Check the Student Parking Policy on the Policy and Enforcement page to see if you qualify for a parking permit and how you can apply.
Student Parking
Parking information for students and prospective students.
Supporting Essential Car Users
Lancaster University has the highest frequency of city to campus bus services of any campus university in the UK as well as excellent cycling and walking routes. The vast majority of students find that they do not need a car whilst studying at Lancaster.
Parking spaces on campus are limited and we have over 15,000 students so access to parking permits is regulated to limited categories of student eligibility. This ensures that those students who really need a car are eligible for a Student Parking Permit. Crucially, this also helps us to keep our carbon emissions down in recognition of the climate and ecological emergency facing us all.
Permits and Prices 2024-25
All permits are only available to students who meet the criteria for a permit outlined in the Student Parking Policy.
Annual Student Parking Permit
- £165.12 a year
- Valid from 1st October to 30th September.
- Valid on the South West Campus Parking Zone (Alexandra Park) only.
Termly Student Parking Permit
- £64 a term.
- Options are Michaelmas Term and vacation, Lent Term and vacation, Summer Term and vacation. Each are £62.
- Valid on the South West Campus Parking Zone (Alexandra Park) only.
Where can I park?
For students eligible for a Student Parking Permit, the permits are only valid in the South West Campus Parking Zone (Alexandra Park).
View the location of the South West Campus Parking Zone by downloading the Parking Zones Map.
Parking at Chancellor's Wharf and the Health Innovation Campus
A system of Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras enforces parking at Chancellor's Wharf and the Health Innovation Campus (HIC).
Important: Anyone eligible to park at Chancellor's Wharf and HIC must ensure their vehicle details are registered with the University as authorised to park at Chancellor's Wharf and have paid the required parking fee.
- Residents at Chancellor's Wharf can purchase a virtual parking permit by contacting the Car Parking Office at car-parking@lancaster.ac.uk.
- For visitors of residents, the Online Store must be used to register vehicle details and purchase parking at £3.50 per day.
- HIC parking users can find out more about parking at HIC on the dedicated Health Innovation Campus parking page.
Helpful Information
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You can access the current version of the Student Parking Policy on the Policy and Enforcement page.
The Urban Core Area 2023-24 v2 of Lancaster and Morecambe is a key aspect of the Student Parking Policy in determining eligibility for a campus parking permit. The Urban Core Area (UCA) is a geographic area of postcodes which are reasonably accessible to the University campus either on foot or by a frequent direct bus service. If a student is in residence at one of the UCA postcodes during term-time then this means that they would not usually be eligible for a permit to park on the campus.
A thorough accessibility assessment through a geographic information system (GIS) is undertaken to determine the urban core area based on current bus service provision.
Find out more in the Accessible Parking sections on the main Parking page.
Find out more on the Electric Vehicles page.