Those travelling to Lancaster University by car can park in designated areas on campus. Please be aware of permit requirements and restrictions to avoid fines when parking at the University.
Contact the Car Parking team via email car-parking@lancaster.ac.uk.
Staff can apply for an annual parking permit during the Flexible Benefits window, or, new staff members can apply for a permit on commencing their role. Prices vary depending on staff grades and contracts. Please contact the Car Parking team to request a permit via email car-parking@lancaster.ac.uk.
Annual parking permits are valid from the start to the end of the University’s academic year.
Staff (and tenants) who use the car park on a limited basis can purchase as many Scratch Cards as they need, meaning a parking permit is not required.
Orders can be collected from the Security Lodge between 9am and 5pm, Monday to Friday, five working days after the online order has been placed.
Scratch Cards cannot be used at Health Innovation Campus.
Purchase Scratch Cards on the Online Store
Staff who held an annual parking permit for the previous academic year are eligible for an additional switch discount by opting for a Unirider Bus Pass. View more information on the Public Transport page.
Park at HIC using a valid staff parking permit, the RingGo app, or by paying at the on-site, card only payment machine. (Paper scratch cards cannot be used on the HIC carpark) Staff can also park at Car Park L(b), also known as the Bowling Green Car Park, using physical Staff or Tenant Staff Parking Scratch Card.
Parking spaces on campus are limited, so student parking permits are regulated according to eligibility, which also helps keep carbon emissions down.
Lancaster University has the highest frequency of city-to-campus buses of any campus university in the UK, as well as excellent cycling and walking routes, so many students find that they do not need a car.
The Student Parking Policy 2024-25 details arrangements for student parking, outlines the eligibility criteria for student parking permits, and how to apply.
Please contact the Car Parking team to request the Student Parking Policy, via email car-parking@lancaster.ac.uk.
Annual parking permits are valid from the start to the end of the University’s academic year.
Students with a campus parking permit can park on South West Campus Parking Zone (Alexandra Park) only.
Residents with a Chancellor’s Wharf parking permit can park at Chancellor’s Wharf only. Purchase a virtual permit by contacting car-parking@lancaster.ac.uk. Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) fixed camera enforcement operates at Chancellor’s Wharf.
Visitors of residents at Chancellor’s Wharf can purchase parking per day via the Online Store, where vehicle details must be logged.
Park at Health Innovation Campus using an Accessible Parking Permit, the RingGo app, or the on-site, card-only payment machine. Electric vehicles can park in EV bays but must pay the Day Visitor Rate using the payment machine.
Dedicated accessible parking spaces for those with significant mobility difficulties or medical conditions that adversely impact on an individual’s personal mobility are provided. These are supported through the use of Accessible Parking Permits (AP Permits).
Blue Badges will be honoured for single use but an AP Permit should be obtained for continued use, please contact the Car Parking team car-parking@lancaster.ac.uk to pre-arrange accessible parking with a Blue Badge.
University AP Permits are valid in all car parking spaces on campus in any parking zone, including all accessible parking spaces marked out in yellow on the ground.
University staff should select the Accessible Permit option through Flexible Benefits and submit their evidence as soon as possible. All other staff and tenants should contact the Car Parking team directly via email car-parking@lancaster.ac.uk.
Staff eligibility will be determined by the Security Operations Manager. Please note, some AP Permits will only be issued on a temporary basis (for instance in the case of someone returning to work after illness, surgery or injury).
To be eligible, staff must provide at least one of the following:
Heavily pregnant staff will be eligible at the discretion of the Security Operations Manager.
Students should apply through the Car Parking team directly via email car-parking@lancaster.ac.uk. Blue Badge holders must provide proof of a valid Blue Badge. Students with temporary reduced mobility or medical conditions that adversely impact on mobility must provide evidence that satisfies the following criteria:
Accessible Parking Permits can only be used in the vehicle registered to the permit and only whilst the permit holder is the driver of the vehicle. On occasions that the Accessible Parking Permit holder is driving another vehicle, the driver must contact University Security on 01524 594541 with details of the alternative vehicle.
There are over 750 visitor parking spaces across visitor car parks A to M and South West Campus.
RingGo Cashless Parking Solution is available across all visitor car parks, including Health Innovation Campus and South West Campus, but excluding the Sports Centre*. Visitors can pay for their parking at an on-site, card-only payment machine, or by the RingGo app, or using the RingGo website. Detailed instructions on using RingGo to pay for parking are signposted at all visitor car parks.
Visitor parking is free between 6pm-8am, Monday to Friday, and all day Saturday and Sunday.
*Sport Lancaster customers can park for up to two hours free of charge with a valid ticket at the Sports Centre Car Park, subject to availability and restrictions. This car park operates a no-return policy within 1 hour. If there are no spaces available, please use the Overflow Car Park (Tennis Courts), where parking is free for two hours with the option to use RingGo for any additional hours.
Accessible parking bays are clearly marked across campus. Accessible parking users should purchase parking as normal.
Blue Badge holders are exempt from all parking charges and can park in dedicated accessible parking bays in all parking zones. Please contact the Car Parking team by emailing car-parking@lancaster.ac.uk to pre-arrange accessible parking with a Blue Badge.
If parking on the Health Innovation Campus or the Sports Field Car Park, Blue Badge holders must contact University Security on 01524 594541 to register parking.
Contractors can purchase annual, termly, or monthly parking permits via the Online Store, which will be available for collection after five working days.
Permit holders can park in any staff or visitor parking space on campus. Long-wheelbase vehicles must park in Visitor Car Parks B, E, K, or at the Health Innovation Campus.
Alternatively, daily parking payments can be purchased through the RingGo app or an on-site, card-only payment machine. RingGo operates at all visitor car parks, the Sports Field, and South West Campus.
Contractors are not permitted to park in site compounds. Parking Charge Notices will be issued under the Parking Policy.
Parking cannot be purchased from the Security Lodge.
A discounted annual parking permit is available to Plug-in Electric Vehicles, priced at £165.12. The use of electric charging points is charged additionally to the permit at a flat rate of 34p/kWh.
Purchase an annual EV permit by contacting car-parking@lancaster.ac.uk.
Drivers must use the AMP-EV app to access a charging point, plug in your charging cable, and press start session on the app.
The charging session is ended via the app, and drivers are reminded to remember their charging cable before leaving the charging point.
For help, contact Amp EV at anytime on 0800 368 9125.
Between the hours of 8am – 6pm, Monday – Friday, valid parking permits or scratch cards must be clearly displayed in the car windscreen. Cars registered with a permit that is not visible in the car risks a Parking Charge Notice (PCN).
During these hours, visitors are required to purchase a digital parking ticket using RingGo Cashless Parking Solution and be parked in the correct area.
