Parking stories in the News/media

kryten3000

Former teacher and curent Head of Membership at the IPC on BBC Sussex this morning.

Discussion is about a Napier run car park in Billingshurst where the local retailers are suffering from a drop in trade since they introduced evening charges.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m002rfn2

Segment starts at 1:11:40 - interviews with traders and motorists affected.

Napier's statement was they had "no choice" in setting 24/7 tariffs due to rising costs and the minimum wage increases.

Coupon-mad

@kryten3000 said:
"Former teacher and current Head of Membership at the IPC on BBC Sussex this morning."

Mr Naylor is this fine upstanding 'leadership' team member of the IPC who was suspended from teaching 'indefinitely' in 2019:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6336d27d8fa8f50684f6cce3/Naylor__Chris_-_Web_Decision.pdf

"Discussion is about a Napier run car park in Billingshurst where the local retailers are suffering from a drop in trade since they introduced evening charges."

Segment starts at 1:11:40 - interviews with traders and motorists affected.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m002rfn2

Yep - the same notorious place that I posted a newspaper article about on 11th Feb:

Notorious "rip-off" industry stalwart parking firm, Napier, is reportedly still ruining residents' and visitors' lives at Jengers Mead, which is a no-go zone for many in the Billingshurst area of Sussex:

https://www.theargus.co.uk/news/25839000.confusing-parking-rules-leave-billingshurst-shoppers-fined/

Look at the state of the machine keys & screen:

How can anyone use this in two minutes flat or drive out by 5 mins if it fails?

kryten3000

Link to transcript of the BBC Sussex piece:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1R_cCY72mWP-0fACdjioGjrjZzQ6EIE6xvjLrk6kJmrE/edit?usp=sharing

patient_dream

The IPC / IAS is the most useless organisation in the UK. Trouble is they do not know it yet

Coupon-mad

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81902847#Comment_81902847

Thanks!

https://docs.google.com/document/u/0/d/1R_cCY72mWP-0fACdjioGjrjZzQ6EIE6xvjLrk6kJmrE/mobilebasic

Transcription: Parking Issues at Jengers Mead Car Park Speaker 1 (Sarah Gorrell): Now maybe you're better on your bike if you've got to pay for car parking fees. Let's go to Billingshurst and a car park which is causing drivers a headache.

Speaker 2 (Carol Ferno-Porter): Went to the machine over there, wasn't working. Went back to the car, got some change, went to this machine here, wouldn't accept any coins whatsoever. Went back to the car, didn't have my phone with me and I drove off. Got a letter a week later, 60 pound for six minutes.

Speaker 1 (Sarah Gorrell): Jengers Mead car park is run by a company called Napier, but locals say a lack of grace period for pickups and drop-offs and malfunctioning machines have led to a perfect storm of what they call unfair parking fines. Napier says it had no choice but to introduce 24-hour tariffs given the significant rise in operating costs. Tom Hartley runs the Master Fryer, the chip shop there, and says it's hitting his business.

Speaker 3 (Tom Hartley): When the parking was free after half six, it was like someone had turned a tap on, and trade would just flow, you know. But since the cameras have come out, it's almost turned the tap off.

Speaker 1 (Sarah Gorrell): Well, our reporter Sam Dixon-French has been down to Jengers Mead speaking to locals and businesses who have been affected.

Speaker 4 (Sam Dixon-French): Parking is a hot topic in Billingshurst, hotter even than the fish suppers served at the chip shop in Jengers Mead. Tom Hartley is the owner of the Master Fryer and says new evening tariffs in the Napier-run car park there have had a major impact on his evening business.

Speaker 3 (Tom Hartley): If you're not a local like in here every other day, you wouldn't realize. And I've seen so many people getting caught out. People that I know, members of staff's husbands, wives, whatever. It's just been such an uphill fight trying to, I guess, re-educate people and help customers and staff and whatever not get caught out by just sort of teaching people how to park smartly and save their money.

Speaker 3 (Tom Hartley): Because it's hard, it's really hard to, like, run a business, and you're fighting all of the, like, you've got your own stock costs. Fish is the highest it's ever been before. We're also trying to fight against the, sort of, public opinion on the parking situation, which—it's not ideal. When the parking was free after half six, it was like someone had turned a tap on, and trade would just flow, you know. But since the cameras have come out, it's almost turned the tap off, you know. People are, like, we have some really quiet days, and you can tell people are, certainly at the beginning, more tentative about where to park because they didn't want to get caught out.

