Stop and shop+ bays give you 30 minutes of free parking outside local shops. Register your free session with PayByPhone before you leave your car. Blue Badge holders do not need to register.
About stop and shop
Stop and shop bays are short-stay parking bays outside local shopping parades and high streets. Ealing Council introduced them to support local businesses by giving customers a short period of free parking, so they can pop into a shop, collect a prescription or pick something up without paying to park.
Why the scheme changed
In 2024, the council surveyed how the stop and shop bays were being used. The survey found that most bays were not being used properly, with vehicles often staying longer than the time limit, sometimes for several hours. This reduced the availability of spaces for short visits, which is what the bays are intended for.
Every long stay is a lost customer. A vehicle that stays in a stop and shop bay for 6 hours has taken up to 11 other free 30-minute sessions, which could mean 11 fewer people visiting a local business.
The changes introduced in 2025 were made to address this and to make sure that as many people as possible can use the free 30-minute parking session. Every stop and shop+ bay now works the same way across the borough, and the free session must be registered with PayByPhone so that the bays can be managed fairly. The bays are still outside the shops, the first 30 minutes is still free, and blue badge holders are still exempt.
How to register your free 30 minutes
Ealing Council uses PayByPhone for all on-street parking payments. Whichever way you register, you will need the PayByPhone location code shown on the sign next to the bay, and your vehicle registration number.
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Use the PayByPhone app
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Download the app or use paybyphone.co.uk, enter the location code, choose the free 30-minute option and start your session
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Call PayByPhone
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Call 0330 400 7275 and follow the instructions - standard rate - no smartphone or internet needed
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Register at a PayPoint shop
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Register in person, with no telephone at all, at any of the 184 PayPoint shops across the borough
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Find a PayPoint shop - look for the yellow and purple PayPoint sign in the shop window, on the door or at the counter. Most PayPoint shops are newsagents, convenience stores and off-licences, and many are open early and late.
- No internet? Text the word CASH followed by your location code to 60075 to receive your 2 nearest PayPoint shops by text
- PayPoint store locator
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Staying longer than 30 minutes
If you need more than 30 minutes, you can pay for extra time through the app, by phone or at a PayPoint shop. Extra time is charged at the standard on-street rate for that location.
Blue badge holders
If you hold a blue badge, none of these changes affect you.
- You do not need to register with PayByPhone
- You do not need to pay
- There is no time limit - you can stay in a stop and shop+ bay for as long as you need
Display your blue badge on the dashboard with the details visible from outside the vehicle. The badge must be valid and the badge holder must be travelling in the vehicle.
Using a PayPoint shop
PayPoint is a network of local shops where you can pay for services in person, including parking. You can use it without a smartphone, an app, an online account, an email address or a bank card.
- Note the PayByPhone location code on the parking sign next to your bay
- Go to a shop showing the PayPoint sign in the window or at the counter
- Tell the shopkeeper you want to register parking with PayByPhone. Give your vehicle registration number and the location code, and say you want the free 30 minutes, or how much extra time you want to pay for
- The shopkeeper registers your session electronically. If you are paying for extra time you can pay in cash. Keep your receipt
- That is it. You do not need to display anything in your car. Enforcement officers check registrations electronically
Useful documents
The documents below are the formal record of the changes to the scheme: the decision, the consultation and the answers to the questions we were asked.
Public consultation
A statutory consultation ran from 23 April to 14 May 2025, and residents and businesses were able to highlight any unique circumstances or concerns relating to the proposed changes.
The consultation period met the statutory 21-day requirement, and the council met with local business representatives to explain the proposed changes.
Read the officer decision report approving the changes
View the summary of the responses received during the consultation
Contact us
If you have a question about stop and shop+ that is not answered here, email parking@ealing.gov.uk
For help with the PayByPhone app or a payment, use the PayByPhone help centre