FoI Request Submitted to BPA

Ex_216

Have hung around the forum for years and have helped family with PCN's, currently stands 3-0 to me.

I see a lot of points from PPC's which say their signs have been audited by the BPA. Don't if it will be useful but have submitted and FoI request for a list audits that have been carried out, location, PPC involved and the result of the audit.

Don't know if I will get an answer but will share anything that is passed back.

Coupon-mad

The BPA isn't subject to FOI?

Ex_216

We'll see what comes back, if not then will submit a SAR.  Surely if PPC's claim to be audited, the BPA/IPC should be able to provide information of said audit.

Trainerman

Yes but my understanding is that only Government departments etc are liable to FOI and private companies are not. A SAR will only lead to a release of your data

patient_dream

Ex_216 said:

Have hung around the forum for years and have helped family with PCN's, currently stands 3-0 to me.

I see a lot of points from PPC's which say their signs have been audited by the BPA. Don't if it will be useful but have submitted and FoI request for a list audits that have been carried out, location, PPC involved and the result of the audit.

Don't know if I will get an answer but will share anything that is passed back.

An FOI is for councils and government etc, not a members scam club like the BPA.

But, you raise a very valid point .... do the BPA audit every site ?  
From what we see with lack of signs and unreadable signs, we can assume not

The BPA must be held accountable for every member but I doubt they will tell you.  Your MP is the person to ask the BPA .   THEY MAY COMPLY or if not, either way, your MP should be reporting this to The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC)
who are currently dragging their heals on the new parking code of practice

Umkomaas

Ex_216 said:

We'll see what comes back, if not then will submit a SAR.  Surely if PPC's claim to be audited, the BPA/IPC should be able to provide information of said audit.

A SAR won't work either.  A SAR is only about personal data. 

Maybe ask your MP to make the enquiry of them, will carry a bit more weight, and as the BPA are seemingly doing their best to stay on the right side of MPs, given the imminent 3rd stage consultation on the new statutory Code of Practice, they might be more willing to answer your MP, than you. 

patient_dream

As Umkomaas confirms, contact your MP 

Half_way

The British Parking Association limited, is a private members trade association and is not publicly accountable.

 It is there to look after and protect its members interests , and with Parking companies that is to make as much money as possible through the issuing of parking charge notices and subsequent pursuing of motorists to pay up or else..

 And in my opinion, the BPA limited is doing a very good job at protecting its members interests, do not confuse it with some sort of motorists friend, or a consumer ( ie public) group - it is not

fisherjim

Not a chance going down this route, for all the above reasons, but I agree with you totally.

I think the only way to pin this audit nonsense on them/or a PPC would be at a POPLA appeal or SCC hearing by requesting evidence of the last BPA site audit to the location in question, but no one ever does.

My own view on this is that the "audit" is done simply over a coffee if and when the BPA visits the offices of a PPC, where a selection of their signage might be shown from their master records, which of course is totally inadequate as an audit for any of their individual sites.

patient_dream

The BPA are their own worst enemy.   They lost control of their members a long time ago. It is indeed the members who run the BPA, did government want that when they gave them ATA status ?   Did government ever imagine that this would develop into a major scam ?

It is the tragic failure of the BPA that resulted in Sir Greg Knights bill
How could the BPA be so stupid to add the OSNER scam to their last code of practice, AND at the same time have OSNER as a board member. And then they wonder why government wants a REAL code of practice and the scammers culled

Did government really expect to read a trustpilot review on the BPA like this .....  97% BAD
https://uk.trustpilot.com/review/www.britishparking.co.uk

I DON'T THINK SO

Ex_216

Update: As indicated by other members the initial reply was that they did not have to furnish any information because the FoI Act didn't apply to them, when pushed I got this reply:

Thank you for your response.

Unfortunately, there is no list available to the public.  

Kind regards

Laura Staunton

Compliance Investigation Officer

Personally if a PPC are making a statement of audit compliance, in this instance referring to signage, that information should be available on request so that it can be verified.