Student parking

Can I park on site?

We are a parking permit only campus, including Development Hub. You must have a student parking permit, Blue Badge or an ASSIST permit to park on campus during the day. However, any student can park at Waterside (Car Park 1 or Car Park 4) or Development Hub from 4.30pm, and cashless payment can be made via the RingGo app.

What permit do I need?

We have 3 types of permits:

• Waterside Halls – for students living on Waterside campus
• Scholars Green Halls – for students living on Scholars Green Halls (also known as Boughton Green Road)
• General Car Commuter – for students commuting from home to lectures at Waterside and Development Hub (you must select the site you need)

We also have ASSIST permits which must be applied for via the ASSIST team; valid Blue Badge holders will need to register their vehicles.

Why do you have permits and a criteria?

UON are committed to reducing their carbon footprint in line with the County’s targets. Travel Plans are created to help promote sustainable travel as well as offering a wide range of alternatives to single occupancy vehicles.

Our criteria ensures those students who commute very far, are registered carers or have placements with unsociable hours are given preference when awarding permits.

Will I get a permit every term & is it ‘first come, first served’?

Unfortunately not. First, we look at criteria such as distance from Waterside/Development Hub, placements and those on the Registered Carers list. Once these permits have been allocated, remaining applications are entered into an automatically generated draw to ensure unbiased and fairness until all permits have been allocated. They are often heavily subscribed and this is why sometimes even if you meet all our criteria, you still may not be awarded a permit. We understand this is upsetting to some students.

The barriers are up, is it free parking?

The barriers being up are not an indication of anyone being able to park on site, nor does it mean parking is free. The barriers could be up for a few reasons, so if you do not have a permit, do not risk parking on site.  Free parking is indicated by the payment machines in all the car parks being covered in bags. Please note if only one machine is bagged, then it’s just out of order! Our car parks are monitored by our enforcement agents.

I’ve missed the deadline because I didn’t know permits were live

We advertise on our Student Travel webpage, social media, student newsletter and the autoreply from the Student Parking inbox around one month before applications go live, when they are live and when they close.

If you are a perspective student and awaiting clearing, permit applications are usually open all summer so we would advise you apply and if your permit is not needed by the time you know, just drop us an email and we will cancel it.

I’m coming on to campus late at night and I’m worried for my safety

We understand those who study in the evenings may have concern for their safety when walking back to the car park in the dark so our wonderful Security Team offer a chaperone service for any student. Simply book at the Visitors Centre in person (next to McColl’s shop) or call the DSS mobile number – 07740 716528 – and Security will dispatch an officer to meet you at the requested place and walk you back to your car on Campus.

You can also download the SafeZone App and find out more about UON’s safety measures and contact details on our keeping you safe on campus page.

We have listened to student feedback and made changes to our criteria whilst in keeping with the county-wide commitment to lower carbon emissions. For more information on our green initiatives and updates regarding travel choices including parking, please follow our Instagram page @uon_sustainable

The application process for Commuter and Halls permits will now be made through a short online web form and we encourage every student to read the criteria below before applying for a permit. ASSIST and Blue Badge holders will continue to use the PMS system. Appeals will be assessed on matters such as medical needs (evidence may be required).

Young/ Registered Carers Permits:

A registered carer looks after a family member, partner or friend who needs help because of their illness, frailty, disability, a mental health problem or an addiction and cannot cope without their support. The care they give is unpaid. Evidence is required. This does not include general childcare.

To ensure we support our young and registered carers, we now offer a payment plan for parking, and permit applications are open all year round and last for a full academic year. To find out more, please email studentparking@northampton.ac.uk as you do not need to apply like general commuters.

Halls permit – eligibility criteria:

1. Are you living in the Halls relevant to the permit for which you are applying? (Compulsory).
2. Does your course involve placements? (Priority).
3. Are you a Young Carer or Registered Carer? (Priority).
4. Distance: your home/permanent address must be at least 3 miles from your halls? (Compulsory).

Commuters Permit – eligibility criteria:

1. Are you a Young Carer or Registered Carer? (Priority).
2. Is your home/term time address outside the 10-mile exclusion zone from Waterside or Development Hub? The following postcodes are within the exclusion zone and therefore not eligible to apply: NN1, NN2, NN3, NN4, NN5, NN6 and NN7.
3. How accessible is Public Transport from your home/term time address? Those living in Northampton are considered to have good public transport links and are therefore not eligible. In addition, those living within 3 miles of the below Rail Stations which have direct links to Northampton Station are not eligible to apply: London Euston, Leighton Buzzard, Bletchley, MK Central, Wolverton, Northampton, Long Buckby, Rugby, Coventry, Canley, Tile Hill, Berkswell, Hampton-In-Arden, Birmingham International, Marston International, Birmingham New Street.

