Staff car parking management plan

For many people who are earning less across the Trust, the changes in fees will be a decrease to what they have previously paid. For some, the fee for the car park they are currently using may increase. However there may be the option for them to use a cheaper car park in a different location and/or reduce the fee to their pay packet by using salary sacrifice.

 

Proposed January 2024 LUHFT car parking tarrif changes

Part Time Use Concession: Band 2-7 £12.50  Band 8a and above £17.50 Contracted to work ‘on site’ 22.5 hours or less Staff using alternative travel methods 2 days a week Permanent mixed shift (2/3 days and 1/3 nights) Weekend only working ‘Undergraduate’ Student: Nurses/AHP’s/Medics etc		Premium Parking	Standard Parking
		RLH - NCP MSCP AUH MSCP/Car Park 1	RLH - Paddington/Kensington/ Kempston   AUH - other   Broadgreen - all   Other Trust sites including Innovations/Wavertree
B8a and above Non banded staff £48k wte and above	High	£64.00	£40.00
	High with £17.50 Concession	£46.50	£22.50
Band 5 – 7 Non banded staff £27k-£48k wte	Medium	£42.00	£28.00
	Med with £12.50 Concession	£29.50	£15.50
Band 2-4 Non banded staff less than £27k wte	Low	£30.00	£20.00
	Low with £12.50 Concession	£17.50	£7.50

To update or apply for your staff car parking pass please complete this online form.

If you are changing your car parking location or making a new application for car parking, please complete your application as soon as possible. 

Please note, your line manager may be required to verify the information you provided in your application as part of the approval process. To speed up this process please inform your line manager that you have applied.

You can opt into the Salary Sacrifice scheme by ticking the box on your online car parking application form. Opting into Salary Sacrifice may affect your pension and tax contributions and colleagues are advised to check this first.

The table below includes an indication of how salary sacrifice may reduce fees.

Amended Salary Sacrifice: Approximate figures subject to individual circumstances, specific examples can be provided;

Part Time Use Band 2-7 £12.50  Band 8a and above £17.50		Proposed Premium Parking	NI offset	Tax offset*	Pension offset**	Tariff with Salary Sacrifice	Proposed Standard Parking	NI offset	Tax offset*	Pension offset**	Tariff with Salary Sacrifice
B8a and above   Non banded staff £48k wte and over	High	£64.00	-£1	-£25	-£7	£31	£40.00	-£1	-£16	-£5	£18
	High with Concession	£46.50	-£1	-£19	-£6	£20.50	£22.50	-£0.5	-£9	-£3	£10.00
Band 5 – 7   Non banded staff £27k-£48k wte	Medium	£42.00	-£6	-£8	-£4	£24	£28.00	-£4	-£6	-£3	£15
	Med with Concession	£29.50	-£4	-£6	-£3	£16.50	£15.50	-£2	-£3	-£2	£8.50
Band 2-4   Non banded staff less than £27k wte	Low	£30.00	-£4	-£6	-£2	£18	£20.00	-£3	-£4	-£1	£12
	Low with Concession	£17.50	-£2	-£3	-£1	£11.50	£7.50	-£1	-£1	-£0	£5.50

* Tax benefit to be declared as Benefit in Kind and recovered by HMRC following tax year via PAYE coding deduction

** Pension offset based on approximation: B2-4 5.7%, B5-7 9.8%, B8 and above 11.6%

 

You can click here to access a salary sacrifice car parking calculator, this is for guidance use only, as circumstances are different for each employee (such as tax code and other salary benefits).

 

Savings made by the Trust through Salary Sacrifice will contribute towards supporting and maintaining staff car parking facilities and sustainable travel options such as intra-site shuttle buses and public transport season tickets.

Please contact Travel@liverpoolft.nhs.uk or call 0151 529 2040. Please have to hand your existing registration and the one you want to replace with/or add onto the profile (two is the maximum).

We have tried to answer as many of your questions as possible in this list of FAQs, if your query isn't answered below please email Travel@liverpoolft.nhs.uk with your question.

