WHY ATTEND?
Traffic + Parking 2026 provides an opportunity to:
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Learn from leading practitioners and policy experts
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Explore the latest developments in traffic and parking management
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Hear practical case studies from local authorities across the UK
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Discover innovative products, services and technologies
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Benchmark your own operations against industry best practice
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Develop professional networks and share experiences with peers
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Gain practical insights that can be applied immediately
WHO SHOULD ATTEND?
Traffic + Parking 2026 is designed for professionals involved in:
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Parking management
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Traffic management
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Network management
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Traffic engineering
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Road safety
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Civil parking enforcement
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Parking policy and strategy
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Transport planning
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Highways operations
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Kerbside management
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Traffic regulation orders
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Intelligent transport systems
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Local authority leadership
The conference also attracts suppliers, consultants, government agencies, legal specialists and technology providers working across the sector.
PROGRAMME
The conference programme is under development.
If you would like to suggest ideas or participate please contact: Mark Moran
09.15
REGISTRATION
Tea & coffee served in the exhibition area
09.45
PENDULUM ROOM
Working for your community
The morning session explores how parking teams are at the heart of their communities, supporting local businesses, ensuring accessibility, enhancing road safety and reducing traffic congestion.
Welcome and keynote
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Tina Glover, technical director, Liveable Places regional lead, WSP
Manchester: Parking in a cosmopolitan city
A look at how Traffic + Parking’s home town is focussing on tackling persistent evaders, Blue Badge abuse and electric vehicle roll-out. We will also learn about how the parking team supports Manchester's wider transport strategy, particularly around walking, wheeling and other sustainable transport priorities.
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Tricia Wilkinson, parking manager, Manchester City Council
Cheshire East: Parking in an urban and rural borough
We will learn from the approach of a local authority that has focussed on modernising systems via digital transformation, improving customer services, implementing new parking policies and supporting vulnerable groups.
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Lorraine Rushton, parking services manager, Cheshire East Council
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Carolyn Noonan, Processing Operations Manager, Cheshire East Council
Panel discussion and Q&A
11.00
MORNING BREAK
Tea & coffee served in the exhibition area
11.30
PENDULUM ROOM
Effective parking operations
Local authorities can maximise the effectiveness of their parking operations through the strategic management of both on-street and off-street parking assets.
A WPS masterclass
When managed effectively, parking can improve road safety, reduce congestion, enhance the customer experience, and support wider environmental and place-based objectives.
The session provides a practical overview of how authorities can optimise their parking offer, focusing on the relationship between parking provision, user behaviour, and network performance. It will examine how a well-managed parking operation can deliver benefits for local communities, including improved turnover in town centres, better utilisation of existing assets, and more sustainable travel choices.
The session will explore the key components of an effective parking operation, including:
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The role of clear parking policy and strategy in managing tariffs, permits and controls
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Understanding demand through occupancy, utilisation and behavioural analysis
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Managing kerbside and off-street parking as a coordinated system
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The importance of enforcement, compliance and customer experience
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Using pricing, allocation and operational tools to influence demand and maximise efficiency.
Session leaders:
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Richard Plant, associate director, local government, WSP
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Tina Glover, regional director, local government, WSP
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Stacey Monteith-Skelton, associate, local government, WSP
COTTON THEATRE
Digitising parking
The increasing digitisation of the way we access information about – and pay for – retail, transport and public services is transforming the world of parking.
Traffic + Parking 2026 will look at the latest developments in digital payment, permits and information services, as well as the spread of electric vehicle charging and arrival of robotaxis on UK streets.
The session will explore topics such as:
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The National Parking Platform
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Digital Traffic Regulation Orders
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Parking permits
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The Blue Badge scheme
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Artificial Intelligence in parking
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Data analysis
There will be expert presentations from:
Digi-Badge
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Richard Boultbee, chief operating officer, National Blue Badge
Data-driven parking enforcement
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Chris Newman, chief executive and co-founder, ScanNeo
Digital parking permits
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Hannah Fuller, director, commercial strategy and partnerships, Unity5
AI-enabled ANPR cameras
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Karen Weech, commercial director, VREO Innovation
More speakers to follow...
13.00
LUNCH BREAK
Refreshments served in the exhibition area
14.00
PENDULUM ROOM
Intelligent solutions
Traffic and parking management teams are developing new ways of working in the face of evolving policies, customer expectations and an increase in fraudulent behaviour by some drivers.
Swansea: Transforming a parking service
Swansea Council’s parking team has embarked on a programme of service improvement, reviewing existing processes and creating comprehensive documentation to support both staff and customers. What started as a desire to improve processes evolved into a complete transformation of how the back-office function operates.
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Nicola Allen, senior PCN processing officer, Swansea Council
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Catherine Miguel, senior PCN processing officer, Swansea Council
The unappealing side of faking it
Besides the fraudulent use of parking permits and Blue Badges, a growing number of motorists are creating falsified documents when appealing against penalties. A counter-fraud expert sets out how to spot and tackle such devious behaviour.
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Stephen Goodhall, senior criminal investigations manager, Portsmouth City Council
More speakers to follow
15:15
AFTERNOON BREAK
Refreshments served in the exhibition area
15.30
PENDULUM ROOM
The Perfect Parking Plan
What are the policies that traffic and parking managers think will work best for their communities?
Does your local authority have a Parking Plan?
Under Section 16 of the Traffic Management Act 2004, local traffic authorities and strategic highways companies in England and Wales have a legal Network Management Duty. They need to: keep traffic moving as quickly and safely; maintain smooth traffic flow across the road networks of other surrounding authorities and strategic roads; and consider the needs of all groups, including motorists, freight, public transport users, pedestrians and cyclists.
Most local authorities have an array of parking polices and services that are designed to assist in managing moving traffic, reducing congestion, improving road safety and meeting the needs of residents, businesses and vulnerable groups. But how many councils have what could be described as a coherent ‘Parking Plan’ that draws together all aspects of planning and managing the provision of space for parked cars and managing moving traffic?
The final session of Traffic + Parking 2026 expert presenters will draw on real world projects to set the key elements of developing Parking Plans that complement Local Transport Plans, Local Development Plans and other strategies devised by councils and strategic authorities.
Delegates will be given the chance to nominate the policies and systems that they feel would best serve the needs of their town, city, destination or facility, and then see if these can be forged into the ‘Perfect Parking Plan’.
Check the rearview mirror, then scan the road ahead…
A look back at the day and thoughts on what the traffic and parking sector could look five or ten years from now.
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Tina Glover, regional director, local government, WSP
16.30
NETWORKING
Refreshments served in the exhibition area
17.00
CLOSE OF CONFERENCE
SPEAKERS
Speakers will appear here once confirmed
MARK MORAN
Editor
Parking Review
Presented by:
Headline Sponsor:
TUESDAY 8 DECEMBER 2026
MANCHESTER CONFERENCE CENTRE
MANCHESTER M1
Supported by:
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