Sutton Council is deploying sensors to help combat fly-tipping and the rise of unauthorised access in the borough’s car parks.

The Council will be working with UK-based provider IoT Solutions Group, using their Internet of Things (IoT) technology to anonymously monitor suspicious car park activity in real-time, enabling the Council to check on whether any offences are taking place and notifying the police if necessary.

When unauthorised vehicles enter car parks illegally, creating encampments and fly-tipping, it costs the Council time and resources to move unauthorised vehicles and clear away rubbish.

The remote monitoring solution will enable the Council to prevent illegal activity from occurring, rather than embarking upon costly clear-ups after offences have been committed.

The Council has previously invested in overheight vehicle barriers across many car parks to prevent oversized vehicles entering the sites, although in some instances the locks have been illegally opened overnight.

The digital sensors are being implemented as part of the South London Partnership’s InnOvaTe Project and will be installed across eleven car parks for a period of one year.

The sensors do not collect personal data, and the technology cannot be used to gather any kind of personal data or for enforcement purposes, but will report whether the barriers are open or closed and send alerts automatically if they are opened unexpectedly.

Councillor Manuel Abellan, Chair of the Environment & Sustainable Transport Committee at Sutton Council, said:

“By installing digital sensors, the insights will give us a clear picture of car park activity in real-time, and allow early intervention if the gates are opened beyond a set time, saving potential police and court costs.

“I’d like to thank Sutton Council colleagues and IoT Solutions Group Ltd for their hard work to make this happen and we are excited to trial technology to tackle a continuous issue which has left a detrimental effect on our parks and the residents who regularly use them.”

Emma Mahy, CEO of IoT Solutions Group, said:

“Yet again, Sutton Council have shown their desire to find new ways of tackling age-old challenges. It is great to see such an innovative council make strides in how it uses technology to improve the lives of those it serves.

“Building upon the partnership already developed through our adult social care solutions, we have been able to deliver additional value in a swifter and more efficient manner. The bold and logical approach of the council has ensured maximum value will be derived at every stage.

“We are excited to be in a position to help prevent the costly issues affecting the borough and maintain the environments that residents and visitors enjoy.”