Cashless car park payments planned by council

The local authority says "advance notice" would be issued before the plans are implemented

All council parking sites in a Berkshire town could become cashless according to plans approved by council leaders.

Slough Borough Council is looking into converting all its parking sites to cashless with a pay by phone system.

The proposal to tender for the cashless payment contract was approved alongside separate plans to spend £700,000 on speed cameras to be installed on Bath Road at a meeting on 14 April.

But a spokesperson for the local authority said the council would be "mindful of those who prefer to pay in cash" and bring in pay points in shops.

Councillors on the cabinet committee approved proposals to spend up to £250,000 on a "new pay by phone contract to convert all parking sites to cashless".

New rules that came into force in February outline that council leaders have to vote to approve procurement of any services worth more than £214,904.

The plans say the council would seek to award the contract to run the service to a private company for three years, and that would "reduce service charges".

A council spokesperson said there would be "advance notice" would be issued.

"... and we will be mindful of those who prefer to pay in cash and will bring in pay points where they can pay in shops," the statement added.