Rochester Esplanade is a popular place, mainly for sitting and enjoying the view, but also as a convenient place to park near the High Street.
The parking spaces are limited to an hour, with half of them restricted for permit parking during the Rochester Bridge Trust’s working hours. However there are times when some or all of the bays have to be closed to public use – for example on safety grounds when there is an event in the area.
The usual way to suspend parking would be to cover up the regular parking notices with specially made signs, stating the nature of the suspension and the timescale. However a single-use sign – even one that can be recycled – isn’t particularly environmentally friendly. We wanted a more reusable solution.
Our requirement was a pair of reusable covers that were suitable for all weathers and able to be marked to indicate time restrictions. Writing on the covers wouldn’t be an option because rain might wash away the notice, and so in the end we opted for bespoke covers with added windows where we could display the relevant information.
The sign covers came from Devon Disability Collective, a social enterprise organisation that provides provides employment and training opportunities and is able to cater for very small orders. This means we were able to reduce our carbon footprint while also supporting a good cause.
They are an eye-catching yellow so they stand out, with a clear window for us to add the relevant parking information. They have also been created to neatly fit over the top of the permanent signs. We are very pleased with the outcome and look forward to using them on site for some time to come.