St Ann Estate in Newcastle is a vibrant, multi-use development combining offices, businesses, residential flats, hotels, restaurants, and pubs—served by a single Multi-Storey Car Park (MSCP) and no on-street parking. With space at a premium, the result was a challenging environment with overlapping user needs, high demand, and ongoing operational pressure. To regain control and ease the daily strain, St Ann Estate partnered with Hozah to implement its fully digital Autopay system and integrated ecosystem—unlocking immediate transformation and long-term performance gains.
A tangled parking network in need of structure
Before Hozah’s solution, parking at St Ann Estate was plagued by inefficiencies and growing frustration from both drivers and staff:
- Conflicting user needs: With residents, office staff, hotel guests, and hospitality customers needing access at different times, peak-hour congestion often gave way to off-peak underuse.
- Whitelist misuse: Unauthorised vehicles were exploiting access permissions, causing security concerns and misuse of restricted areas.
- Misuse of designated spaces: Bays reserved for specific users—such as residents or contractors—were frequently taken by others, fuelling complaints and confusion.
- Validation complexity: Some tenants needed validated or discounted parking for staff or guests, while others didn’t qualify, leading to inconsistent rules and time-consuming manual work.
- Visitor parking friction: Short-term visitors struggled with unclear or inconsistent payment options.
- Cash-based systems: The reliance on manual payments increased the risk of vandalism, while payment errors disrupted operations and deterred repeat visits.
On top of all this, estate staff were routinely pulled away from core duties to deal with parking disputes, validation requests, and enforcement issues.
St Ann needed more than a new operator—it needed a system that could bring order to complexity, satisfy a wide mix of users, and restore confidence in its parking infrastructure.
A unified parking experience powered by the Hozah Ecosystem
Hozah implemented a tailored solution using its fully digital Autopay system, supported by the modular Hozah Ecosystem—an integrated platform combining ANPR, access control, and multi-method payments in one seamless system.
The upgraded solution included:
- Autopay: Registered drivers are billed automatically when exiting the car park—no tickets, no tapping, no apps.
- PayByWeb: One-off mobile payments are quick and hassle-free for occasional visitors.
- Advanced ANPR cameras: High-accuracy cameras ensure secure access and automatic billing, helping prevent unauthorised entry.
- Permit and whitelist management: Access is tightly controlled using digital permits and real-time validation tools. Handheld ANPR-enabled devices help staff confirm authorisation instantly.
- Flexible validation tools: Businesses can offer validated or discounted parking—without needing physical machines or printed tickets—via Hozah’s back portal or on-site tablets.
- Smarter space allocation: Underutilised bays can be rented out to the public, with payments transferred directly to participating businesses.
- Improved signage and reporting: Clearer messaging and access to real-time dashboards gave estate management full visibility over usage, occupancy, and compliance.
The result was a barrierless, user-friendly, and future-ready system built for the demands of a modern mixed-use site.
The results: smoother operations, stronger returns
From the first year, implementing the Hozah Ecosystem produced outstanding results for St Ann Estate—enhancing operations and delivering measurable financial benefits.
Key outcomes:
- +675% growth in parking revenue: By enabling digital payments, reducing leakage, and monetising previously unused spaces, St Ann Estate saw a dramatic uplift in income, representing a 675% year-on-year revenue increase.
- Reduced manual workload for staff: Estate teams reported a major drop in time spent handling parking-related issues, freeing them up to focus on strategic work instead of daily firefighting.
- Better use of space: Smart allocation and access control eliminated misuse of reserved bays and allowed surplus spaces to generate income when not in use.
- Improved compliance and access control: Misuse of permits and whitelists dropped significantly, thanks to real-time verification and handheld validation devices.
- A better experience for all users: Drivers found the system simple, cashless, and stress-free, improving satisfaction for residents, hotel guests, staff, and visitors alike.
- Fewer complaints, stronger tenant relationships: Clearer systems and fairer rules helped reduce conflict between businesses and improved tenant confidence in the estate’s management.
“We are thrilled with Hozah’s parking management services. Their advanced ANPR technology and Autopay system have significantly improved our parking operations, meeting the diverse needs of our tenants, including offices, businesses, residential flats, and hospitality establishments.
Operationally, the burden on our staff has been significantly reduced, allowing them to focus on more strategic tasks. I highly recommend Hozah’s parking solutions for their expertise, innovative technology, and excellent customer service. They have made a substantial positive impact on St Ann Estate.”
— Estate Management, St Ann Estate
Scalable, secure, and built for mixed-use estates
St Ann Estate’s journey shows that smart parking doesn’t require compromises. With Hozah, mixed-use environments can seamlessly manage access, simplify payments, and optimise capacity—delivering measurable value to operators and a smoother experience for drivers.
Want to simplify your parking operations?
Get in touch at hello@www2.hozah.com to find out how Hozah can help.
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