Gallan retains safety award

Students, shoppers and shop workers can be assured that a Gallan-run car park in Stafford town centre is as secure as possible after retaining its Park Mark award.

The 300-space purpose-built surface car park at Doxey Road, owned by developer Pritchard Group which redeveloped the former gasometer site four years ago, has been awarded the prestigious national safer parking accreditation by Staffordshire Police and the British Parking Association for the second year running.

Managed by Gallan Parking, part of Birmingham-based property specialist Gallan Group, the facility has continued to meet the stringent safety and security guidelines of the Association of Chief Police Officers.

Open 24 hours with a daily charge of only £2.50, it is popular with shoppers and shop workers in the town centre and students at Stafford College a two-minute walk away.

Michael Gardner, Safer Parking Scheme Development Manager for the British Parking Association, said: “The Safer Parking Scheme ‘Park Mark’ Award is a police initiative aimed at reducing crime and the fear of crime in car parks – and Doxey Road car park has now achieved that award for the second year running. Its operators, the Gallan Group, should be congratulated for providing an accredited car park for their customers.”

PC Gordon Scott of Staffordshire Police added: “Gallan Parking fully deserve retaining the award for their excellent approach and commitment to reducing car park crime.”

Chris Salmon, Group Property Director for Pritchard Group, said: “We are delighted that our car park partner has been awarded a Park Mark for the second year running and, as a result, provided the people of Stafford with continued peace of mind when parking.”

Phillip Grant, Managing Director of Gallan Parking, commented: “This award is particularly special because, in 2010, Doxey Road was our first car park to be accredited with a Park Mark. As one of the UK’s fastest-growing independent car park operators, we aim to develop all our car parks to Park Mark-winning standard.”

Gallan Parking, which was launched in 2009 and operates 2,305 spaces throughout the UK, has also won Park Mark awards for sites in Sheffield and Trowbridge.