Staff parking

 

NOTICE TO ALL UNIVERSITY PARKING PERMIT HOLDERS (EXCEPT DEPARTMENTAL)

Please note that the April 2023 Colour Coded Clifton Campus Car Park List (PDF, 409kB) was updated on 21 April 2023. Colour coding on the list gives an approximate guide as to the likelihood of each car park having available spaces.  

Please note that if you have more than one vehicle registered on your University parking permit, you MUST ensure that the correct vehicle is active on your permit BEFORE parking on campus.

To switch the active vehicle on your permit, log on to your online parking account, select ‘history’ on the home page and click on the green vehicle icon against your permit. Access the parking permit system here. 27/02/24 The technical issues we were having yesterday have been resolved

Failure to ensure the vehicle you wish to park on campus is both registered and active on your permit may result in enforcement action. For further information please see our parking terms and conditions

Bristol's Clean Air Zone

Bristol's Clean Air Zone (CAZ) started on Monday 28 November 2022. Visit the CAZ page for advice on how the CAZ may affect your commuting and other private car journeys, and the exemptions and other support available from the council.

Users of university car parks on Clifton campus should pay special attention as the alignment of the CAZ boundary means daily charges will apply to non-compliant vehicles using some car parks e.g. Old Park Hill, but not others (subject to the access route taken).


Clifton Campus (Precinct) Parking policy from 1 August 2022 onwards

The pre-pandemic needs-based parking policy is now back in effect, with parking charges.  

Staff car parking on the University Precinct and satellite sites is managed by a system of annual permits and daily parking charge coupons. To park in any General car parking space (i.e. not Departmental or Disabled), staff must hold a valid staff parking permit, and from the 1 August display a valid parking charge coupon in their vehicle. Holding a valid staff parking permit does not guarentee parking on the Clifton Campus. When used with a valid parking coupon, a staff parking permit entitles the holder to park in a University General car park, subject to space being available.

Permits are allocated to staff according to a set of needs-based criteria, as defined in the Precinct Parking Policy Summary (PDF, 1,411kB) ‌‌. Except for those with a disability, only staff whose home address is more than two miles from the centre of the Precinct can apply for a parking permit. Staff with a disability or other condition affecting their mobility (including a difficult pregnancy) can apply separately for a disabled parking permit. Further guidance is available on the Disabled staff and student parking page

The University encourages staff to car-share wherever possible. Members of registered staff car share teams can apply for Car share permits. Benefits include 30 days’ free parking for car share members (not the lead), and a parking charge based on the salary of the lowest earning team member. Further information can be found on our Car share parking webpage.

The parking permit year runs from 1 August to 31 July, and staff parking permits are awarded for the duration of the permit year. Staff wishing to apply for a permit must do so within pre-defined application windows, during which applications are assessed and permits awarded as appropriate based on a pre-defined parking space/permit ratio. Staff are required to pay for parking and the daily charge is set in line with their annual salary. 

Electric vehicle (EV) charging facilities in a designated Departmental parking space are for the exclusive use of University owned departmental vehicles and primarily by the departmental vehicle(s) assigned to that space. Staff general permit holders are not permitted to use these EV charging facilities. Staff are also not permitted to use standard interior and exterior plug sockets (three rectangular pins in a triangular pattern), with their own vehicle charging cable.  

Eligibility - employment status 

When to apply

There are usually three opportunities each year for staff to make a parking permit application. The main application window opens in June for permits that are valid from 1 August to 31 July. Subject to available capacity, two interim application rounds take place within the permit year. Applicants who were unsuccessful in gaining a parking permit can apply again during the next available application round.  New members of staff can apply for parking permit in the next available application round after they join the University, subject to their details being available on the relevant University systems. 

Applications for staff parking permits must be made each year as permits do not carry over from one permit year to the next.

The scheduled application dates for Staff parking permits for the forthcoming 2023/24 parking permit year are as follows: 

STAFF parking permit dates 
Main annual application window 
1st interim application window* 
2nd interim application window* 
Application window opens  
Thursday 1 June 2023 
Monday 16 October 2023 
Monday 26 February 2024 
Application window closes 
Friday 23 June 2023 - at 5pm 
Friday 10 November 2023 - at 5pm
Friday 22 March 2024 - at 5pm 
Application assessment period 
Monday 26 June 2023 
Monday 13 November 2023 
Monday 25 March 2024 
Decisions issued 
Friday 30 June 2023 
Friday 17 November 2023 
Thursday 28 March 2024 
Permit start date 
Tuesday 1 August 2023 
Monday 20 November 2023 
Monday 1 April 2024 
 

* Subject to permit availability 

How to apply

To apply, you first need to register for an account on the permit management system:

• Salaried University staff should log on to the system via Single Sign-On
• Honorary and associate staff should use the alternative log on option

You can then complete the appropriate online questionnaire and upload any supporting documents required. The online questionnaire itself provides instructions and links to further guidance on how to complete your application.