 

What changes are being made to staff car parking?

We’re launching a new staff car parking management plan to standardise the fees and application criteria across each of our three sites to create a fair and consistent system across each of our sites.

We are offering more car parking spaces than ever before and introducing a wider range of concessions and travel related benefits, as well as enabling people to opt into a salary sacrifice scheme to support car parking payments.

For many people across the Trust, the changes in fees will be a decrease to what they have previously paid. For some, the fee for the car park they are currently using may increase. However, there will be the option for them to use a cheaper car park in a different location and/or reduce the fee to their pay packet by using salary sacrifice.

 

Why are these changes being made?

This will give us a fair and consistent approach for everyone, ensuring that staff car parking is managed equitably and are suited to us working together as one organisation. Establishing greater consistency, fairness and equity across the Trust, has been requested through various staff engagements.

There has been no increase in car parking charges for around 5 years and in this time the operating costs have risen. In the last 18 months along these operating costs have risen by over 20%. This gap needs to be addressed to secure continued investment in car parking and transport related expenditure and ensure it can sustain inflationary pressures, which every organisation is facing.

 

When will the new fees come into effect?

The new fees will come into effect from 1 January 2024 and will impact on your January pay (at the end of the month).

How are the fees for staff car parking being changed?

There will be a new harmonised tariff structure for all sites. It’s similar to that, which has been in use at Aintree University Hospital for 10 years, with those earning less paying less, premium and standard parking rates (based on quality and convenience of location) and improved concessions applied; including for night staff, those who work from home and other part time car park users.

For many lower paid people across the Trust, the changes in fees will be a decrease to what they have previously paid. For some, the fee for the car park they are currently using may increase. However, there may be the option for them to use a cheaper car park in a different location and/or reduce the fee to their pay packet by using salary sacrifice.

The table below details the new tariff structure and fees and how they compare with what staff are currently paying at each site.

 

Proposed January 2024 LUHFT car parking tarrif changes comparison with current tarrif’s:

Part Time Use Band 2-7 £12.50  Band 8a and above £17.50		Current RLH Parking	Current BGH Parking	Current AUH Premium Parking	Proposed Premium Parking	Nett Tariff with Salary Sacrifice	Current RLH Parking	Current BGH Parking	Current AUH Standard Parking	Proposed Standard Parking	Nett Tariff with Salary Sacrifice
B8a and above Non banded staff £48k wte and above	High	£40		£40-£45	£64.00	£31	£40	£27.1	£25-£30	£40.00	£18
	High with Concession	£31		£35-£40	£46.50	£20.5	£31	£21	£20-£25	£22.50	£10.00
Band 5 – 7 Non banded staff £27k-£48k wte	Medium	£40		£30	£42.00	£24	£40	£27.1	£20	£28.00	£15
	Med with Concession	£31		£25	£29.50	£16.5	£31	£21	£15	£15.50	£8.5
Band 2-4 Non banded staff less than £27k wte	Low	£40		£22.5	£30.00	£18	£40	£27.1	£15	£20.00	£12
	Low with Concession	£31		£17.5	£17.50	£11.5	£31	£21	£10	£7.50	£5.50

 

If I opt into salary sacrifice, how might this affect my tax and pension contributions?

Opting into the salary sacrifice scheme may affect your pension and tax contributions and colleagues are advised to check this first.

 

The table below includes an indication of how salary sacrifice may reduce fees.