Speaker 4 (Sam Dixon-French): Tom told me he's introduced a reward system where customers can have their parking costs reimbursed, as well as putting in a dedicated Wi-Fi point for customers to use. Meanwhile, Napier say they had no choice but to put the evening tariffs in given rising costs and insisted they have no sympathy for people who park without paying. Someone who's been stung with a fine is Carol Ferno-Porter.

Speaker 2 (Carol Ferno-Porter): I parked in here last week. Parked in the disabled bay because I've got a blue badge. Went to the machine over there, wasn't working. Went back to the car, got some change, went to this machine here, wouldn't accept any coins whatsoever. Went back to the car, didn't have my phone with me because I was waiting for a new bank card to come through, and I drove off. Got a letter a week later, 6 pound—60 pound for six minutes.

Speaker 4 (Sam Dixon-French): You can't have been happy when that dropped through your front door.

Speaker 2 (Carol Ferno-Porter): Oh, no. Definitely not. I was rather in a bad mood.

Speaker 4 (Sam Dixon-French): And what's happened since then? Have you paid the fine? Have you tried to appeal it?

Speaker 2 (Carol Ferno-Porter): Because there's not much point arguing with them, because they'd take you to court here.

Speaker 4 (Sam Dixon-French): Do you think it's fair?

Speaker 2 (Carol Ferno-Porter): No. No. All the traders have lost their trade. You know, I mean, it's a case of, do we really want to come down here now because, well, it's not worth it. It was only because I had to go to the post office that I parked there, and I got done for it.

Speaker 4 (Sam Dixon-French): Carol says she couldn't pay with cash as the machines wouldn't work, and she couldn't use the app as her bank card had been hacked. But Napier say there's clear signage and multiple payment methods available. Kelly was another unhappy resident who'd been recently fined.

Speaker 5 (Kelly): Last time I got a Chinese from here, I could park after half past six. I did hear that things had changed, but I misunderstood and still parked and got a fine for nine minutes.

Speaker 4 (Sam Dixon-French): And how big was that fine?

Speaker 5 (Kelly): Well, it was a 100 pound fine but reduced down to 60 if I paid it within 30 days.

Speaker 4 (Sam Dixon-French): That's a couple of Chinese takeaways, isn't it? How did you feel when that dropped through your front door?

Speaker 5 (Kelly): Gutted. Absolutely gutted. I was—I was shocked. You do have to think about the small businesses that are around here struggling, and I think a minimum of 20 minutes that—I mean, they photograph you coming in, they photograph you leaving, so if you're here longer than 20 minutes, then fine, fine people. But it doesn't take more than 20 minutes to pick up a takeaway or just to pop into a bakery or a butcher's. Just be kind to the people around and the businesses.

Speaker 4 (Sam Dixon-French): So Napier have said that in the same way you'd pay for a takeaway, you'd pay for your—your butcher's, that you should pay for their parking services, and they say for 20 minutes, depending on the time of day, it would have cost 50p or 70p. What do you say for that? They say they've got no sympathy for motorists that choose to use the car park without paying.

Speaker 5 (Kelly): Well, I'm sure they haven't. It's a big business for them, isn't it? I mean, they're—they're slapping people with fines left, right, and center.

Speaker 1 (Sarah Gorrell): Well, that was Sam Dixon-French reporting from Jengers Mead. To remind, Napier said it had no choice but to introduce 24-hour tariffs given the significant rise in operating costs, including changes to the minimum wage and national insurance contributions. They said the requirement is straightforward: drivers who choose to use the facility must simply park and make a payment using one of the available methods. Um, in just a moment, Napier are part of a trade body, the International Parking Community, and we will talk to their head of membership, Chris Naylor, in just a moment. We are getting a lot of emails about parking.

Speaker 1 (Sarah Gorrell): ...parking at Jengers Mead in Billingshurst. Let's talk to Chris Naylor, who's the Head of Membership at the International Parking Community, which is the trade body for parking operators like Napier. Morning to you, Chris.

Speaker 2 (Chris Naylor): Morning, Sarah.

Speaker 1 (Sarah Gorrell): Now, we've heard from a lot of people this morning who are very unhappy about this. One person was fined £60 for staying for six minutes when she was trying to use a machine that wasn't working. Is that fair?

