Prime Minister Andy Burnham introduced a strict new national framework for private car parks across England, Scotland, and Wales, establishing mandatory five-minute arrival grace periods, ten-minute departure windows, and capped penalties for honest administrative errors.
Government Imposes National Private Parking Code
Housing, Communities, and Local Government Angela Rayner added that parking should be straightforward and that the measures offer protected time to park and leave while holding private providers to a higher standard. Motorists using private car parks receive new statutory protections under an official code of practice for the industry laid down by the government following years of public complaints over aggressive enforcement tactics and soaring penalty notices issued by private parking operators. Parliament approved the primary legislation at the beginning of 2019, and the administration at the time published a formal code of practice in early 2022—though it survived less than half a year before legal action by multiple parking companies compelled its withdrawal.
Under the statutory framework, drivers receive a guaranteed five-minute window upon entering a facility to decide whether to stay and park. Once a parking session concludes, motorists also secure a ten-minute grace period to exit the car park without incurring a penalty.
Being a few minutes late back to your car or typing one digit of your numberplate wrong shouldn’t end with a hefty fine landing on your doormat. These charges leave people feeling ripped off and out of pocket, so I’m putting a stop to them.
Andy Burnham, Prime Minister
Government Caps Penalties for Honest Mistakes
Drivers no longer face financial penalties for situations beyond their control, including vehicle breakdowns within car parks, medical emergencies, out-of-service or broken ticket machines, or brief stops to check directions, because the updated rules mandate the cancellation of private parking charges on appeal for valid mitigating circumstances.
Appeals for minor administrative errors—such as forgetting a parking permit, entering the wrong vehicle registration, or failing to confirm details at a payment terminal—restrict fines to a maximum charge of £20. Meanwhile, the government is freezing the overall maximum private parking charge at £100, maintaining the ceiling established under previous voluntary guidelines. The consumer body Which? criticised this decision, arguing that the government had shied away from implementing a £50 price cap.
Private Firms Issue Record Number of Tickets
Analysis of Government data by the Press Association and the RAC Foundation revealed that private firms issued a record 16.9 million parking tickets in the financial year ending in March. That figure marks a 17% increase from the previous year and follows a sharp rise in private parking enforcement. With individual tickets capped at £100, the estimated daily cost to motorists exceeds £4.6 million. Legal proceedings were initiated against a woman in one instance over a £1,906 demand after she took longer than five minutes to complete payment at a Derby parking facility.
Jack Cousens, head of roads policy at the AA, noted that drivers finally have something which could offer them better protections against the worst private parking operators, adding that firms had previously attacked motorists to the point where many simply paid up out of fear. Simon Williams, head of policy at the RAC, called the framework a step in the right direction but expressed disappointment that the government stopped short of banning debt recovery fees or establishing a single independent appeals body, contrasting with the British Parking Association which welcomed the changes while noting many principles reflect the existing voluntary code.
DVLA Threatens Data Access Over Rules
Operators who fail to comply face the threat of losing access to essential vehicle keeper data held by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA), which would effectively deprive them of the capacity to track down vehicle owners and issue penalty enforcement. The government has also launched a formal consultation to evaluate whether to lower the current £70 cap on debt recovery fees or eliminate those extra charges entirely.