UK CPM BW LEGAL GP Surgery parking fine help

AuntPolly

Hi, my GP surgery recently introduced ANPR parking operated by UK CPM in their car park to stop non patients using it to park and access nearby shops. They provide 90 minutes of parking for users of the surgery if you enter your reg plate into a tablet inside the surgery within 20 minutes of driving into the car park.

12 weeks after these parking rules came into effect my wife had an appt and parked in the car park and was in the surgery for around 50 minutes. This was the first time she had visited the surgery since the parking rules came into effect and was unaware of them until I as registered keeper got a parking fine notice through the post.

I complained to the gp practice manager and the land owner (a ltd company set up with directors which are a group of gps from the surgery) and requested the fine be cancelled but that got me nowhere. They have the stance that UK CPM deal with the car parking and appeals and they will not engage with me on it. 

After months of debt collectors letters I’ve had the court claim from BW legal and submitted the AoS.

In my defence should I state that the driver of the vehicle was a legitimate user of the car park due to them being a patient of the surgery? Is it ok that I am acknowledging that I know who the driver was or should I be going down the route of being the keeper but not driver and arguing the signage was inadequate?

Is it correct that there should have been a  4 month period of additional temporary signs at the car park entrance (joint code of practice 2024 clause 3.4) after the change in parking terms and conditions I.e going from an uncontrolled car park to an anpr controlled one?

Thanks for any help

Gr1pr

AuntPolly said:

Hi, my GP surgery recently introduced ANPR parking operated by UK CPM in their car park to stop non patients using it to park and access nearby shops. They provide 90 minutes of parking for users of the surgery if you enter your reg plate into a tablet inside the surgery within 20 minutes of driving into the car park.

12 weeks after these parking rules came into effect my wife had an appt and parked in the car park and was in the surgery for around 50 minutes. This was the first time she had visited the surgery since the parking rules came into effect and was unaware of them until I as registered keeper got a parking fine notice through the post.

I complained to the gp practice manager and the land owner (a ltd company set up with directors which are a group of gps from the surgery) and requested the fine be cancelled but that got me nowhere. They have the stance that UK CPM deal with the car parking and appeals and they will not engage with me on it. 

After months of debt collectors letters I’ve had the court claim from BW legal and submitted the AoS.

In my defence should I state that the driver of the vehicle was a legitimate user of the car park due to them being a patient of the surgery? Is it ok that I am acknowledging that I know who the driver was

 or should I be going down the route of being the keeper but not driver and arguing the signage was inadequate?

Is it correct that there should have been a  4 month period of additional temporary signs at the car park entrance (joint code of practice 2024 clause 3.4) after the change in parking terms and conditions I.e going from an uncontrolled car park to an anpr controlled one?

Thanks for any help

The above action seems correct to me , plus the failure regarding the signage,  you can add that the driver was a patient and a legitimate user of the surgery 

Post the Issue date from the top right of the claim form below and also the AOS completion date, plus post a redacted picture of the POC from the lower left of the claim form below after hiding the VRM details first 

Ralph-y

leave some nice feedback on social media ..... 

AuntPolly

Issue date: 24/07/2025
AoS submitted: 09/08/2025

Gr1pr

4pm today is your defence deadline for submitting the defence on MCOL 

Coupon-mad

Use the template defence and yes to these questions, these are your para 3 facts:

In my defence should I state that the driver of the vehicle was a legitimate user of the car park due to them being a patient of the surgery? Is it ok that I am acknowledging that I know who the driver was or should I be going down the route of being the keeper but not driver and arguing the signage was inadequate?

Is it correct that there should have been a  4 month period of additional temporary signs at the car park entrance (joint code of practice 2024 clause 3.4) after the change in parking terms and conditions I.e going from an uncontrolled car park to an anpr controlled one?

By not following the Code, this operator has made a misleading omission, in breach of the CPUTRs.

AuntPolly

Here are some pics of the car park entrance and signage that I took after the event.

The ‘Welcome’ parking sign is on the right entrance gate. The gates are permanently open during surgery opening hours and so you need to look at 90 degrees to the direction of travel in order to see it and could easily have it obscured if a car is exiting the car park at the same time that you arrive.

There is no mention of the 20 minute grace period for you to enter your reg on the tablet inside the surgery and states you should do this on arrival.

Car1980

In my defence should I state that the driver of the vehicle was a legitimate user of the car park due to them being a patient of the surgery? Is it ok that I am acknowledging that I know who the driver was

 or should I be going down the route of being the keeper but not driver and arguing the signage was inadequate?

Is it correct that there should have been a  4 month period of additional temporary signs at the car park entrance (joint code of practice 2024 clause 3.4) after the change in parking terms and conditions I.e going from an uncontrolled car park to an anpr controlled one?

The driver ID factor changes now. The person named on the form will be defending.

If the driver was a different person they will submit their own additional witness statement later on.

A possible plus side is that if it goes to a hearing you can go together, although only the person on the form HAS to attend.

Yes there has to be a temporary sign with any terms and conditions changes, and I'd make this an important point.

Also, if someone is going in for surgery I would say there is an additional onus on the staff to make sure notification that a car is registered. Leaving it to signage is inadequate when somebody's mind is elsewhere, when all it takes is a "have you registered your car?" at reception.

AuntPolly

Is this ok for the defence in para3?
in para 2 added but not the driver at the end of the last scentence.

2. The allegation(s) and heads of cost are vague and liability is denied for the sum claimed, or at all. At the very least, interest should be disallowed; the delay in bringing proceedings lies with the Claimant. This also makes retrieving material documents/evidence difficult, which is highly prejudicial. The Defendant seeks fixed costs (CPR 27.14) and a finding of unreasonable conduct and further costs (CPR 46.5). The Defendant has little recollection of events, save as set out below and to admit that they were the registered keeper but not the driver.

3. The driver was a patient at the surgery and a legitimate user of the car park at the time of the alleged offence. At the time of the stated breach there was no visible signage restricting parking. There was no parking charge notice attached to the vehicle and no contractual agreement was entered into. Under the Private Parking Sector Single Code of Practice a grace period of 4 months and extra, temporary signage should exist where there is any material change to any pre-existing terms and conditions that would not be immediately apparent to a driver entering controlled land that is or has been open for public parking. The Claimant is put to strict proof with contemporaneous photographs.

Coupon-mad

Coupon-mad said:

By not following the Code, this operator has made a misleading omission, in breach of the CPUTRs.

You forgot to add this point. Add that and you are good to submit the template defence.

And even though this is stressful: just to add:

Once your defence is in, please please do the government's Public Consultation before the end of next week.

We need every poster to come back & complete this vital Consultation before the deadline.

See this thread: -

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6617396/parking-code-of-practice-consultation-8-weeks-from-11th-july-2025/p1

We understand that you may need some pointers. It looks laborious, we get that. It doesn't matter; no knowledge is needed except re your own experiences so you can call out a scam industry and you'll protect millions of motorists and help change the law.

I've written some guidance on that thread. I have covered almost every question, providing ideas if you agree with our stance on things like DRFs, which we say must be banned.

Ordinary people like you are falling victim to this scam 15 million times per annum. Motorists need your voice added please.

James_Poisson

If I drove into that car park for the first time or even if I had been there before I would not be expecting any parking enforcement, I would not be expecting images to be captured either.