Any member of staff who does not have regular access to University IT systems should seek support in making an online application from their line manager.

Prior to submitting an application, staff should note that all permit-holders must abide by the University’s Parking Terms and Conditions.

Application criteria

Only staff living at least two miles from the centre of the University Precinct may apply for a General staff permit. Before applying you should confirm your eligibility under the two-mile exclusion rule using the Staff postcode checker.

Staff who are eligible to apply should be aware that they must meet one or more of the following needs-based criteria:

For further information on the criteria and the required supporting documentation for applications, please view the Precinct Parking Policy Summary (PDF, 1,411kB), and the following information.   

Application evidence

All applicants need to demonstrate how long it would take to get to work by public transport, using the Traveline online journey planner. Advice on how to obtain your public transport journey plan from Traveline is available to download in our Traveline Guidance 2020 (PDF, 1,437kB)). Your Traveline public transport journey plan needs to be undertaken at the time of your application, historical journey plans will not be accepted. 

Additional evidence will be required for applications made under the other criteria of parental responsibilities, caring responsibilities or unsocial working hours. The Staff caring status form (PDF, 1,278kB) and Staff unsocial hours form (PDF, 913kB) are available to download here or directly from your online application. If you are submitting evidence for caring responsibilities or unsocial working hours, the evidence must be no older than 10 months from the date of your application. If you are submitting evidence of parental responsibilities you must upload a scanned copy of a birth certificate or passport for your youngest qualifying child (i.e. any of your own children up to and including the age of 11 that you are responsible for transporting regularly to/from nursery, school or childcare immediately before or after work) 

Please note, you should download each of the template forms above to your computer and save a completed version before uploading it to your application. Please do not attempt to complete these forms in your web browser as your progress will not be saved.

Please ensure that all applicable evidence is uploaded to your permit application before the application window deadline. Incomplete applications will not be processed. 

Car sharing

If you’re part of a formal car-share team registered on the University's online car-sharing system, you can apply for a car-share parking permit once you've applied for a staff permit. Further information can be found on our Car share parking webpage.

How applications are assessed

Only complete staff parking permit applications are assessed at the end of each application window. Applications are allocated a score against each of the needs-based criteria as defined in the Precinct Parking Policy Summary (PDF, 1,411kB), including journey time to work by public transport. A threshold score is set each year according to the volume of applications and the level of parking spaces available.

To ensure sufficient parking spaces are available for the number of permit-holders, only applicants reaching the threshold will be allocated a permit. Where required, a lottery will be used to allocate permits to staff with the same number of points above the threshold. There is no right to appeal, but unsuccessful applicants may reapply in any subsequent interim application round in the same permit year.

Using your staff parking permit

All staff parking permits are virtual. However all vehicles must display a physical parking coupon when they are parked.

You can register up to three of your own vehicles on your staff parking permit. However only one registered vehicle can use your permit at a time, so if you have more than one vehicle registered to your permit you must ensure that the one you wish to park at the University is activated on your permit beforehand.

You can switch the active vehicle on your permit, and/or update the details of your registered vehicles at any time via the online permit system, by selecting ‘history’ on the home page and clicking on the green vehicle icon against the relevant permit.

Electric vehicle (EV) charging facilities in a designated Departmental parking space are for the exclusive use of University owned departmental vehicles and primarily by the departmental vehicle(s) assigned to that space. Staff general permit holders are not permitted to use these EV charging facilities.

Parking coupons

To park in any General car parking space (i.e. not Departmental or Disabled), permit-holders must display a valid physical parking coupon in their vehicle. Staff permit-holders can order parking coupons via the online permit system, or in emergency situations from Royal Fort Lodge. Please visit our Car parking charges and Payment webpage for full details on the coupon ordering and distribution process.

Honorary and associate staff can buy coupons from Security Services at Royal Fort Lodge where they will be required to provide a completed Honorary staff supporting information form (PDF, 1,276kB) to help verify their daily parking charge.

Staff permits are valid for use in any General parking space on the University Precinct and its satellite sites as included in the April 2023 Colour Coded Clifton Campus Car Park List (PDF, 409kB).

General parking spaces for use by staff (including car-sharers), contractors and some departmental vehicles are marked with white lines.

Privacy policy

Please note that all parking permit applications are subject to the University's Privacy Policy for the permit application process.