Following the University changing its parking system to 24/7 ANPR over the summer, Lancaster University Students’ Union have been working to return to free parking on evenings and weekends.
There has finally been a breakthrough at the end of this month, with out-of-hours parking permits now available to students.
In an announcement published on LUSU’s website, the Students’ Union president Rory O’Ceallaigh said that the parking charges “posed a barrier to participation for our array of student sports clubs and societies”.
They hope that the reduced charges will encourage more students to participate in societies, without having to take a further monetary burden.
Rory outlined that LUSU’s “first win came a couple [of] months ago with an option to park for three hours in the evenings and weekends for £1”, but highlighted that “any cost was too high for students to pay”.
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Following continued negotiations, there is now a permit available for students to park on campus from 6pm-8am Monday to Friday and all weekend.
The permit costs £25 per vehicle and lasts until 30th June 2026. A 6 per cent commission on each parking permit will go to the Students’ Union, going “straight back into sports and societies, either into access funds, or reducing the cost of participation in other ways”.
One Lancaster University student told us: “I’ve been spending an extra £5 a week to go to a society that has a free membership, so I’ve already spent over £40. The permit will definitely allow me to save over £100 that can be put towards something actually useful.”
As a further way to reduce prices, the LUSU statement also includes that the parking team is able to be negotiated on a case-by-case basis to ensure that the costs are not barriers to students who cannot afford the permit.
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Featured image before edits via @lusupresident on Instagram.
