All the new parking rules being introduced to challenge 'rip-off' charges

Motorists will receive fresh protections to dispute unreasonable private parking charges, including a guaranteed five-minute decision period upon arrival, under new plans unveiled by the Government.

An updated code of practice for private parking will also grant drivers a 10-minute grace window to depart car parks after their paid session ends without incurring a penalty.

According to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, the code will allow drivers to have charges cancelled on appeal for genuine mistakes, such as pulling over briefly to check directions, as well as unavoidable circumstances like vehicle breakdowns, medical emergencies, or broken ticket machines.

For minor oversights — including mistyping a vehicle registration, failing to confirm details at a machine, or forgetting a permit — drivers will face a maximum appeal charge of £20 under the revised framework.

Welcoming the reform, Prime Minister Andy Burnham said: "Being a few minutes late back to your car or typing one digit of your numberplate wrong shouldn’t end with a hefty fine landing on your doormat.

"These charges leave people feeling ripped off and out of pocket, so I’m putting a stop to them. We are introducing clearer rules, longer grace periods and lower charges for genuine mistakes, while going after the deliberate scams that rip drivers off."

The Government confirmed that private parking penalties will be capped at a maximum of £100, while operators failing to comply risk losing access to DVLA data.

Private parking firms currently rely on vehicle keeper information from the DVLA to issue and enforce charges.

Official figures analysed by the Press Association alongside motoring research charity the RAC Foundation show that private companies issued a record 16.9 million parking tickets in the year to the end of March.

This represents a significant rise from 14.4 million during the previous 12 months, and 6.8 million in 2018/19. With individual fines capped at £100, the overall daily cost to drivers could exceed £4.6 million at current rates.

Industry representatives have attributed the sharp rise in tickets to an increase in the total number of managed car parks.

Applicable across England, Scotland and Wales, the new code of practice introduces a fully independent scrutiny and oversight board for the first time.

Private operators will be required to submit regular reports detailing issued charges and appeal handling, which will then undergo board scrutiny.

Ministers have also indicated they will consult on private parking debt recovery fees, including options to lower the existing £70 cap or abolish the charges altogether.

Describing the code as a "step in the right direction" to safeguard motorists from predatory practices, RAC head of policy Simon Williams noted it was "not the leap" the organisation had been pushing for.

He said: "We’ve long called for the banning of debt recovery fees being added on top of parking charge notices (PCNs) and a single independent appeals body to replace the two industry-run ones, but neither have been included, which is disappointing.

"That said, the fact we finally have a code seven years on from the Private Parking Code of Practice Act becoming law is positive.

"Car park management companies will now have to conform to a new set of rules or risk losing access to the DVLA’s database which they depend on to issue PCNs to drivers. This will hopefully prevent many drivers wrongly being issued tickets in the first place."

Mr Williams added: "While this isn’t quite the Christmas present we wanted for drivers, it should hopefully save many the stress of having to challenge unfair tickets."

Director of policy for charity IAM RoadSmart, Nicholas Lyes, said: "It is welcome to see new protections put in place for drivers through a single code of practice; however, we would have liked to see a single appeals system and action against debt recovery organisations as part of the package.

"Ultimately, we need to get to a place where parking on private land is a seamless, straightforward, and clear process, not one fraught with potential traps which leaves drivers unfairly out of pocket."

Alison Tooze, chief policy officer at the British Parking Association, said her organisation "welcomes" the new code, describing it as "an important step forward for motorists, communities and responsible parking operators".

"The code builds on many of the principles already established through the sector’s existing voluntary code, helping create a more consistent, transparent and trusted framework," she said.

"Overall, the code strikes the right balance between stronger protections for motorists and effective parking management, helping keep communities, businesses and local economies moving," she added.

The Government has also announced measures to tackle second-hand car dealers who alter mileage clocks.

While selling a "clocked car" is already illegal under fraud laws, adding it to an official list of prohibited practices will make it easier for enforcement bodies to intervene.

Greg Smith, a shadow transport minister, said: “Andy Burnham posing as the driver’s friend is a joke. This is the same Labour Government that is doubling parking fines right across England. Five minutes’ grace in a supermarket car park will not fool anyone.

“The £100 maximum stays exactly where it is and Labour has ducked banning the debt recovery fees piled on top. Labour’s war on drivers carries on regardless.

“Only the Conservatives, with our Plan for Drivers, will back the people who keep this country moving.”