Modernizing the Heart of Ipswich, UK with HUB

The Blackfriars area is part of Ipswich’s vibrant town center, which offers a variety of amenities: independent shops, including fashion boutiques and specialty stores, services, and well-regarded restaurants. The area is also near Ipswich’s waterfront district, a redeveloped zone featuring a marina, luxury apartments, and a variety of restaurants and cafes.

Ipswich Borough Council and local stakeholders have been actively working to maintain the attractiveness and accessibility of the town center, where parking availability, pricing and ease of use are critical factors influencing visitor behavior and dwell time.

Case in point, the Blackfriars multi-store car park, a centrally located facility on Foundation Street serves the town center’s retail, leisure and hospitality destinations. The site plays a key role in supporting local footfall, with over 500 parking spaces available to commuters, residents and visitors. Within this context, the Borough Council turned to Apex Parking to modernize operations at Blackfriars, enhancing both efficiency and customer experience while contributing to broader initiatives aimed at increasing town center engagement.

Apex Parking is a UK-based car park operator specializing in the management and commercial optimization of parking assets across retail, mixed-use and urban environments.

Client requirement

• Advanced LPR technology for vehicle recognition
• Multiple payment options, including digital payments to align with evolving user expectations
• Booking options
• Integration with FAAC access control solutions
• Reliable data and reporting to monitor usage, campaigns, and performance
• High availability and ease of maintenance even on busy days
• 24/7 remote monitoring and assistance
• Reduction of manual intervention in daily management
• Support dynamic pricing and promotional initiatives to increase occupancy and attract town center visitors e.g. 2025 “free parking” initiative

Solution

HUB Parking UK has delivered a hybrid Jupiter parking solution at the site, combined with JMS Management System, delivering advanced access control with maximum user convenience. Customers enter through two lanes equipped with Magnetic Parking Pro barriers, where their vehicle’s number plate is captured by LPR cameras. Upon entry, a ticket is issued, offering two payment options. The intuitive interface and high visibility displays further support ease of use for both occasional visitors and frequent users.

Customers can either pay at one of the two cashless pay stations located within the car park or choose to pay directly at the exit for added convenience. Payment is simple: just insert the ticket or enter the vehicle’s number plate to complete the transaction.

Customer convenience and security are foremost in the car park operations: casual users pay via pay-on-foot machines accepting coins, notes, and contactless cards. High-intensity LED lighting illuminates all levels from dusk until dawn, and a network of 16 CCTV cameras provides continuous security coverage. Monthly maintenance includes line repainting, structural inspections, and deep cleaning to maintain a safe, user-friendly environment.

To simplify access and navigation, covered pedestrian footbridges on Level 2 connect directly to Blackfriars Retail Park and the waterfront within a two-minute walk. Moreover, covered information boards display local event listings, bus timetables for services to the station and town center, and nearby restaurant directories.

The parking system is supported 24/7 by the FAAC Mobility Services team via intercom, providing assistance or guidance whenever needed. Enhanced security measures are also in place. To access the facility on foot, users must either scan their ticket or enter their number plate into an automatic access reader, which triggers the pedestrian door to open using a 950N2 operator. This project highlights the broad range of access and automation solutions available within the FAAC Technologies group.

At the core of the solution, JMS provides a centralized, web-based management environment, enabling Apex Parking to monitor, control and optimize the entire car park from a single interface. Through its cloud-enabled architecture, JMS delivers real-time visibility of transactions, occupancy and system status, supporting faster decision-making and more efficient daily operations. The platform also enables advanced reporting and data analysis, allowing Apex Parking to track performance, evaluate pricing strategies and implement targeted campaigns aligned with Ipswich town center initiatives.

By combining FAAC Access and HUB Parking Solutions, Apex Parking benefits from an efficient, reliable, and adaptable solution that meets the operational demands of a busy urban location while enabling ongoing optimization of both revenue and customer experience.

Read the full case study to explore the technology and the results behind the project.

About HUB Parking Technology

HUB Parking Technology is the brand of FAAC Technologies that develops, manufactures, installs, and provides after-sales services for Parking Access and Revenue Control Systems. HUB controls all product phases from design to code writing, to distribution, installation, and post-installation support through an extensive network of company branches and value-added partners worldwide.

HUB product range, Jupiter, is designed for long term performance, to future-proof the operators and owners’ investments: thanks to scalable features and enhanced serviceability, it streamlines the parking experience for users while providing a profitable and easy to manage solution to operators. HUB software allows PARCS management 24/7 from anywhere, through a multi-tenant cloud and/or on-premises architecture. Consumer mobile apps for reservation and operator apps for validation complete the system range with solutions catering to transient and contract parkers. Visit www.hubparking.com to learn more.