Andy Burnham announces reforms to limit excessive private parking charges

Andy Burnham announced today that new rules will curb “rip‑off” private parking charges and give drivers a clearer right to challenge fines. The measures apply to all private car parks in England and set out a five‑minute window to decide whether to stay, a ten‑minute grace period to leave, and stricter limits on how much operators can charge. Operators who ignore the rules could lose access to DVLA data, making it harder for them to pursue vehicle owners.

The change comes after a sharp rise in private parking tickets and growing complaints that penalties are excessive. In the 2025/26 financial year, 17 million private tickets were issued, a 17 percent jump on the previous year. Each ticket can be as high as £100, meaning drivers could face more than £4.6 million in charges every day. One high‑profile case involved a woman in Derby who was threatened with a £1,906 court claim after taking longer than five minutes to pay for a space; the claim was later dropped. The RAC and the AA have warned that many motorists pay fines even when they believe they are unjust, fearing legal hassles and costly appeals.

Under the new code, charges for honest mistakes – such as entering the wrong registration number, forgetting a permit, or a broken ticket machine – will be capped at £20 on appeal. Penalties will be cancelled if a driver’s car breaks down in a car park or if a medical emergency forces a delay. The maximum charge for any breach will be frozen at £100, matching the existing private‑parking Code of Practice introduced in 2024. Operators who fail to comply risk losing the ability to access vehicle‑owner details from the DVLA, a key tool for enforcing fines.

The British Parking Association said it welcomes the reforms but cautioned that some principles in the new framework need clarification. Drivers and consumer groups expect the rules to reduce the feeling of being “ripped off” and to make the appeals process more transparent. If the changes stick, private operators will have to adjust their pricing and enforcement practices, and motorists could see fewer surprise fines and a clearer path to contesting unfair charges.