Amended Salary Sacrifice: approximate figures subject to individual circumstances, specific examples can be provided;

Part Time Use Band 2-7 £12.50  Band 8a and above £17.50		Proposed Premium Parking	NI offset	Tax offset*	Pension offset**	Tariff with Salary Sacrifice	Proposed Standard Parking	NI offset	Tax offset*	Pension offset**	Tariff with Salary Sacrifice
B8a and above   Non banded staff £48k wte and over	High	£64.00	-£1	-£25	-£7	£31	£40.00	-£1	-£16	-£5	£18
	High with Concession	£46.50	-£1	-£19	-£6	£20.50	£22.50	-£0.5	-£9	-£3	£10.00
Band 5 – 7   Non banded staff £27k-£48k wte	Medium	£42.00	-£6	-£8	-£4	£24	£28.00	-£4	-£6	-£3	£15
	Med with Concession	£29.50	-£4	-£6	-£3	£16.50	£15.50	-£2	-£3	-£2	£8.50
Band 2-4   Non banded staff less than £27k wte	Low	£30.00	-£4	-£6	-£2	£18	£20.00	-£3	-£4	-£1	£12
	Low with Concession	£17.50	-£2	-£3	-£1	£11.50	£7.50	-£1	-£1	-£0	£5.50

 

* Tax benefit to be declared as Benefit in Kind and recovered by HMRC following tax year via PAYE coding deduction

** Pension offset based on approximation: B2-4 5.7%, B5-7 9.8%, B8 and above 11.6%

 

What changes are being made to the application process?

We will be introducing a new staff parking permit allocation system to ensure consistency in how permits are allocated to staff across each site. The system will reflect colleagues’ preferences for parking location and fees and will also take into account factors such as, part time car park users, mobility, carer issues and working unsociable hours. Line managers will be required to verify the information given by staff in their application as part of the approval process.
 

Will I have to reapply for my car parking space, and can I guarantee I will still have a space?

As this is a new system, it will require all current permit holders to update their application based on the new criteria and pricing structure. Whilst we anticipate we can offer a space within the car parking allocation, you may opt to park in a different location, depending on its cost and location.

 

What happens if I've submitted an incorrect new application?

If you have accidently input any incorrect information into the car parking form please resubmit a new one.

 

How do I cancel my car parking?

If staff would like to cancel car parking it is their responsibility to send an email to Travel@liverpoolft.nhs.uk including their payroll provider, car registrations and payroll assignment number, this applies to every staff member and any situation were they no longer wish to have deductions taken for parking.

 

What options do I have to reduce the fees I pay for car parking?

If you wish to reduce the fees you will pay in the new scheme, you could use a cheaper car park in a different location and/or reduce the fee to your pay packet by using salary sacrifice.

Opting into the salary sacrifice scheme may affect your pension and tax contributions and colleagues are advised to check this first.

 

What concession schemes are available?

There will be concessions such as free parking for blue badge holders and night workers, and concessions for part time car park users and new green travel initiatives such as car sharing and part time active travel use.

 

Why do night staff get free parking?

Those working night shifts are provided with free car parking in line with NHSE guidance, which states; ‘Staff working night shifts are members of staff with a shift starting after 7.30pm and ending before 8.00am. They receive free parking for the duration of their shift.’

 

What if I go on maternity or long-term sick leave?

Staff who are on maternity leave or long term sick leave, can notify the Travel Team of their time away from work and their permit will be suspended, pending their return to work. During this time payments for car parking will also be suspended.

 

What is the Trust doing to improve the standards of car parking?

By the end of March 2024, the Trust will have invested £1.3m to improve car parking facilities across our main sites. We are offering more car parking spaces than ever before. We’ve invested in additional secure parking at Paddington Village and resurfaced car parks at Aintree we’ve also enhanced lighting, security and CCTV around the car parking at all our sites.

In the coming months we will be introducing improved ANPR at Broadgreen to reduce waiting times at barriers, we are creating an additional 100 spaces at Aintree and 80 additional spaces at Broadgreen and adding more convenient parking for short stay visitors at the Royal.

Trust investments in car parking:

 

How do the new fees compare with other local organisations?

Each organisation deals with car parking in their own way to respond to their own pressures. Our approach is to reinvest to make as much car parking available as we realistically can some examples are included below. These outline fees available, which will vary according to concessions and other reductions that are in place across each organisation.