We hope that this criterion will prioritise students who are carers, who have a long commute, and live rurally with little or no public transport options. However, we must stress that we have a limited amount of permits available each academic year for commuters and therefore some students who meet the criteria may not be awarded a permit.

If you have any questions, feedback or concerns please email us at studentparking@northampton.ac.uk

Below are the costs for the various permits and the parking meter tariff for the commuter permits including evening and weekend parking. Please note students without a permit may only park on campus after 4:30pm weekdays and all weekend.

• Waterside Halls: £150 per semester
• Scholars Green Halls: £100 per semester (as of January 2024)
• Motorbikes: £45 for the academic year
• Registered/Young Carers: £52.50 per semester
• Commuters: General PAYG tariff below:

Monday to Friday tariff

These prices are correct as of 8 September 2025:

• Free for first 30-minutes in any day (to allow equipment drop-off/pick-up)
• £1.50 for up to three hours (between 7am and 5pm)
• £2.50 for three to six hours (between 7am and 5pm)
• £3.50 for whole day (midnight to midnight)
• £1 for evening only (5pm to midnight – parking open for any student with or without permit after 4:30pm)
• £1.50 for overnight only (5pm-7am)

Saturday and Sunday tariff

• £1.50 for the whole day

Bank holidays and Closed days tariffs:

• Free all day

All applications received will be processed and assessed. Successful applicants will be invited to pay for a permit and given a short window to do so. Once paid a ‘Virtual Permit’ or a physical permit will be issued as required.

• Waterside & the Development Hub – ‘Virtual Permit’ – the vehicle is put on an Automatic Number Plate Recognition system
• Scholars Green Student Village – a physical permit – the permit must be displayed in the vehicle windscreen at all times when on site, so it is visible to Security Patrollers.

Please ensure you have fully understood the application terms and conditions, have read the guidance on completing your application and have submitted to the correct email.

For information on our Parking Terms and Conditions, please view the guidance.

There is limited parking available for residents in our Waterside Halls of Residence and Scholars Green Student Village sites. However, parking spaces are limited, and therefore receiving a permit is dependent upon meeting our Student permit criteria (see accordion above) and is not guaranteed.

Approved parking permits are allocated per semester if you have a car (£150 per semester) and annually for motorcycles (£45 for the academic year), and only for the site where you are living.

Waterside Halls

Students with an approved Waterside Halls resident parking permit may park in Car Park 3 (NN4 8RP) only.

St. Johns Halls

St. Johns Halls are located in the town centre, just a short walk from Waterside campus. Due to the proximity to the town centre and the limited space on site, unfortunately we do not offer parking permits for St Johns Halls.

However, residents can apply for the council permit scheme for parking in selected long-stay car parks; for further details, see the Northampton gov website.

Scholars Green Student Village

Students with an approved permit for Scholars Green Student Village can park in the site car park only (NN2 7AL).

(Please note, receiving a Scholars Green Halls parking permit does not entitle parking on other University sites including Waterside campus and Development Hub).

Moving days

• Parking is available over the Welcome Weekend for students moving into Halls. Please use Car Park three or Car Park four.
• Whether you are moving in after Welcome Weekend or moving out at the end of the semester or year, please use Car park three or Car Park four and pay via the RingGo app. Tariffs can be found on our car park information boards near the machines.

Visitors

Visitors of students can park on campus at evenings and weekends if visiting short term and pay via RingGo (code 24700) unless they are a Blue Badge Holder who are exempt from charges.

If your guest is to stay overnight, they are permitted to stay no more than two consecutive nights and you must have completed a Guest Request Form before requesting parking for them.

If you would like your guest to stay overnight and it has been authorised by Student Accommodation, please email their name, email address and car registration along with the dates you wish them to stay at least 48 hours before they arrive to  studentparking@northampton.ac.uk

Motorcycle Parking

Motorcyclists can also apply for parking, this includes those commuting by motorbike and also those living in Waterside or Scholars Green Halls. Motorcycle permits are valid for one academic year and a £45 annual charge covers all parking costs plus an admin fee. The application window is open with the general commuters, however if this window is closed and you need a permit, please email studentparking@northampton.ac.uk.

There are dedicated motorcycle parking areas at Waterside with large galvanised steel bars to anchor bikes to for improved security.  There are also lined bays at the top of Car Park 4.  All motorcycles must be parked in the dedicated parking and must not park in cycle shelters, car bays or other non-designated areas.

Motorcycle riders, when payment for permit has been made, will be able to gain access to the car parks by holding their ID badge on to the Salto reader on the intercom.

