A new government-backed Private Parking Code of Practice aims to curb what campaigners call "rip-off" parking charges, but critics say it largely duplicates existing industry rules and leaves key enforcement gaps.
The statutory code, laid before Parliament on Tuesday, follows the case of Rosey Greenwood, who was pursued for £1,906 over a Derbyshire car park's five-minute payment deadline. Though Greenwood had paid every time she parked, the operator's terms required payment within five minutes of entry. Derby North MP Catherine Atkinson raised the case in Parliament, calling it a "five-minute rip-off charge." Prime Minister Andy Burnham said the charges left people "feeling ripped off and out of pocket."
The code sets standards parking operators must follow and is subject to a 40-day parliamentary scrutiny period before taking effect 21 days after formal issue. Housing and Communities Minister Florence Eshalomi said it would give drivers "a range of rights and protections to make these unfair practices a thing of the past."
But the code mirrors much of the parking sector's own 2024 code. The government guarantees a five-minute consideration period to decide whether to park. The sector's code already provided this. The government adds a 10-minute grace period to leave after a stay ends. The sector's code already included this. Maximum charges remain £100, or £60 if paid within a fortnight. Both caps existed in the sector's code.
Where the government code diverges, it offers more protection. It requires charges be cancelled entirely if a driver or passenger falls ill, experiences medical delays, faces childcare delays, or suffers vehicle breakdown. The sector's code only reduced charges to £20 in these cases. However, parking operators can still add a £70 debt recovery fee per charge plus court costs.
The government's key enforcement mechanism bars non-compliant operators from accessing DVLA vehicle keeper data, preventing them from issuing charges. Theoretically this exists now, as operators must belong to trade associations to access DVLA data and risk expulsion for breaches. Campaigners contend this has never happened in practice. The government promises an "independent Scrutiny and Oversight Board."
Jack Cousens, head of roads policy at the AA, welcomed the code's government backing rather than industry control. "Now the pen is firmly in the hand of the government," he said.
The AA and RAC, which campaigned for the statutory code, say it does not go far enough. The AA wants a single independent appeals process rather than operators and trade bodies "marking their own homework." Both organizations seek alternatives to debt recovery fees that often escalate into court judgments.