Transformation of Chester Town Centre

WPS and the Cheshire West & Chester Council (CW&C) are introducing the WeValidate discount platform in Chester. The initiative was launched to help Chester transform its local retail, leisure and business environment by offering retailers’ customers the possibility to offer discounts on parking.

Simon Jarvis, Managing Director of WPS in the UK, says that retailers and local authorities often clash when it comes to deciding how best to re-invigorate their town centres: “Retailers believe that part of the answer is by offering customers free parking; local authorities believe that free parking leads to a free for all, that is difficult to control and easy to abuse. They also have to fund and manage the limited numbers of spaces that are available. Both agree that ‘validated’ parking is a possible solution, but the problem has always been the cost, and the challenges at the back end when it comes to collecting what’s owed. WeValidate overcomes both of these challenges and more.”

WPS offers a web-based ticket validation capability, through its ParkAdvance technology, via a wide range of standard devices. CW&C is now maximising this capability to provide a highly-efficient way for large numbers of retailers and leisure providers to offer parking validation, and not just the larger or more well-established brands.