Electric Vehicle Parking*

We have Pod Point EV charging points on campus and in our efforts to encourage sustainable travel, a student with an electric vehicle may receive a parking permit.  Please email studentparking@northampton.ac.uk to register for your EV permit and gain charging access.  Please note these chargers are used by everyone and so are first come, first served.

* subject to availability

All students, no permit required, can park at Waterside (Car Park one only, NN1 5PH) and Development Hub (NN1 5FS) in the evenings and weekends. No pre-registration is required, just turn up and park. Parking fees apply; via RingGo (24700) as below:

• Monday to Friday, from 5pm – midnight: 50p (Students may park from 4pm but the fee will be higher).
• Saturday and Sunday, from 7am – midnight: £1 per day.
• Overnight guests may park on campus by registering their vehicle with parking@northampton.ac.uk – Please see the ‘Move In Day and Visitors’ section above.
• Free for motorbikes.

If your vehicle has not left the site by midnight an automatic Parking Charge Notice (PCN) will be issued.

If you have any questions about parking or travelling to and from the University, please contact studentparking@northampton.ac.uk or travelinfo@northampton.ac.uk or see the further information on these pages.

Waterside Campus has two entrances and is a no-through site, it is important to use the right entrance for the car park or building you are trying to access:

• Car Parks one and two, Senate, drop off zone – University Drive, off Bedford Road (A428), NN1 5PH.
• Car Parks three and four, Waterside Student Village, drop off zone – New South Bridge Road, off London Road (A508), NN4 8RP.

Voi Scooters

We have Voi scooters around campus and the town centre. Further information, including student discounts, can be found at Voi Scooters.

Fancy a free ride whilst also learning about e-scooters? Voi have created a short online Safety Course ‘Ride Safe’ which you can do at any time from the comfort of your armchair. The course covers topics such as basics on how to ride an e-scooter, parking etiquette, traffic laws and scenarios of when riding alongside traffic. It lasts for 30 minutes and upon completion you get a free ride!

Parking in Northampton town centre

Within 20 minutes’ walk from Waterside campus, there are approx. 1,200 parking spaces available in both Northampton Borough Council-run and private car parks.

Nearby council-run car parks include:

• Midsummer Meadow (NN1 5NG)
• St John’s Multi-storey (NN1 1HA)
• Albion Place (NN1 1UD)
• Commercial Street and Commercial Street South (NN1 1PJ)
• The Ridings (NN1 2AB)

Privately-owned car parks include:

• Hazelwood Road – Nationwide Car Parks Ltd (NN1 1LN)
• St Peters Way – NCP (NN1 1TP)

Parking fees for council-run car parks and private car parks will vary.

Further information, including parking fees, is available from West Northamptonshire Council and Parkopedia.

The Cost of Living Crisis has dominated headlines recently and we can appreciate that many households and students are being affected, so we have created some helpful tips and information to help reduce your costs around travel.

Car Sharing

Because our campus is a permit holder only site, we understand that obtaining a permit is sometimes hard and alternative parking can be costly if you are in every day. Therefore, we want to encourage sustainable travel where we can. Car sharing with friends or fellow course mates is a great way to split fuel and parking costs.

Electric Vehicles*

Electric vehicles are a cleaner way to travel, and we have opened our EV chargers up to students as well as staff and visitors. If you drive an electric vehicle, contact studentparking@northampton.ac.uk to receive an email from Pod Point granting you access to charge your vehicle on site (charging payment is required).

* subject to availability

Student Cycle Hire Scheme

You can hire a standard push bike for 3 months for £35 (£40 refundable deposit) which comes with a D lock, lights and subject to availability, a helmet. For more details, please email travelinfo@northampton.ac.uk

Dr Bike

We shall be holding a free Dr Bike event where you can book your bike to be serviced by our mechanic, Andrew from The Happy Bike Company. This includes things as tyre pressure, gear checks, chain clean up and general wear and tear information. Watch this space and the Student Newsletter (Student Hub – username and password required) for updates.

Train Travel

London Northwestern Railway is offering up to 50% off usual adult tickets for student aged 16 and over.

Tfl offer 16-25 Rail cards for £30 which can save a third on rail fares. Oyster rail cards are also available for those who wish to travel to and from London for their studies.  For more information and links to the rail card providers, please see our Bus and Rail Services page.

Bus Travel

Further timetable information is available on the Stagecoach website. We have plenty of cycle parking around campus including coded sheds near Waterside Halls and students can use the showers within the Sports Dome.  Another option is to scoot – Voi have a docking station within the Claret car park and offer student discounts via their website.

Stagecoach has signed up to a government funded Help for Households campaign offering £2 single fares. This means you can travel on any bus run by Stagecoach for only £2 within the whole of Northamptonshire.

For further tips and offers provided by the University, please see our Student Cost of Living Hub (Student Hub – username and password required).