Government accused of 'bending the knee' to rogue private parking firms

By ROB HULL

A week after This is Money exclusively revealed that private parking companies had issued a record 14.4million tickets to motorists in Britain last year, the Government has finally responded with the promise of a long-awaited crackdown on the sector. 

It confirmed today the launch of a new consultation to 'raise standards' and prevent 'misleading tactics and confusing processes' commonly deployed by private parking companies.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government said its consultation on a legislation-backed code of practice for the sector is aimed at creating a 'fairer, more transparent private parking system'.

Analysis last week by This is Money identified a 13 per cent increase in the volume of parking charge notices sent to motorists by the firms in 2024-25, up from the 12.8 million the previous year - and more than double the 6.8 million in 2018-19.

Each ticket can be up to £100, meaning the total daily cost to drivers is estimated to be up to £3.9million. 

But while Britain's drivers and motoring organisations were expected to celebrate the clampdown on the sector's underhand tactics, the AA said the measures proposed are far too weak, accusing ministers of 'bending the knee to the private parking industry'.

The MHCLG has launched a consultation on a legislation-backed code of practice for the private parking sector aimed at creating a 'fairer, more transparent system'. But motoring groups have slammed the measures government have proposed 

Announcing the consultation on behalf of MHCLG, local growth minister Alex Norris said: 'From shopping on your local high street to visiting a loved one in hospital, parking is part of everyday life.

'But too many people are being unfairly penalised.

'That's why our code will tackle misleading tactics and confusing processes, bringing vital oversight and transparency to raise standards across the board.

'This is another example of how we are fixing the things that really impact people's day-to-day lives.'

However, the AA pointed to the Government's plans to increase the cap on the penalty charge notices these companies can issue to drivers as a major flaw with the consultation. 

'A higher cap of £100 compared to the original plans of £50, the retention of debt recovery fees and the inclusion of a £20 so-called 'mitigation' charge does little to offer protection for drivers,' Jack Cousens, the AA's roads policy spokesman, told This is Money.

'We urge all drivers to complete the consultation and submit their views and experiences when dealing with private parking firms. 

'If government can understand the depth of contempt drivers hold against some of these shark-like businesses, maybe it will do more to help innocent drivers.'

IAM RoadSmart director of policy and standards Nicholas Lyes also spotted the 'devil in the detail' of the consultation. 

'It’s vital we implement the agreed national code of practice alongside a single, independent appeals system which is overseen by a scrutiny board. The application of astronomical debt recovery fees should also be banned,' he said.

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Private parking operators are now in force nationwide at supermarkets, train stations, leisure facilities and business parks. Last year, they sent 14.4m tickets to drivers, with many believed to be unfair or issued after deploying underhand tactics

Over the course of the previous fiscal year, a total of 184 parking firms issued charges to drivers.

However, just five companies are responsible for nearly half of the 14.4million total.

The five parking companies which issued 46 per cent of charges between them last year were ParkingEye (2,300,360), Euro Car Parks (1,733,493), APCOA Parking (960,482), Horizon Parking (875,833) and Civil Enforcement Ltd (684,864).

The data reflects the dramatic rise in companies taking over management of parking enforcement on privately owned land, especially at supermarkets, train stations, leisure facilities and business parks.

These car parks are monitored by 24-hour automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras. When an alleged infringement of the parking rules occurs, operators use the ANPR cameras to identify the vehicle.

They are then able to chase the registered keeper by requesting the vehicle keeper's details from the DVLA's database, paying £2.50 per request - which in turn would have generated £35.9million for the agency last year.

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Some parking businesses have been accused of using misleading and confusing signs, aggressive debt collection and unreasonable fees.

It emerged in April that many drivers are being sent tickets they claim are unfair because of how some payment machines operate, with one campaigner claiming the devices are 'set up to trap people'.

Some machines which require users to input their vehicle registration accept payment after only one letter is entered.

This has led to multiple cases of drivers paying the required parking fee but still being sent a parking charge notice when their vehicle was detected by ANPR cameras.

The Government's consultation will run for eight weeks.

Of the record 14,371,841 requests for drivers' details made by private parking firms to the DVLA in 2024-25, 46% were from just five different operators. Some 148 different private parking companies made requests to the agency last year, its figures show

A Bill to enable the introduction of a legislation-backed code of conduct received royal assent in March 2019.

This code - scheduled to come into force across Britain by the end of 2023 - included halving the cap on tickets for most parking offences to £50, creating a fairer appeals system, and banning the use of aggressive language on tickets.

But it was withdrawn by the Conservative government in June 2022 after a legal challenge by parking companies. 

RAC head of policy Simon Williams says Britain's motorists 'desperately need a government-backed private parking code of practice' but said the consultation is only happening because the 'industry successfully prevented the code being put in place after an Act of Parliament was passed six years ago'. 

He told us: 'We must now ensure that whatever the Government introduces has sufficient teeth to make a real difference to drivers.'

The British Parking Association, which represents these private parking operators, also responded to today's news.

It said in a statement: 'The BPA has always supported the principles of the Parking Code of Practice Act, which aims to make parking fairer for everyone. But let’s be clear: without proper enforcement, parking quickly becomes a free-for-all, with some people taking advantage at the expense of others.

'When spaces are misused, it’s often at the expense of those who need them most, such as disabled people, parents with young children and local residents. That’s not fair, and it affects millions every single day.

'We believe parking systems must strike a balance: they should deter selfish and anti-social behaviour, but they must also be fair, proportionate, and transparent.

'That’s why we will continue to work closely with the Government throughout this consultation, to help deliver a code that works for everyone, drivers, communities, and responsible operators alike.'