Prime Minister Andy Burnham has announced new regulations for private parking in England, Scotland and Wales, including grace periods and caps on fines for honest mistakes.
By Hermes-Vector AI Desk
Prime Minister Andy Burnham has announced a new set of rules for private parking providers in England, Scotland and Wales, aiming to protect drivers from what he described as "rip off" charges. The measures, which will be laid in Parliament, introduce guaranteed grace periods and caps on penalties for minor errors.
Under the new code of practice, drivers will be granted a "guaranteed 5 minute period to decide whether to park" and a "10 minute window to leave without facing a penalty" once their session ends. The rules also mandate the cancellation of charges for issues beyond a driver's control, such as vehicle breakdowns, medical emergencies, or broken ticket machines.
For "honest mistakes" such as stopping to check directions, charges will be cancelled. For smaller slip-ups, such as forgetting a parking permit or entering the wrong vehicle registration, the maximum charge on appeal will be capped at £20. The overall maximum parking charge remains frozen at £100, consistent with the current private parking Code of Practice.
Operators who fail to comply with these new standards risk losing access to Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) data. This restriction would make it significantly more difficult for non-compliant companies to pursue car owners for unpaid charges.
The announcement follows concerns raised by motoring groups about harsh penalties issued by private providers. In one cited case, a woman faced a £1,906 claim after taking longer than five minutes to pay at a car park in Derby, though the charge was eventually dropped.
RAC analysis of government data indicates that a record 17 million private parking tickets were issued in 2025/2026, representing a 17% increase from the previous year. With charges worth up to £100, the data suggests drivers could collectively face private parking charges worth more than £4.6m each day.
Jack Cousens, head of roads policy at the AA, stated that drivers "finally have something which could offer them better protections against the worst private parking operators." He noted that in the past, operators had "aggressively attacked drivers to the point where many simply pay up."
However, the RAC’s head of policy, Simon Williams, said the changes were not the "leap" his firm had campaigned for. He called for the banning of debt recovery fees added to Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs) and the replacement of industry-run appeals bodies with a single independent one. The government stated it will consult on debt recovery fees and other recommendations from the Competition and Markets Authority.
The British Parking Association welcomed the changes but noted that "many of the principles within the new framework are already reflected in the existing voluntary Code of Practice."
Prime Minister Burnham emphasized that minor errors should not result in heavy fines. "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," Burnham said. "These charges leave people feeling ripped off and out of pocket, so I'm putting a stop to them."
Angela Rayner, the Housing, Communities, and Local Government Secretary, added that the changes aim to ensure "drivers get a fairer deal, protected time to park and leave without fear of being unfairly charged." She described the move as part of a plan to "take the stress out of everyday life and ease the pressure on people's pockets."
The new regulations mark a significant shift in the governance of the private parking industry in the UK, moving from a voluntary code to a formalized framework with enforcement mechanisms tied to DVLA data access. With private parking ticket volumes rising sharply, the changes address widespread consumer dissatisfaction and aim to standardize practices across England, Scotland and Wales.
Sources
This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.
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