British Parking Association - Parking News articles discussion

patient_dream

Thanks coupon for highlighting the important parts

Lawyer Derek Millard Smith is right but sadly 10 years too late in his assumptions.  Government got it wrong giving licence to the BPA and IPC to be ATA's. This has evolved to be the biggest scam in the UK

"the government realised that it was incumbent on them to act"

Government, the DLUHC, have now got it right and with the current crisis which will roll on for a long time in the future, they can ill afford to bow down to a very greedy industry.  And those money scamming debt collectors ? must be banned.

As Liz Truss says, she would abolish speed limits on motorways, (I do not agree with that) but if it does happen, Lawyer Derek Millard Smith should now concentrate on his speciality and stay well clear of the parking industry who will fail

Snakes_Belly

People are deserting the high Streets and city centres for shopping because online shopping is much easier and hassle free. It's not because they can't park.

Below are Marks latest results for clothing and home.  

• C&H sales up 3.8%. Online growth of 55.6%, stores down 11.2%.

DE_612183

The BPA on their website to have a lot of people - Board members, Council, Senior Management Team, Area managers and Account Managers - surely one or two of them are normal people?

patient_dream

DE_612183 said:

The BPA on their website to have a lot of people - Board members, Council, Senior Management Team, Area managers and Account Managers - surely one or two of them are normal people?

For the moment ... yes.   The BPA lives by the saying .... "too many cooks spoil the broth"

It's back to the Organ grinder and the monkey.
Clearly the BPA members are the organ grinder leaving the BPA as the monkey

Coupon-mad

DE_612183 said:

The BPA on their website to have a lot of people - Board members, Council, Senior Management Team, Area managers and Account Managers - surely one or two of them are normal people?

But out of the current three AOS 'parking on private land' Committee reps, two (DCBLegal and ZZPS) are from aggressive, fully-enforcement based firms.

The third is named as a rep from ParkingEye, a firm who are almost entirely PCN-revenue focussed and literally wallow in people's money, in the millions per annum, and won't want the gravy train to end without a bunfight.

It's a very badly DRA-heavy mix and this - plus the BPA's ranting focus on enforcement and DRA fees which keeps getting repeated in tweets and articles - tells me that it seems the BPA has in recent years lost sight of the parking MANAGEMENT trade body they are meant to be.

The most intelligent article I've read in recent weeks about the private parking Code is by ex BPA President Ashley Bijster in the latest Parking Review.  Spot the refreshing difference in focus and understanding:
https://edition.pagesuite.com/html5/reader/production/default.aspx?pubname=Parking%20Review&pubid=5bcb21d2-0c12-4b90-b70c-f18e58232177

Same article, different link:

https://www.transportxtra.com/publications/local-transport-today/news/71789/private-parking-we-need-a-compliance-first-approach

 

It's pleasing to see a balanced (not enforcement-focussed and no consumer blame) progressive view from someone so respected by the parking industry, with both BPA and IPC connections.

She predicts that 'enforcement driven' regimes will struggle under the new Code of Practice.  As it should be, because a PCN-income-only model has no longevity within the DLUHC's stated aim for full compliance.

I am sure that her 'PPC arm' firm Open Parking (part of ICES) are not perfect (they are an IPC member and she's named in 'IPC People' among some notoriously aggressive others) but what a breath of fresh air compared with all the DRA-led hot air coming out of the BPA.

In 2013-2015 she was BPA Vice-President, then President for a year and she used to publish similar articles even then.  I read one from her dated 2013 last night.  She was right then and she's right now, but the BPA have gone waaay too far in the wrong direction.  A sure fire way to lose credibility.

pustit

BPA stress how they are protecting the landlord.  The only protection landlords required was from travelling Community encampments, But somehow the "Industry" has, over the years, twisted the legislation to hit the ordinary motorist for the benefit of BPA members.    
Not a dissimilar situation with the latest payment capture swizz

patient_dream

For a long time it has been the members wagging the tail of the BPA

Clearly the BPA are scared of losing members to the IPC, so much so that they have lost track of themselves ?
Competition is always good but not in this industry, there should only be one ATA and frankly both the BPA and IPC ARE NOT FIT FOR PURPOSE

The BPA were very stupid to give board status to a well known money scammer AND allow the scam add-on .... it has now labelled the BPA as a scammer

I'm not sure the BPA will survive whilst they support money scammers
We all know who we are talking about being the money scammer don't we ? If the BPA don't get to grips with this serious issue and get rid of this person and his scam companies, their will be a sign in Haywards Heath saying "Offices to Let"

Of course this money scammer coud defect to the IPC and this is why government can only allow ONE ATA.

The BPA has very limited time to put things right before the sh*t hits the fan as it will do ?  Thus far the BPA has betrayed the trust government placed with them ...... government must now answer this betrayal

The forthcoming consultation will tell government the actual story and it is a very sick story

Coupon-mad

October's Parking News is out but there's nothing exciting in it at all so don't waste time reading it.

I hear that the BPA have created a new AOS-only hub on their website to keep Code of Practice discussion secret.  So maybe they don't like the fact we read their stuff!

However, when I had a spare afternoon over the Summer I did add to the first post, a link to every single edition since 2013.  Might prove useful.

patient_dream

Coupon-mad said:

October's Parking News is out but there's nothing exciting in it at all so don't waste time reading it.

I hear that the BPA have created a new AOS-only hub on their website to keep Code of Practice discussion secret.  So maybe they don't like the fact we read their stuff!

However, when I had a spare afternoon over the Summer I did add to the first post, a link to every single edition since 2013.  Might prove useful.

Coupon-mad said:

I hear that the BPA have created a new AOS-only hub on their website to keep Code of Practice discussion secret.  So maybe they don't like the fact we read their stuff!

A secret society will not bode well with government

Why do the BPA keep treading into giant cow pats ??

Looking at what they charge especially to councils, can they really say they are a "not for profit" association ...... I DON'T THINK SO ?

Up to £1800 per year for councils ?  .... TAX PAYERS MONEY ?

Government should audit the BPA as the figures do not add up

Coupon-mad

November's Parking News had nothing of interest so I didn't bother with raising it here.

But December's has this little rant from the guy who has been described as smarmy Derek, the BPA's pet lawyer:
https://portfolio.cpl.co.uk/Parking-News/425/20/

...whinging about 'high deterrent levels' and 'fines' which has - in most cases - precisely no relevance to private parking charges.

A quick flick through to the end reveals that Kelvin Reynolds tried to complain about the LGO's 2019 decision in the Kent 'parking at parks' case.
He failed:
 https://portfolio.cpl.co.uk/Parking-News/425/52/

And among the pointless backslapping about 'success' on this page below, here is DCBL saying they have 'exclusive' relationships signed up with 'two more' large private parking firms:
https://portfolio.cpl.co.uk/Parking-News/425/26/

It seems to me that DCBL is becoming something of a monster and a real threat to motorists mental health with their much publicised aggression and the 'legal' arm's business focus on 'maximising suing on bulk'.

Earlier in this publication - forget which page - it also confirms something I knew already.

Steve Clark now works for DCBL...