FOI release

Parking Services Enquiry

Case reference FOI2026/01278

Received 22 June 2026

Published 20 July 2026

Request

Under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, I would be grateful if you could provide the following information relating to your use of parking payment apps / mobile parking solutions.

1. Current parking app provider and commercial model

a) Which parking app(s) or mobile parking payment solution(s) are currently used in your authority’s on‑street and off‑street parking estate?

b) Is your authority using the National Parking Platform (NPP) provider model, or are you contracted with a single/solo cashless parking provider? Please provide brief details.

2. Contract details and renewal date

a) What is the start date and end date of your current contract(s) for your parking app / mobile parking payment services?

b) Does the contract include any extension options, and if so, what are the extension periods and the latest possible end date if all extensions are used?

3. Revenue from convenience fees / reminder & alert fees

a) Does your current parking app arrangement include any convenience fees, reminder fees, or alert fees charged to motorists?

b) If so, what is the:

Convenience fee - pence per transaction?

Reminder fee - pence per transaction?

Alert fees - pence per transaction?

c) If so, what was the total revenue generated from:

Convenience fees in the most recent full financial year?

Optional reminder and alert‑related fees in the most recent full financial year?

Please indicate whether these revenues are retained by the authority, by the provider, or shared (and if shared, in what proportions, if available).

4. Route to market for the next contract

a) How do you currently plan to procure your next parking app / mobile parking payment contract when the existing arrangement ends?

b) Specifically, do you intend to use any of the following frameworks: ESPO framework (please specify which, if known) Crown Commercial Service (CCS) framework (please specify which, if known) Another framework (please specify) A standalone/open tender outside a framework Unsure / not yet decided

5. Timescales and market engagement

a) What is your anticipated timescale for commencing any procurement activity for the replacement or re‑procurement of your parking app / mobile parking payment contract (e.g. quarter/year)?

b) Do you plan to undertake any soft market testing or supplier engagement exercises prior to starting procurement?

6. Devolution and local government reorganisation

a) Is your authority affected by any current or proposed devolution deals or local government reorganisation (for example, moving into a combined authority or changes to council boundaries/structure)?

b) If so, what impact, if any, do you anticipate this having on the management or procurement of your parking app / mobile parking payment services (for example, joint procurements, merged contracts, or changes to decision‑making responsibility)?

c) Do you have an indicative timeframe for any such changes becoming operational?

7. Contact and roles

Please provide the name & job title of the officer with primary responsibility for day‑to‑day management of parking services (e.g. Parking Manager).

8. Contact for future procurement correspondence

Please provide the contact details or generic email address that suppliers should use for any future correspondence relating specifically to parking payment app procurements (e.g. procurement or commissioning inbox) or confirm which Tender Platform the Council plans to use.

Response

Thank you for your request for information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

Please find the answers to your queries below:

Under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, I would be grateful if you could provide the following information relating to your use of parking payment apps / mobile parking solutions.

1. Current parking app provider and commercial model

a) Which parking app(s) or mobile parking payment solution(s) are currently used in your authority’s on‑street and off‑street parking estate?

RingGo.

b) Is your authority using the National Parking Platform (NPP) provider model, or are you contracted with a single/solo cashless parking provider? Please provide brief details.

Yes, multi-vendor from mid-late 2026.

2. Contract details and renewal date

a) What is the start date and end date of your current contract(s) for your parking app / mobile parking payment services?

01/12/2025 to 30/11/2026.

b) Does the contract include any extension options, and if so, what are the extension periods and the latest possible end date if all extensions are used?

No.

3. Revenue from convenience fees / reminder & alert fees

a) Does your current parking app arrangement include any convenience fees, reminder fees, or alert fees charged to motorists?

Yes – there are optional convenience, reminder and alert services included in the RingGo app. Users can opt out of these services via the app settings, so as not to pay the associated service fee, should they wish to do so.

b) If so, what is the:

Convenience fee - pence per transaction?

10p.

Reminder fee - pence per transaction?

10p.

Alert fees - pence per transaction?

10p.

c) If so, what was the total revenue generated from:

Convenience fees in the most recent full financial year?

See below.

Optional reminder and alert‑related fees in the most recent full financial year?

See below.

The Council takes the view that details of revenue from convenience fees and alert-related fees is commercially sensitive information by virtue of Section 43(2) of the Freedom of Information Act. The Council accepts that there is a public interest in determining how public money is spent. However, we believe that third party organisations should be able to enter into contracts with the Council without the risk of their income breakdown becoming publicly available, namely to their competitors. This would affect the interests of other service providers and their ability to compete fairly in the future

Therefore, on balance the Council considers that the public interest in favour of disclosure of this information is outweighed by the public interest in favour of maintaining the exemption.

Please indicate whether these revenues are retained by the authority, by the provider, or shared (and if shared, in what proportions, if available).

Wholly retained by the provider.

4. Route to market for the next contract

a) How do you currently plan to procure your next parking app / mobile parking payment contract when the existing arrangement ends?

Direct award to National Parking Platform (NPP).

No.

5. Timescales and market engagement

a) What is your anticipated timescale for commencing any procurement activity for the replacement or re‑procurement of your parking app / mobile parking payment contract (e.g. quarter/year)?

Ongoing.

b) Do you plan to undertake any soft market testing or supplier engagement exercises prior to starting procurement?

No, but we are aware of market offer.

6. Devolution and local government reorganisation

Yes.

Not known at the current time.

c) Do you have an indicative timeframe for any such changes becoming operational?

April 2027.

7. Contact and roles

Please provide the name & job title of the officer with primary responsibility for day‑to‑day management of parking services (e.g. Parking Manager).

Please note that we do not publish the names and contact details of Guildford Borough Council employees, because it constitutes personal data under Section 40 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 for employees whose names are not already publicly available. However, I can confirm that the contact details for the Director of Finance and Resources – Commercial Services can be found on our website:

https://www.guildford.gov.uk/article/26474/Directors-for-Finance-and-Resources

8. Contact for future procurement correspondence

procurement@guildford.gov.uk.

Yours sincerely,

FOI Team

Guildford Borough Council

Documents

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This is Guildford Council's response to a freedom of information (FOI) or environmental information regulations (EIR) request.

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