Parking Code of Practice Consultation 2025 - now let's see what happens

Nellymoser

https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/752673

19,192 signatures - continues to attract signings, count now 66,464

Show on a map the geographical breakdown of signatures by constituency.

Government responds to all petitions that get more than 10,000 signatures

*Government responded on 26/2/2026

At 100,000 signatures, this petition will be considered for debate in Parliament.

patient_dream

Even if there is a government response it will be the standard rubbish ,,

ALL IN DUE COURSE

Protest

From my FB feed…….

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My fellows,while you are sleepwalking and political correct we were sold out ! Read

Why in uk are private park companies thriving. They scam people with preprogrammed pay and display machines, misprinted tickets,unlawfully fine,unethical practices where millions of people are effected.

Why government is not doing anything about that and In europe this scam would not be possible? Many people in the UK ask exactly the same question, and your frustration is widely shared. The short answer is: a mix of weak regulation, political choices, and a legal grey area has allowed private parking companies to flourish in ways that would be far harder in much of Europe.

Here’s the clear breakdown.

1. Why private parking companies thrive in the UKa) Parking enforcement was privatisedIn the UK, enforcement on private land (retail parks, hospitals, housing estates) was effectively outsourced to private firms. These companies are not public authorities, but they are allowed to:

• Issue “Parking Charge Notices” that look like fines

• Access DVLA keeper data• Pursue payment through debt collectors and courts

This creates a profit-driven enforcement system, not a public-interest one.In most of Europe, parking enforcement is:

• Run by municipalities, or• Heavily regulated concession holders with strict rulesb) Charges are treated as contract law, not finesUK private parking charges are legally framed as a breach of contract, not a penalty.This matters because:

• Consumer protections are weaker

• Companies can argue charges are “commercially justified”

• Courts often accept signage as “consent”, even if unclear

The landmark ParkingEye v Beavis (2015) case effectively legitimised high charges, even when no real loss occurred. That ruling opened the floodgates.

c) DVLA data access is a goldmine

Private parking firms can buy keeper details from the DVLA for £2.50 per request.This means:

• Mass automated ticketing is viable• Errors (misprinted tickets, faulty machines) are profitable

• There is little incentive to fix problemsIn many EU countries, vehicle keeper data is far more tightly protected under privacy laws.

d) Weak and fragmented oversightThe industry is “regulated” by trade bodies (BPA, IPC) that:

• Are funded by the parking companies themselves

• Run appeals services that are not truly independent

• Rarely penalise systemic abuse

This is self-regulation, which Europe generally rejects for enforcement activities.

2. Why the government hasn’t stopped it (yet)

a) Political reluctance to confront the industry

The private parking industry is:

• Well-organised

• Litigious

• Framed as “supporting landowners and retail”

Successive governments have been slow to act decisively, despite cross-party criticism.

b) The Parking (Code of Practice) Act – stalled

The UK did pass legislation (2019) to:

• Create a single mandatory Code of Practice

• Cap charges

• Ban debt collection add-ons

• Improve signage and machine standards

However:

• The code was withdrawn after industry legal challenges

• Implementation has been repeatedly delayed

• As of now, the abusive practices continueThis delay is widely seen as regulatory capture.

c) Courts are overloaded and inconsistent

Most people:

• Pay out of fear

• Don’t understand the system

• Can’t risk court stress

Companies rely on bulk claims, knowing only a small percentage will be properly defended.

3. Why this wouldn’t work in much of EuropeIn many European countries:

• Parking charges must be proportionate

• Enforcement authority is usually public

• Keeper liability is restricted or banned

• Data protection laws block mass ticketing

• Faulty machines invalidate enforcement automatically

• Debt collection add-ons are illegal

What the UK allows would often be struck down as:

• Unfair commercial practice

• Disproportionate penalty

• Abuse of consumer law

• Violation of data protection principles

4. What this really is

Many legal academics and consumer groups describe the UK system as:

A legally sanctioned extraction scheme operating in a grey zone between contract law and intimidation

It survives not because it’s fair, but because:

• It’s profitable

• It’s complex

• It preys on asymmetry of power and knowledge

5. Is change coming?

Possibly — but slowly.

Pressure points:

• Public outrage

• MPs receiving thousands of complaints

. Ongoing government work to revive the Code of Practice

Until then, the industry continues to operate in a space that most of Europe closed off years ago.

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This feels a bit like an AI source has been fed raw meat for a few days. 😂 But an effective critique of a situatuon that has completely failed the UK public in the face of a small self-interest lobby. Looks like the highwaymen have formed a trade union and Govt - led by a supposed high-power barrister with cross party support and the full power of the state - are too scared to impose regulation on them.

Protest

The AI estimate of the sum being scammed is below:

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Step 3 — Proportion [of PCNs] that are invalid

No official figure exists, but:

• MoneySavingExpert says tickets are “often invalid”
• AA surveys show 1 in 20 drivers knowingly paid despite doing nothing wrong (5%)
• Consumer advocates frequently suggest 20–50% of tickets would fail if properly challenged

If even 10% of paid tickets are invalid, that implies:

£26m–£58m per year

flowing from invalid PCNs.

If the true invalid rate is higher — as many campaigners argue — the figure could easily exceed £100m+ annually.

Bottom line

There is no official estimate, but using credible public data:

A reasonable, evidence‑based range is £25m–£100m+ per year

accruing to private parking operators from PCNs that are likely false, invalid, or unenforceable.

This lack of transparency is one of the reasons the government’s long‑delayed Parking Code of Practice has been so heavily criticised.

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So from 2019 to 2025 'our' Govt has allowed us, the public, to be scammed to the tune of £175M - £700M, fobbing us off with "in due course" BS

daveyjp

'privatising enforcement' will cause many consumer problems is exactly what was said when POFA was being devised. Those who said it were ignored.

Protest

If the falsely invoiced sum is £25m–£100m+ per year, what might be the cost of dealing with these invoices in terms of defendants' time and costs?

There was (is) a concept: "the cost of poor quality" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cost_of_poor_quality which can be as much as 40% of revenue in a poor-quality system - one where poor quality was not designed in to generate income!

patient_dream

Protest ….. I totally agree with you

The delay with the new CoP is that we have a government that does not know what it's doing, it is un-professional and watching the MP's being interviewd, it's all mouth and no trousers from the top downwards ?

Given this is now a mega scam run by rogue traders, there is a total lack of intelligence in government, the DVLA and the two ATA's

Why on earth are private companies allowed to offer appeals when we all know that it's not in their interests to accept an appeal ….. no money for them

We need a fully independent appeals service and dispose of POPLA and the IAS

This country is in enoght trouble without having rogue traders around each corner trying to scam money

If the new code is intruced during the term of this government, I will be amazed, let's face it, that will not be long

Fakery and money scamming IS allowed in the UK by a failing government, at least the last government got the code into law and then the rogue traders scuppered it

A professional government would get rid of the BPA and IPC

Protest

AT LAST …….. SOME EFFECTIVE REGULATORY ACTION

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/feb/13/euro-car-parks-fined-uk-competition-regulator-cma

So what safeguards are needed to ensure that CMA keeps on top of the parking industry and doesn't drift off-target? (and it is a fine, not just an invoice 🤣 )

I would suggest an oversight forensic audit organisation to look at the outcomes of DVLA data requests. with an expectation that very few would lead to legitimate annoyance on the part of recipients. Also court cases discontinued at a late stage by the industry. Etc.

Coupon-mad

Already discussed last week on the Parking News & Media thread.

Protest

Posted in several places but not much discussion