Case Study - NSL

Overview

NSL manages more than 300 car parks for public authority clients in the UK, amounting to over 28000 off street car park places.

The services we deliver for our off street car parking clients include patrolling for security and enforcement; cash collection; equipment maintenance; and customer service. We have industry leading expertise in the establishment and management of manned kiosks and pay on foot or cashless barrier payment systems. In total across the UK we collect, reconcile and bank in excess of £1.3 million per week on behalf of clients.

In addition to this we also undertake major refurbishments, and offer a full design and build service, including capital services to ensure that projects are effectively financed.

Among our most high profile clients are the Northern Ireland Roads Services, for whom we manage 129 car parks across the country. The contract is the single largest outsourced car parks portfolio in the UK.

Elsewhere in the UK we manage car parks in areas as diverse as Sunderland, St Albans and Oldham.

The Challenge

Our most recent refurbishment project was the Hobson Street multi-storey in Oldham, where we completed a £1.4 million refurbishment in just 18 weeks. Apart from Hobson Street MSCP (770 spaces) NSL has the responsibility for refurbishment, management and general maintenance over 60 other surface car parks in the borough.

Initial works at this site would involve securing the car park before commencing the full project, which included:
• Refurbishment and replacement of lifts
• Site decoration, painting all internal walls and stair wells
• Installing a new signage system
• Installing new pay on foot parking equipment
• CCTV installation
• Concrete repair (both internal and external)
• Improved lighting - set up so that lights on the external runs of the car park could be turned off or by floor so that it became more cost effective
• Re-wiring of the site
• Building a Customer Services office and breakout area.

The Solution

NSL used the expertise of our multi award winning consultancy Project Centre to undertake traffic modelling to minimise disruption during this period.

Together with excellent operational management on the ground we sought to minimise disruption and maintain an effective and profitable car park operation.

The Result

The car park operated throughout the refurbishment and there was a minimal loss of operational spaces during the time in order to protect the revenue of the car park owner, Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council.

The refurbishment significantly improved safety and security at the car park - and improved the customer experience.

Next Steps

The traffic modelling expertise of NSL's multi-disciplinary consultancy Project Centre, added to our proficiency in car park management, means we are ideally placed to offer industry leading expertise in all stages of car park management.

If you would like to learn more about how to effectively manage your car parks, contact us.