Many private car parks are busy for only part of the day.

An office car park may be full during working hours but almost empty in the evening. A church may have strong demand on Sundays and during community events, while spaces remain unused for much of the week. Retail sites can experience the opposite pattern, with peak demand at weekends and quieter periods overnight.

For landowners and businesses, this raises a useful question: could unused parking capacity be made available to other motorists?

With the right planning, an underused car park may provide additional income, support nearby businesses and give local motorists access to safe, convenient parking. It is not suitable for every site, but it is an opportunity worth assessing.

Start by understanding when spaces are available

The first step is to understand how the car park is currently being used.

This is not always as simple as identifying opening and closing times. Staff may arrive before customers. Contractors may need access during the evening. Hotel guests may use spaces overnight, while event venues can experience sudden peaks outside their usual operating hours.

A proper review should consider:

• Average occupancy at different times
• Peak arrival and departure periods
• Staff and visitor requirements
• Seasonal changes
• Events and local demand
• Existing permit arrangements
• Access or security restrictions

Car park data can help replace assumptions with evidence. Entry and exit information, payment activity and occupancy records may reveal unused periods that are not immediately obvious.

A site that appears full during the day could still have substantial capacity during evenings, weekends or bank holidays.

Evening and weekend parking

Businesses located near restaurants, theatres, leisure venues or town centres may be able to offer spaces outside their normal operating hours.

An office building, for example, may have little need for its full parking capacity after 6pm. Allowing evening visitors to book or pay for those spaces could create a steady source of additional income.

This can also benefit the surrounding area. Nearby venues gain access to extra parking without having to build new facilities, while motorists have another option in locations where public parking is limited.

The arrangement must still protect the needs of the primary business. Clear operating hours, pricing and parking conditions are important. Motorists should understand when they can enter, how long they may stay and when the site returns to its usual use.

Supporting nearby events

Event demand can create a short but significant need for parking.

Sports fixtures, concerts, festivals, markets and large community events can place pressure on existing local car parks. Private sites nearby may be able to release spaces during these periods, either independently or through a partnership with the event organiser.

Pre-booking can be particularly useful in this situation. Motorists can reserve a space in advance, which reduces uncertainty on arrival and gives the operator a clearer idea of expected demand.

For the landowner, pre-booking can make the opportunity easier to manage. Capacity can be limited, pricing can reflect demand and spaces can be protected for existing users where required.

Local knowledge is important. Event traffic can affect access roads, entrances and nearby residents, so any temporary parking arrangement should account for vehicle flow and the wider area.

Commuter parking opportunities

Sites near railway stations, business districts or transport hubs may attract commuter demand during periods when their own spaces are underused.

A hotel with excess weekday capacity or a church with spaces available outside service times may be able to offer longer-stay parking to local workers and commuters.

This type of use requires careful planning. Commuter vehicles often remain on site for several hours, which can reduce flexibility if the main business experiences unexpected demand.

It may be appropriate to allocate only part of the car park, limit bookings to specific days or introduce a set number of commuter permits. The objective is to make use of genuine surplus capacity without affecting customers, staff or other authorised users.

Partnerships with nearby businesses

Private car parks can also support neighbouring businesses.

A restaurant without its own car park may benefit from an arrangement with a nearby office. A hotel could provide parking for a local venue during selected events. A retail site might release part of its capacity to nearby employees during quieter trading periods.

A formal partnership can give both parties greater certainty. It allows them to agree capacity, access times, pricing, responsibilities and how motorists will be directed to the site.

Good communication is essential. If drivers are unclear about where they can park or which conditions apply, the arrangement may create complaints rather than value.

Signage, booking confirmations and payment instructions should all match the agreed use of the car park.

Security and access must come first

Additional revenue should never come at the expense of site security or the experience of legitimate users.

Before opening a car park to a wider audience, businesses should review lighting, pedestrian routes, barriers, entrances and any access to nearby buildings. Some sites may need to restrict parking to defined areas or specific hours.

The car park should also remain accessible for emergency vehicles, deliveries and authorised users.

Where a site has gates or barriers, the access process needs to be straightforward. Digital permits, vehicle registration or ANPR may help manage entry without requiring a member of staff to remain on site.

The right system will depend on the location, user groups and level of control required.

Choosing a suitable payment method

There are several ways to charge for additional parking.

A site may use pay and display, digital payments, pre-booking or permit-based access. Some businesses may prefer a simple evening tariff, while others may use variable pricing for major local events.

The payment method should suit the expected users. A complicated process can discourage bookings and create unnecessary queries.

Digital systems can also provide useful information about demand, revenue and repeat use. This helps businesses assess whether the arrangement is working and whether more spaces should be made available.

Is your car park suitable?

Not every empty space represents a commercial opportunity.

Some car parks are restricted by lease terms, planning conditions or agreements with existing tenants. Others may have access limitations, security concerns or unpredictable demand.

A professional site assessment can help determine whether additional parking use is practical. This should consider current occupancy, nearby demand, access, technology, signage and the needs of the business itself.

Gemini Parking Solutions works with businesses and landowners to identify potential parking opportunities and create systems suited to each location.

An empty car park may be a missed opportunity, but the right approach should always protect its primary purpose. With clear rules, suitable technology and careful planning, unused capacity can become a useful local service and an additional source of income.