REVIVING THE PRIVATE PARKING BILL

Coupon-mad

It will happen.

Nellymoser

Coupon-mad said:

It will happen.

And when it does C-m you can blast a "I told you so" in my direction. I'll happily take it and 🫡 your unfaltering belief in gov to deliver the code.

Coupon-mad

Not sure I have an 'unfaltering belief in (any) Government' given my age/life experience and being an eternal cynic!

What I have faith in is that:

- we've got to a stage where it will happen

- the costs are mostly covered by the industry

- the new Govt could easily get this over the line and score one over the last Govt, and

- the good guys & gals in the Steering Group haven't gone away and we keep pressing.  Silence doesn't mean nothing is happening.

Nellymoser

Well here we have the first written question on the parking code from Labour MP Kim Leadbeater. She asks the new Secretary of State for HCLG whether it is her policy to publish a statutory code of practice under the Parking (Code of Practice) Act 2019.

Alex Norris MP one of the new Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State answered....

"We will set out policies on the Private Parking Code of Practice in due course."

😠  shouldn't be too critical it's early days but hope in his future replies he drops that useless Conservative statement "in due course".

https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2024-07-18/717

Nellymoser

https://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/24483727.lola-mcevoy-calls-urgent-meeting-darlington-car-park/

@Protest this news article reveals how one new MP since being elected has quickly built up a case file of complaints from her constituents about a private parking company (Excel). 

Hope some of these complainants were also able to brief / educate her on the withdrawn Parking Code and previous Government's inability to get the Code re-issued before the election.

Protest

So Norris is the new Minister responsible. He is already being fed the same line by his officials that they have been using for the past five years and it seems he hasn't the wit to chase them for a better position!!! Most encouraging - not.

The Act requires a Code to be implemented and this responsibility rests with the Govt of the day. DLUHC seem less than competent in dealing with this, and less-than-focused on delivering an end-point. They have houses to build and local communities to placate. 

There is a Parking Steering Group but it is difficult to steer something that is immobile. How soon will the Group be meeting with the new minister? Will they be holding his feet to the flames or otherwise energising him?  (The meeting date will reflect the priority attached to this topic!!)  What lobby actions are BPA/IPC pursuing?

Rayner will delegate to Norris and then forget all about the topic unless it rears up and bites her. Has Norris got the grit to deal with this or will he hide behind a steady stream of one-line "in due course" brush-offs?

There are already 400 Acts of Parliament that have never been properly enabled. The Private Parking Act is rather too close to becoming 401.

Protest

Wobbler?

I note the parliamentary question asks about "her (Rayner's) policy to publish a statutory code of practice" and Norris replies "We will set out policies on the Private Parking Code of Practice in due course."

To me this implies that they think there is some freedom of movement around completing the Code. The Act is law and requires a Code to be implemented. It had extensive cross-party support. Why a policy? Why not JFDI?

Emmia

Protest said:

Wobbler?

I note the parliamentary question asks about "her (Rayner's) policy to publish a statutory code of practice" and Norris replies "We will set out policies on the Private Parking Code of Practice in due course."

To me this implies that they think there is some freedom of movement around completing the Code. The Act is law and requires a Code to be implemented. It had extensive cross-party support. Why a policy? Why not JFDI?

Having a code would fulfill the obligation, but there is no requirement for it to be the code you're seeking.

Protest

Emmia said:

Protest said:

Wobbler?

I note the parliamentary question asks about "her (Rayner's) policy to publish a statutory code of practice" and Norris replies "We will set out policies on the Private Parking Code of Practice in due course."

To me this implies that they think there is some freedom of movement around completing the Code. The Act is law and requires a Code to be implemented. It had extensive cross-party support. Why a policy? Why not JFDI?

Having a code would fulfill the obligation, but there is no requirement for it to be the code you're seeking.

Given that a draft has been published and its "soft" provisions have already been adopted by the industry, the only wriggle space is the cost capping and it is approximately in view. We might hope that it will be the Code that MPs are seeking!

Coupon-mad

the only wriggle space is the cost capping

No it's not.

I will not accept the BPA/IPC Code abomination even it was used with costs capping added.  That's a hard NO.

Their code is appalling in so many ways and we are already seeing the results: e.g. keepers denied their right to appeal.

By producing a 'soft' version of the statutory Code (their 'green light' clauses only) there is loads the two APAs have changed. Loads. I'm not going into details here but the good guys & gals on the Steering Group have gone through the BPA/IPC joke of a code with a fine tooth comb.  So much wrong with it.