Government to crack down on ‘unfair’ parking with new code

Richard Aucock, Contributor
Wed, 16 Jul 2025

Government consultation has opened on a strengthened code of practice that aims to stamp out ‘unfair’ charges from private parking operators.

The Private Parking Code of Practice is open for consultation for eight weeks, with the government seeking views on a number of issues including appropriate caps for parking charges and debt recovery fees.

The strengthened code has been designed amid fears that being hit with unfair parking charges has eroded trust between drivers and some operators.

Last year, the number of parking charges reached a record high. 12.8 million vehicle keeper requests were made - a staggering 673% increase since 2012.

The current system, insists the government, lacks independent oversight and sufficient transparency.

"At present, operators can avoid sanctions for poor practice, leaving motorists vulnerable to unfair or incorrect charges," says the consultation document.

By updating the code, the government hopes to create a fairer and much more transparent private parking system.

"The new framework will ensure accountability. Under proposals, operators who breach the Code may lose access to DVLA data required to issue parking charges."

‘Common-sense’ standards will include clear signage and mandatory grace periods. The aim is to help prevent charges caused by issues like payment machine errors, accidental typos or poor mobile signal.

It could even include a rule that would uphold appeals where motorists had no reasonable choice but to breach parking terms – such as stressful situations like attending hospital appointments.

"Parking is a part of everyday life but too many people are being unfairly penalised," insists local growth minister Alex Norris.

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

Trade body the British Parking Association told the BBC it will work with the government during the consultation period but insisted the new code must allow for "proper enforcement."

Without this, "parking quickly becomes a free-for-all, with some people taking advantage at the expense of others," it claims.

News of the consultation comes as new figures show private parking firms issued a whopping 14.4 million tickets to drivers in the year to March 2025. That’s the equivalent of 1.2 million a month.

Ask HJ

Should I fight a parking fine for putting in the wrong car details?

I have received a parking charge showing my wife's car, for which I incorrectly recorded my own car's details (obviously). Can I plead against this charge as a 'slip of the mind', and hope for human understanding? The parking company will have received payment for the car that wasn't there!

By the letter of the law it could be argued that the car parked in the car park was not paid for, so the charge could be applied, but we would suggest following the appeals process and hope that they take a reasonable approach. Include the evidence that you paid for another car in error, as their records will indicate that the incorrectly paid-for car was not present in the car park at the time and you had no intent to avoid paying the parking charge. However, in our own experience, they are unlikely to cancel the fine. Car parking firms rarely show much in the way of reasonableness.

Answered by David Ross

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