LUHFT new tarrif	Std	prem		Liverpool City Council		Whiston/ St Helens			Southport
p.c.m.	p.c.m.	p.c.m.		p.c.m.			p.c.m.			p.c.m.
Band 2-4 (or those earning less than £27k)	£7.50 to £20	£17.50 to £30		£84		Band 1 - 3	£5 to £15		Band 1 - 3	£7.50 to £15
						Band 4 -5	£6.67 to £20		Band 4 -5	£10 to £20
Band 5-7 (or those earning £27k to £48k)	£15.50 to £28	£29.50 to £42		£84		Band 6 - 7	£9.34 to £28		Band 6 - 7	£14 to £28
Band 8a and above (or those earning £48k or above)	£27.50 to £40	£51.50 to £64		Over £84		Band 8A- 9	£10.67 to £32		Band 8A- 9	£16 to £32

 

I work across different sites will I have to pay different fees for each site?

We aim to have one set of parking fees for all our sites so if you pay to park on one site, we hope you will be able to park in one of our car parks if visiting another site. We also run shuttle busses between our principal site that will help to avoid car journeys.

 

Why does the application form ask if I have business use on my car insurance if I apply to park across multiple sites?

In accordance with health and safety legislation, your employer has a legal duty of care to ensure you have the correct form of car insurance, if you are required to travel by your car for work purposes.

This includes if you are required to regularly travel between sites during your working day/shift, as part of your role, or if your role includes seeing patients in the community.

This does not include commuting to and from your place of work – even if that is to different sites on different days.

If you do not have the correct insurance a claim may be invalid.

The reason this is on the form is to evidence that you have declared to your employer that you have the correct insurance.

How will the fees be calculated for people who work shifts or less than 5 days a week?

The Trust is introducing a single increased tariff for colleagues who use our car park for the equivalent of three days a week or less, either as part of their contracted work plan or through lifestyle choices this includes part time workers, rotational night staff, agreed working from home or by accessing our new car share arrangement.

 

I work part-time, could I establish a pro-rata payment?

This has been carefully considered and unfortunately a pro-rata scheme would be impractical to administer. Instead, the concessionary rate has been increased considerably from an average of £6.14 to a minimum of £12.50.

 

Can I park in a Multi Storey Car Park when on call out of hours, so that I can gain access to the hospital as quickly as possible, if I usually pay for cheaper standard parking?

Yes you can. Under the new scheme, when you are on duty, you will be able to park in any convenient car park including premium when working “out of hours” (defined as nights between 6.30pm and 8.30am or weekends), regardless of which car park you have applied to park in during ‘normal hours’.

To enable this function please inform the Travel team at travel@liverpoolft.nhs.uk to inform them of your out of hours working rota.

What provision is there for disabled parking spaces?

We have many spaces for blue badge holders on each site and have reviewed their distribution to improve access. If an individual member of staff requires assistance in this regard it is sometimes possible to provide a space close to the workplace when requested.

 

What provision is there for electric car charging?

We have increased the provision of electric vehicle charging points where possible and have plans to increase still further at Broadgreen and the Royal this year.

 

Which car parks/locations are premium and which are standard at each site?

Site	Standard	Premium
Aintree	All other car parks	Multistorey car park/Car Park 1
Broadgreen	All	None
Royal	Paddington/Kensington/ Kempston	NCP Multi-storey car park
Innovations/Wavertree	All	None

 

How much does car parking cost the Trust and how much does it make from income?

Staff and visitor care parking costs and income are reported on official NHSE data (ERIC). The figures for last year (2022/23) are:

Total Cost of car parking	£    4,262,847.00
Total Income for car parking	£    3,355,118.00
Cost to LUHFT	£       907,729.00

 

Since this data was recorded, it is estimated that the cost of car parking has risen further and the deficit now sits at around £1.5 million. It is estimated the planned increase in tariff to existing car park users will reduce this by 30%.

 

Contact the Travel Team on:

Travel@liverpoolft.nhs.uk

 

Helpline number: 0151 706 4017

Hours of operation: 9am - 3pm

Please read through the information on the webpage and the application form prior to contacting helpline.