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UK parking authorities publish new code of practice
04 November 2024
After several years of debate and a withdrawn Private Parking Code of Practice, parking authorities in the UK have at last published new sector-wide parking rules.
As of October 2024, all newly opened car parks will be required to operate under the new rules. Existing car park operators have until the end of 2026 to bring their sites in line with the code.
Key changes include:
- Drivers will be given a 10-minute grace period before a parking charge can be applied.
- Clear signage is required to help drivers distinguish where they can and cannot park.
- The parking charge cap of £100 is maintained and reduced to £60 if paid within 14 days.
- A new Appeals Charter will create clearer parameters for scenarios in which motorists can appeal against a parking charge.
Interestingly, the new code of practice introduces a sanction scheme for private parking operators who fail to follow the rules. In severe cases, companies may have their ability to operate suspended.
In the year to March 2023, 11.1 million parking tickets were issued to drivers on private land, valued at an estimated £1.1 billion. This figure represented an increase of 29 per cent year-on-year.
The original code of practice produced by the UK government was rejected by sector leaders who feared the changes would unfairly affect their ability to operate, resulting in an estimated 3,000 job losses and insolvency of 46 per cent of parking operators within one year.
The new code has been produced by sector regulators Parking Community (IPC) and British Parking Association (BPA) with which private parking operators must register to operate.
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