit holder’s space, or if applicable, shared use space within the zone of issue between the hours displayed on signs at the entry points to the zone, and in some cases, on signs adjacent to the parking bays, subject to any parking suspension that may occur. Parking places are not controlled outside of the zones restricted hours.

Permits are only valid in the zone of issue as shown on the permit by a letter(s) in the bottom right hand corner and on-street by the same letter(s) on sign plates. All-Zone permits are valid in any parking space where business or resident parking permits would otherwise be valid, except the business parking bay in zone A1.

Business parking permits are not valid in off-street car parks, pay and display bays, or in other zones except where otherwise stated by signs at the locations or on the Where to park page.

8. Suspensions

The Council regularly suspends bays from normal use for various reasons, e.g. house moves. Any unauthorised vehicles found parked in a suspended bay may be liable for a Penalty Charge Notice. If the vehicle is to remain in the same bay for a number of days then the employee should check daily for any suspension notices.

9. Change of vehicle - Transferable permits

These need to be updated only if they are to be used on a vehicle which is of a higher band than that shown on the permit.

You need to surrender and replace your permit if

  • Pre-February 2011 permits - the new vehicle is of a higher band than the permit
  • Post-February 2011 permits - the permit was issued to a Band A vehicle, but the new vehicle is a higher band.

Return the existing permit for a refund (if applicable) using the Permit Change or Return(pdf, 33KB) form and apply for a new permit using the Business Parking Permit Application Form(pdf, 26KB).

You can use the tear-off slip on the permit letter to park for 7 days whilst your permit is being updated.

If the permit is not returned it will be treated as lost and you may be charged a £10 administration fee, see 12. Lost, stolen or damaged permits. A vehicle displaying a permit declared lost will be liable for a Penalty Charge Notice if found to be using it.

Forms are available from the Council using the details in 16. More information. There is no charge for the first reissue of a permit due to a change of vehicle within any 12 month peiod; however, subsequent reissues will incur a £10 administration fee.

10. Change of vehicle - Vehicle specific permits

A new permit must always be obtained in the event of a change of vehicle due to the change in registration number. The permit must be updated if the vehicle bands are the same, or surrendered and replaced if different.

Your existing permit can be updated if

  • Pre-February 2011 permits - the new vehicle is of the same or lower band than the old vehicle
  • Post-February 2011 permits - the new and old vehicles are both Band A; or neither the new and old vehicles are Band A.

Complete a Permit Change or Return(pdf, 33KB) form and return with your permit to the Council. You can use the tear-off slip on the permit letter to park for 7 days whilst your permit is updated. If the permit is not returned it will be treated as lost and you may be charged a £10 administration fee, see 12. Lost, stolen or damaged permits. A vehicle displaying a permit declared lost will be liable for a Penalty Charge Notice if found to be using it.

Forms are available from the Council using the details in 16. More information. There is no charge for the first reissue of a permit due to a change of vehicle within any 12 month period; however, subsequent reissues will incur a £10 administration fee.

11. Change of address

If you change address within the same Community Parking Zone, or you have ‘All Zone’ permits and have moved within the borough, then you must notify the Council using a Permit Change or Return(pdf, 33KB) form and provide proof of your new address.

You must return your existing permit(s) for a refund if you have moved outside the Community Parking Zone for which the permit was issued; or for ‘All Zone’ permits if you move outside the borough.

Complete a Permit Change or Return(pdf, 33KB) form, available from the Council using the details under 16. More information.

12. Lost, stolen or damaged permits

If a permit is lost, stolen or damaged, the permit holder must notify the Council immediately using a Permit Change or Return(pdf, 33KB) form and the permit shall cease to be valid. If requested, a new permit will be issued for the unexpired period of the original permit.

A charge of £10 will be made for the issue of a replacement permit except when the permit was stolen and a police crime reference number is provided.

13. Renewing

The Council will not normally send reminder letters for business parking permits and the onus to renew the permit on its expiry rests with the permit holder. To renew a permit you will need to complete an application form.

All applications must be completed and signed and submitted with copies of your proofs and payment (where required). Unsigned forms or those without proofs and payment (where required) will not be processed.

14. Refunds

Permits issued before 1 February 2011 cannot be exchanged for post 1 February 2011 permits, unless due to a change of vehicle or change of first/subsequent status.

To apply for a refund, complete the Permit Change or Return(pdf, 33KB) form and return to the Council using the details under 16. More information.

Refunds are available on permits with one or more full months remaining before the expiry date, at the time when the completed Permit Change or Return(pdf, 33KB) form and the permit are received by the Council. Permits must be returned to the Council when applying for a refund, otherwise they will be treated as lost and you will be charged a £10 adminsitration fee, see 12. Lost, stolen or damaged permits.

Refunds are calculated as the amount originally paid, divided by the duration in months of the permit, and multiplied by the number of full months remaining on the permit. A £10 administration fee is then deducted. Note that this calculation is made irrespective of whether the permit has yet started.

Current refund amounts for pre- and post-February 2011 are available on the Business parking permit prices pages.

Refunds are issued in one of two ways

  • If bank details are give, by BACS payment direct to your bank account, or
  • By cheque within 28 days.

15. Offences

The following are offences and the Council may take further action if you are found to be committing one.

False statements

It is an offence to make a false statement in order to procure the issue of a permit to oneself or any other person, and the Council may prosecute under either the Theft Acts or other relevant criminal legislation.

The maximum penalty on conviction or indictment is five years imprisonment and/or a fine on summary conviction, six months imprisonment or a fine of up to £5,000.

Mishandling and forging documents

It is an offence to:

  • Use or lend to another person any permit or other authorisation with intent to deceive, and
  • Make or have in one's possession anything so closely resembling a permit or other authorisation as to be calculated to deceive.

The maximum penalty on conviction is two years' imprisonment or a fine of up to £5,000.

Parking in a permit bay without a valid permit

It is an offence to park in a business parking bay without having a valid permit even if an application for a permit has been sent to the Council.

Vehicle must be licensed

It is an offence under the Vehicle Registration and Excise Act 1994 (Section 29) to use or keep a mechanically propelled vehicle on a public road if the vehicle is unlicensed, and it is also an offence to use or keep such a vehicle on a public road if the license is not displayed on the vehicle.

16. More information

You can find more information or get copies of forms

  • Online: Contact form
  • Telephone:  020 8891 7544 (9am to 5:15pm, Monday to Thursday; 9am to 5pm Friday, excluding Bank and Public holidays)
  • Write to: Parking Permits, PO Box 466, Twickenham TW1 9JT.

These guidance notes were last updated 20/10/2011.

Download a printable copy of this guidance(pdf, 45KB).