Parking - business dispensations

Important update: Business dispensations have changed.

Dispensations are issued to businesses or organisations whose employees need continuous access to their vehicle and have to park on waiting restrictions eg on a yellow line or in a pedestrian zone or permit bay. Dispensations can be used in all controlled parking zones and on any waiting restriction across the entire city of Norwich (with the exception where there is a loading ban).

Norwich City Council has changed the pricing, issuing policy and conditions of use of dispensations.

These changes encourage correct use of dispensations and parking of vehicles in designated parking areas to keep city streets clear. Click here for details of city car parks

These changes were agreed with members at the Highways Agency Committee on September 2010 (pdf) and March 2011 (pdf). 

Any dispensations issued before June 2011 may be used under the previous conditions of use but are only valid until 31 December 2011. There will be no refunds or exchanges.  

Dispensations allow businesses or organisations who need regular access to their vehicle to park in areas where waiting restrictions are in place. These dispensations (also known as parking waivers, vouchers or scratch cards) are valid for one vehicle for a one day only (this means the dispensations may be used from midnight to midnight ; not a rolling 24 hour period). If you have more than one vehicle in use more than one dispensation will be needed. There are a limited number of exemptions which remove the requirement to obtain a dispensation.

Prices

Prices from 21 June 2011:

  • £5 for a single dispensation
  • £20 for a book of five.

Issuance policy

  • Up to 20 single dispensations or four books of dispensations may be purchased per company in any seven-day period although in some exceptional circumstances it may be possible to provide more.
  • Dispensations are non-transferable and cannot be refunded if unused.

Conditions of use

  • Parking dispensations may only be used by:
    1)commercial vehicles and lorries with or without livery
    2)private cars, estate cars, estate vans and vans (with windows and seats beyond the driver) must be liveried i.e. will require permanent vinyl markings to the bodywork or glazing or removable magnetic signs on the body or removable sign attached the roof.
  • Only three dispensations may be used in any location at any time. This includes any subcontractors.
  • Regular access to vehicle (for example, once every 20 minutes) is required to warrant reasonable use.
  • Dispensations can be used to park in limited waiting bays and on-street pay and display bays as well as in permit parking bays and on yellow lines outside the time of any loading restriction. Any parking in pedestrian areas must be agreed in advance with the city council.
  • Dispensations cannot be used in housing car parks. Dispensations cannot be used to park in a disabled parking bay, loading bay, bus stop, marked police bay, taxi rank, on yellow lines with a loading ban in operation (single or double kerb flashes), or in an off-street car park.
  • Parked vehicles must not cause an obstruction.
  • Vehicles displaying dispensations must be moved if a police officer, civil enforcement officer or Norwich City Council officer requests.
  • A dispensation does not guarantee a space to park.
  • The city council reserves the right not to honour any fraudulently used voucher.

How to apply and pay

Applications can be made by post or in person. Follow-up applications made within six months can be made by telephone. You can pay with a debit card, credit card, cheque made payable to Norwich City Council or cash the customer centre at City Hall. If you apply in person you can take your dispensations straight away. If not, they will be posted to your business address. All new applications must submit relevant evidence. Copies are accepted and examples given below. Initial follow-up applications do not require proofs of evidence to be resubmitted but this will be required for subsequent periods. In the event of an emergency call-out a dispensation should be purchased as soon as possible from City Hall on the same day.

If you would like to apply by post, download an application form here (99.5 Kb Word).

Proof of entitlement are:

  • a signed permit request letter on headed company or sole trader note paper
  • proof of VAT number
  • work order showing the location of work
  • company or sole trader cheque or company debit card
  • purchase order from the company
  • business insurance documents

Instructions

Dispensations are purchased in advance. On the day the voucher is used, a panel from each section must be scratched out to show the day, date, month and year. If any box is incorrectly completed the voucher is invalid. All remaining information must be filled in with pen. The voucher must be displayed , face up and clearly visible in a prominent position on the dashboard at all times when the vehicle is parked.

Exemptions

If you require more dispensations than normally permitted, you may apply for an exemption by letter or email (giving seven days advance notice) to:

Transportation
Norwich City Council
St Peters Street
Norwich
NR2 1NH
e: transport@norwich.gov.uk

There are a number of specific exemptions which do not require dispensations.
These are:

  • being on fire brigade, ambulance, general practitioner, police or civil defence business in an emergency
  • collection or delivery of postal packets
  • furniture removals
  • loading or unloading outside restricted hours where permitted e.g. bullion (bank security) vehicles
  • vehicles being used in connection with a funeral
  • vehicles being used in connection with any major building operation or demolition but not minor works or maintenance: this requires a license from the network manager at Norwich City Council.
  • vehicles being used to remove any obstruction to traffic
  • vehicles authorised to be used in the maintenance, improvement or reconstruction of any lengths of road of any sewer, main, pipe or apparatus for the supply of gas, water, electricity or telecommunications; not unless these vehicles could be accommodated conveniently nearby or are for any works within a premises
  • civil enforcement officers directly pursuing duties of enforcement
  • where permission to use a dispensation during a loading ban has been sought and granted in writing by the network manager or parking manager (operations).

Dispensations may not be used in car parks operated by Norwich City Council's housing department. Authorisation boards must be sought from the main contractors.

Contact details

For further information please contact the customer contact team:

t: 0344 980 3333
Minicom: 01603 212587
e: info@norwich.gov.uk

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