Speaker 2 (Chris Naylor): Well, look, the IPC and our members, we really understand that receiving a parking charge can be a frustrating experience. But ultimately, parking on private land is a commercial service. It’s no different to any other service where there’s a clear requirement to pay for what you use. The operators have costs to cover, and as you mentioned there, Napier have seen a significant rise in those costs.

Speaker 1 (Sarah Gorrell): But six minutes, Chris? And she tried to pay, but the machines weren't working. I mean, where is the—where is the grace period there?

Speaker 2 (Chris Naylor): Well, there are grace periods in place, as required by our Code of Practice. Every driver should have enough time to enter a car park, read the signs, and decide whether they want to stay. But if someone chooses to stay and doesn't pay, then they have breached the terms of that contract. It’s also important to remember that there are usually multiple ways to pay—not just the machines, but also via apps or by phone.

Speaker 1 (Sarah Gorrell): But we've also heard from businesses who say their trade has been "turned off like a tap" since these evening charges were introduced. Surely it's in everyone's interest to have a thriving local economy?

Speaker 2 (Chris Naylor): Of course, but the parking operator is also a business. They have to manage the land, they have to ensure that spaces are available for those who need them, and they have to cover their own overheads. If the costs of running that car park go up, then those costs have to be met somehow. It’s a difficult balance, we recognize that, but the rules have to be applied consistently to remain fair to everyone who does pay.

Speaker 1 (Sarah Gorrell): Chris Naylor from the International Parking Community, thank you. We'll be hearing more on this throughout the morning.

Keep your emails coming in to...

Nellymoser

Well well what can one say about Chris Naylor replies…you know I really think the CMA is going to have a field day with this industry they just don't seem to get it.

Nellymoser

Oh dear this one kinda didn't go to plan

https://www.theambler.co.uk/2026/02/18/parking-fees-removed-at-amble-venue/

Lord Warkworth Lodge hope visitors will return to the Masonic Hall now they no longer have to pay to park and fear receiving a pcn.

Pay to park was introduced 3yrs ago as a means to increase income but when the parking firm (unnamed) began to charge people for not paying correctly customer numbers dropped.

Instead of generating more funds the Lodge ended up losing a lot of income as people went elsewhere to hire premises for their functions.

Did the parking operator not inform the owners this scenario could happen?

Coupon-mad

"Did the parking operator not inform the owners this scenario could happen?"

Course not! 😂

They told the client that they needed ANPR like a hole in the head because it's free, 'state of the art tech' that would provide them with 'rich data' about 'customer footfall' and that there were no downsides and it would also have benefits by 'monetising the car park'.

All the usual magic unicorn spiel! 🦄

Nellymoser

Greedy parking firms want to charge UK drivers even more - THEY MUST BE STOPPED

https://www.express.co.uk/life-style/cars/2175443/private-parking-firms-tickets-charge-drivers

A summary of the article:

The BPA's latest quip shows what these tickets are all about. It's not to make the roads safer; it’s all about money. 

What the BPA is saying is that it’s a good thing drivers are being chased for £100 fines and then harassed for a £70 debt-collection fee from private companies.

Motorists can stomach being slapped with penalties if they are blocking the street or acting as a nuisance on public roads where people live. But, defending the use of debt collecting agencies for breaching common private parking rules, such as staying too long at a supermarket, isn’t going to wash with already frustrated British drivers.

The RAC has also called out the BPA’s stance, stressing that they “don’t support the use of debt recovery companies by the private parking industry”.

The BPA is only defending its members who are rightly worried that Labour’s crackdown will see the end of their cash cow. New legislation in a code of practice would see the net tighten around parking firms like never before.

Labour promised to take on cowboy private parking firms and Sir Keir Starmer is keeping to his word for now.

PRIVATE PARKING FIRMS NEED TO BE STOPPED NOW

Coupon-mad

I'm really liking the tone of recent articles.

😂

The BPA & IPC sound worried and recent coverage makes it sound like Labour has decided to ban the false 'fees' that they foolishly believed were real in the Summer and even invented a new acronym for.

Yet this has not been said or suggested (whilst the Code is coming, there is no news yet) so it must be what the BPA and IPC have gleaned from the delay.

I couldn't possibly comment on what has been said since the Autumn to the MHCLG by the good guys & gals…

😎

…but it's no secret that we tore into the Options Assessment, with the AA and RAC both enraged that the Government looked to have 'bent the knee' to this out of control greedy industry.

We can only hope they listened to those submissions and to the vast majority of the 4000 good people on the motorist side, who took time out to respond to the Consultation.