Brentwood Council had found itself blocked from installing new technology due to old contracts with its parking management company.
Now, the authority has said it will significantly invest in new systems for Brentwood’s car parks.
Automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras, as well as cash and contactless machines, have already been installed in the multi-storey at Coptfold Road.
Contactless ticketing machines and ANPR cameras are set to be installed at William Hunter Way and Chatham Way by October.
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New parking machines at other car parks are to be considered in a future parking strategy.
Councillor David Kendall, chairman of Brentwood Council’s finance and resources committee, said: “I have been a councillor on this council for a long, long time, and it’s been a great bone of contention for me that our residents are not able to pay or haven’t been able to pay by contactless in our car parks.
“It’s ridiculous in these modern times. The aim is by October 25 they are going to have that opportunity of doing that. They have the opportunities already in the multi-storey. Now, we’re looking at William Hunter Way and Chatham Way.
“I think it’s going to make a massive difference to so many people because they’re not going to have to be fiddling with change, they’re not going be trying to get on the app.
“It brings our car parking up to date.”
He added the improvements will supplement the free Sunday parking that is part of the budget.
The improvements are to be funded from £250,000 allocated in the 2025/26 capital programme for car park improvements.
A Brentwood Council officer told the meeting on March 12: “This is probably one of the singular significant investments that the council has made in its parking services for some time certainly on the technology front.”
