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

1505grandad

Not happy that the doc refers to "fines"

Coupon-mad

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82122504#Comment_82122504

No…that's a year old.

All Options Assessments have to pass through the RPC stage first.

It did, in 2025, before the Public Consultation.

Nellymoser

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81928567#Comment_81928567

If the Government gets the fee ban (must be a complete ban) and much-needed fairer & more proportionate - Local Authority similar - lower PCN caps wrong, we will have to swiftly engage with MPs to object and block the Code during its 40 days.

So the parking industry are not the only ones who can challenge the CoP after it's laid before Parliament. MPs and Members of the House of Lords can too and we would hope if the MHCLG churn out a crappy CoP our MPs and the Lords will challenge it.

Sara Roberts BPA when she guested on the recent BBC Radio 4 programme (along with Which? Lisa Webb and Q-Park/Britannia MD Adam Bidder) said:

she thinks the Govt CoP isn't going to be "materially different to the Sector code" (Oct 2024) she claims theirs was "based on the Govt mandated Code".

It's two years since the Sector Code was implemented have things improved? Doesn't look like it. Same complaints continue. The CMA have had to intervene, open an investigation to ECP practices, write to the Govt, PPCs, dvla accredited ATAs AND produce a video to help motorists navigate the private parking system and avoid being caught out with unnecessary costs.

Pity Sara and her colleagues at the BPA and IPC can't see it. I mean, Adam Bidder may have been "holding his head in his hands" listening to callers experience of the Sector's appeal services Sara just seemed delighted that motorists were engaging with the current appeal services!!

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0030lz1

Nellymoser

Well, Florence Eshalomi the new minister responsible for private parking gave her first replies to MPs written questions…Independent MP James McMurdoch asked fourteen questions and another two were tabled from Conservative MP Gregory Stafford.

Not once in her 16 answers did Florence say the irritating "in due course" though she did say "in the autumn 2026" a fair bit.

From her replies it appears the new Private Parking CoP is not yet finalised. The MHCLG are carefully considering the CMA's recommendations, are still considering the wide range of evidence and stakeholders views and are still engaging with relevant stakeholders (including the CMA).

It's a bit concerning after all that engaging the MHCLG does not hold data on the:

● number of unfair private PCNs issued

● number of appeals lodged against private parking charges

● proportion of those appeals that were successful in the last five years

and no assessment has been undertaken to determine the potential impact of private parking on consumer confidence in town centres and retail parks.

Maybe the dept doesn't think they need to know!!

https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions?SearchTerm=%22Private+parking%22&DateFrom=09%2F07%2F2024&DateTo=23%2F12%2F2026&AnsweredFrom=&AnsweredTo=&House=Bicameral&Answered=Any&AnsweringBodyId=7&Expanded=True

Coupon-mad

However, this is good. In all the 6 years I've been on the MHCLG Steering Group, I've begged both governments to consult the CMA. From what I can gather, that wasn't as simple as it sounds for the MHCLG and the CMA needed to be interested first.

Now - this year - the stars have aligned!

Not only has:

• the DMCC Act 2024 given the CMA new regulatory powers to fine companies for the first time (since April 2025, as we all noted on this forum and discussed in some detail last year, but the self-absorbed parking sector and their lawyers - smarmy Derek Millard-Smith and farmer Will Hurley - seemed to miss), but
• the CMA has now turned its sights to the parking industry for the first time!

All we need now, is the (also previously disinterested) ICO looking at excessive camera surveillance in the hands of private parking firms and we'd have the magic three things needed to re-shape the Code properly for consumers: a consumer protection law with teeth, a regulator with teeth who is clearly engaged and interested, and the ICO (if they wake up to it).

This feels different.

Personally, I can't wait.

And I'm not waiting. I'm contacting them all as we speak, to 'guide' the CMA and try to bring the ICO to the party at the eleventh hour.

I can't stress enough how much more positive the CMA's involvement is than the entire previous 5 years where we just had a revolving door of changing Civil Servants interpreting things and asking the wrong focus of questions of their lawyers (who let's just say drove me potty at times … and clearly aren't consumer protection specialists).

I bet the industry are kicking themselves that they didn't take the 2022 Code while they could…

😁

Umkomaas

👆👆 @Coupon-mad, that really shoots some optimism into this dragging-on, dragging-out, saga. Looking forward to ’the Autumn’! 🙂

patient_dream

"I bet the industry are kicking themselves that they didn't take the 2022 Code while they could…"

So right C-m …… what will the money scammers do next ?

Regarding the ICO, they have let down millions of people in favour of rogue traders with data beeing released by the DVLA.

If the ICO don't wake up and protect the public from money scammers then the next best thing is to increase the charge for obtaining data from the DVLA TO £10 OR £20 ….. £2.50 has not kept up with inflation.

With 16 + million of tickets issued in the year up to March this year, the government has missed a really good revenue stream

Just £10 per ticket could be worth £160 million each year and rising to the treasury. No need for a stupid tourist tax which has been stated will lose jobs

Nigel is right, nobody in government understands business

daveyjp

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82134062#Comment_82134062

The charge is to cover running costs, not generate tax income.

Half_way

as for this

So right C-m …… what will the money scammers do next ?

Deop off fees, no stopping zones and toll roads as shown by airport drop off fees amd the Warburton toll bridge, the car park is free but the access road has a toll, all possible rich picking grounds without having to comply with PoFA

patient_dream

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82134353#Comment_82134353

Of course, every business in the UK would love costs relating back years … sadly it's not the case

An increase in fees is not a tax it's called inflation and a goldmone to the treasury

The BPA / IPC want ticket prices to rise ? is that a tax or extortion