Shropshire Wildlife Trust is a leading conservation charity working to restore and protect nature across Shropshire and the surrounding area. With over 40 nature reserves under its care, the Trust blends on-the-ground habitat restoration with public engagement and education to help wildlife thrive. Their ambitious goals include managing 30% of land for nature and encouraging one in four people to take meaningful action for the environment. As part of The Wildlife Trusts national network, their local impact contributes to broader environmental progress across the UK and beyond.
Among the Trust’s most iconic sites is The Wrekin, a 1,335ft landmark in east Shropshire steeped in history and natural beauty. This ancient hill, topped by an Iron Age hillfort, is a popular destination for hikers, families, and wildlife enthusiasts. Parking revenue at the site plays a critical role in supporting its ongoing conservation and public access.
The Challenge
The Wrekin’s remote location made parking management particularly difficult. Without the possibility of having staff on-site, and with poor mobile connectivity to kiosks, the existing system struggled to meet visitor needs. These issues were compounded by:
- High rates of Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs) due to signal failures and payment confusion
- Frustration from unreliable or unclear payment processes
- A lack of guidance for visitors, resulting in site misuse and damage to public trust
Shropshire Wildlife Trust needed a resilient, low-maintenance system that could function reliably off-grid and provide a frictionless experience for visitors.
Objectives
To address these issues, the Trust partnered with Hozah to achieve the following:
- Establish reliable kiosk connectivity regardless of location
- Deliver a simple, user-friendly parking experience
- Improve revenue generation to support conservation activities
The Hozah Solution
Hozah installed its advanced parking software, custom-tailored for remote, rural locations. Key elements of the deployment included:
- Starlink satellite connectivity: Providing uninterrupted internet access to the site, eliminating kiosk downtime except during brief scheduled updates.
- Clear on-site signage and instructions: Guiding drivers through a smooth and intuitive process from arrival to payment.
- Integration with Hozah’s ecosystem: Enabling flexible payment options, ANPR enforcement, and automatic data reporting for the Trust.
This setup required no permanent staff presence and minimal manual intervention, while ensuring a modern and seamless visitor experience.
Results and Benefits
Since implementation, The Wrekin has seen dramatic improvements:
- Zero kiosk downtime, resolving the connectivity issues that previously plagued the site
- 34% increase in parking revenue between Jan–April 2024 and the same period in 2025
- Improved public sentiment, with online reviews now praising the ease of car park use
- Reduction in complaints and PCNs, thanks to better connectivity and communication
This uplift in performance has directly translated into more reliable funding for habitat restoration and nature conservation across the site.
Conclusion
The Wrekin project highlights the power of adaptable, remote-ready parking solutions to support both public access and environmental stewardship. By leveraging Hozah’s technology, Shropshire Wildlife Trust has created a reliable income stream for one of Shropshire’s most treasured landmarks—while giving visitors a smoother, more welcoming experience.
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