Breaking News: Government has announced the statutory Code of Practice, and Enforcement Framework

patient_dream

Coupon-mad said:

Very happy with this outcome.  Fully expect to see the PPCs try Judicial Review, so time will tell.

But the decisions are far from illogical (one of the reasons for JR).

I expect that to happen.  However there is far too much evidence against them that supports the new bill, they will run the gaunlet and if they lost, which I expect they will, it will cause them huge damage and their members who take people to court.
Will the BPA and IPC finally commit suicide

1505grandad

As above.

"Ironically, it was the whinging by the industry about the lower level capped charges, that led to the further consultation in August 2021. That consultation also raised the issue of the added £70 debt collection fees, which were robustly opposed by consumer groups, and MPs. During the last few months, the Department clearly did a U-turn on that issue, and rightly so,"

I was certainly under the impression that the Government already agree that there is an acceptable level of debt recovery of £70 due as the following was included in the final paragraph of a letter dated 22.11.21 from Neil O'Brien via my MP:-

"Finally, in the current consultation, the Government proposed to cap the level of debt recovery

fees at the existing industry level of £70."

Fantastic that a U turn on this happened.

Humdinger1

@Coupon-mad you are utterly, completely, madly wonderful! As are so many regular contributors!!  Sorry I know I'm repeating myself but this has been such a long dark tunnel; I've never (so far) had as much as a Valentine's card from any PPC but there are principles of natural justice at stake here. The mining of personal data by people you'd never put in charge of a tuck-shop is worrying; perhaps that will be the next big thing with the looming class action lawsuit?  Congrats again to @bargepole and everyone else involved.  Just off to look up instructions for how to dance the hornpipe.....

bargepole

Here is the official announcement on the DLUHC website:

Government clamps down on rogue parking firms with new Code of Practice - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

BrownTrout

bargepole said:

Here is the official announcement on the DLUHC website:

Government clamps down on rogue parking firms with new Code of Practice - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Shame the document link in it doesn't work....

Coupon-mad

I have an inkling (that I won't state here) as to what issues may have tipped the balance about the added £70 but it wasn't anything to do with anything I did on the Steering Group and was certainly a U turn from the 2021 position.

Forgot to say - KUDOS to the Ministers and DLUHC team responsible.  Especially to have been prepared to assess all responses to the Public Consultations and even be seen by this to change your thinking, in terms of 'debt recovery'.

Very diligent work re a subject that can look like a penalty regime but isn't, where contract law and the CRA 2015 are among the main considerations. 

patient_dream

bargepole said:

Here is the official announcement on the DLUHC website:

Government clamps down on rogue parking firms with new Code of Practice - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

WOW, government using these words ..... 

Cowboys
Rip-off debt collection 
Pseudo-legal and aggressive language when pursuing motorists.

Umkomaas

bargepole said:

Here is the official announcement on the DLUHC website:

Government clamps down on rogue parking firms with new Code of Practice - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Chock full of 'fine', 'fines', 'fined' - this coming firm Government. Not great. 

The one worrying element is the (only) 5-minutes 'cooling off period' to decide whether to stay or go. The PPCs will be lining up to exploit that. Totally unreasonable amount of time to drive past the entry ANPR, find a parking space, get out of the car, read the sign, find the PDT, make payment, or, alternatively fidget around with an app, or even download one to use. It's £50 before you get to the fourth stage of the above timeline. 

I anticipate a feeding frenzy around that.

Jenni_D

bargepole said:

Here is the official announcement on the DLUHC website:

Government clamps down on rogue parking firms with new Code of Practice - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Still too much use of the F word in there though 🙄

BrownTrout said:

bargepole said:

It would be difficult to overstate the importance of @Coupon-mad 's contribution to the Steering Group, which was largely responsible for getting to this point.

The parking industry probably thought that they could feed the Government their usual BS propaganda, and end up with a cut-and-paste CoP which was an amalgamation of the current BPA and IPC versions, with very little change to the current status quo.

But that has proved to be not the case, and unlike in the lead-up to POFA 2012, where the BPA falsely inflated court claim figures by a factor of 100, the Government were not going to be fooled again. 

Ironically, it was the whinging by the industry about the lower level capped charges, that led to the further consultation in August 2021. That consultation also raised the issue of the added £70 debt collection fees, which were robustly opposed by consumer groups, and MPs. During the last few months, the Department clearly did a U-turn on that issue, and rightly so,

Indeed she has worked so hard Over the last few years and has been a tireless campaigner on here (many late late nights) and away from here doing the Consultation work etc, and she has never just given up.  (Getting the backs up of the parking firms in the meantime which is an added bonus) I have known her for what seems many years now and although there are several issues we don't see eye to eye on I am very proud of the work she has achieved! (although she still supports some rubbish football team) unlike myself who is ardent Hereford FC fan!

Don't mention that team to me! #NewcastleFan 🤣

Trainerman

BrownTrout said:

bargepole said:

It would be difficult to overstate the importance of @Coupon-mad 's contribution to the Steering Group, which was largely responsible for getting to this point.

The parking industry probably thought that they could feed the Government their usual BS propaganda, and end up with a cut-and-paste CoP which was an amalgamation of the current BPA and IPC versions, with very little change to the current status quo.

But that has proved to be not the case, and unlike in the lead-up to POFA 2012, where the BPA falsely inflated court claim figures by a factor of 100, the Government were not going to be fooled again. 

Ironically, it was the whinging by the industry about the lower level capped charges, that led to the further consultation in August 2021. That consultation also raised the issue of the added £70 debt collection fees, which were robustly opposed by consumer groups, and MPs. During the last few months, the Department clearly did a U-turn on that issue, and rightly so,

Indeed she has worked so hardOver the last few years and has been a tireless campaigner on here (many late late nights) and away from here doing the Consultation work etc, and she has never just given up.  (Getting the backs up of the parking firms in the meantime which is an added bonus) I have known her for what seems many years now and although there are several issues we don't see eye to eye on I am very proud of the work she has achieved! (although she still supports some rubbish football team) unlike myself who is ardent Hereford FC fan!

Steady up BT ! Agree and applaud everything you say about C-M , Bargepole and all the others (thanks again folks). But come on Hereford ??  (from a smiling, tongue-in-cheek Telford fan )