Following UNISON presenting a petition to Councillors there is a new annual flexible car parking scheme for Council staff from 1 May 2025.
This is the car loan parking scheme. The new Flex permit offers you greater flexibility – you no longer need to specify your working days in advance. Instead, you have the freedom to park in the car park you usually use which ever day you use your permit.
The flex permit will work over a period of 28 days (every 4 weeks) in which a staff member would be allocated a set amount of stays to use over the time period – for example, if a staff member opted for the 2 day pass they would be granted 8 stays out of their annual allowance of parking to use over the 4 week period – any stays not used DO NOT roll over.
Any stays required over the allocated amount over the 28-day period will need to be paid in accordance with the Off-Street Order in place and the parking period required should be purchased via the P & D machines in the area or via the relevant cashless parking app.
If you have already purchased an annual permit, which cannot be cancelled, but you will be able to switch to the Flex permit scheme once your current permit runs out.
It would be the responsibility of the staff member to activate their parking stay on the day that they are working in the office, through the relevant methods (either through the mobile app or on line) and use the correct vehicle registration – if a staff member parks without activating their stay or correct vehicle registration then this may result in a Penalty Charge Notice being issued to the vehicle. Pre-booked stays that are not used are not refundable and cannot moved to another day.
The council is providing a subsidy to the charges for the Annual Flexible Car Parking Scheme. Details are provided in the table below:
Zone A = All long stay car parks
Zone B = All long stay car parks except West Bromwich
Type of Vehicle Zone A Full Price /Employee Loan
Non-electric vehicle 2 Day Pass Full price £260/ Discounted rate via employee loan £132
Non-electric vehicle 3 Day Pass £390 / £198
Non-electric vehicle 4 Day Pass £520 / £264
Non-electric vehicle 5 Day Pass £650 / £330
Zone B Full Price / Employee Loan
Non-electric vehicle 2 Day Pass £180 / £132
Non-electric vehicle 3 Day Pass £270 / £198
Non-electric vehicle 4 Day Pass £360 / £264
Non-electric vehicle 5 Day Pass £450 / £330
Electric vehicles receive a 50% discount on all prices above
This scheme is open to all eligible council employees via Human Resources (HR) through the interest free loan scheme, which is repayable via salary deductions. All applications need to be received in HR by the 18th of the month (or nearest working day prior, and 15th of the month for December) for permits to commence from the 1st day of the following month. Get the full details of the scheme, and an application form from the Intranet/HR.
Please note that this scheme is not salary sacrifice.
For those employees wishing to purchase other parking arrangements, these will need to continue to be purchased via the car parking MiPermit portal which can be found HERE.
It remains the responsibility of employees to ensure that they have paid the appropriate charge for any car parking which occur as part of their workplace commute and / or daily duties. Any fines or notices received remain the responsibility of the employee.
FAQ`s
Q – I’ve purchased a permit for £330, through the loan scheme, however my notification from MiPermit shows a price of £450. Is this correct?
A – The full cost of the permit is £450; however, you receive a discount of £120, paid for by the Council. You are only required to pay £330 and this will be deducted from your salary over a 10-month period.
Q – I commute to West Bromwich, can I use my permit in the other 5 towns?
A – Yes, you can, West Bromwich car parking permits are also valid outside West Bromwich for the same nominated days
Q – I don’t have to travel to West Bromwich as part of my normal commute, which permit should I purchase?
A – You should only purchase a permit that includes West Bromwich if you are required to travel to at least one work base within West Bromwich as part of your normal commute. Line managers should only authorise applications for a West Bromwich permit on this basis. Otherwise, you should purchase a permit that excludes West Bromwich.
Q – My work base for my commute isn’t in West Bromwich, however I am expected to attend meetings in West Bromwich as part of my role. Can I buy a permit for West Bromwich? A – No you can’t, you would need to claim any car parking expenses occurred as part of your role via employee self-service in the normal way.
Q – I have a work base in Oldbury and in West Bromwich and have to normally commute to both sites. Can I buy a permit for West Bromwich?
A – Yes you can, so long as it is a requirement of your job that you are required to travel to at least one work base within West Bromwich as part of your normal commute.
Q – Are further discounts available for using an electric car?
A – Yes, 50 % all electric vehicle discounts will apply. Electric car discounts will only be applied to all electric vehicles. Hybrid (diesel and petrol) vehicles are not included for the purposes of these discounts.