North Northumberland MP welcomes crackdown on unfair parking fines
North Northumberland MP David Smith has welcomed news that drivers will get new rights to challenge unfair private parking charges.
The changes introduced by the Labour government include a guaranteed five minutes to decide whether to park and 10 minutes to leave once the session ends, and the right to have charges cancelled on appeal for issues drivers can’t control.
Under the new Private Parking Code of Practice laid in Parliament on Tuesday (October 20), charges will be scrapped on appeal for honest mistakes, like stopping briefly to check directions, and for situations like a medical emergency, breakdown or broken ticket machine.
For smaller slip-ups, like forgetting a parking permit, entering the wrong vehicle's registration or forgetting to confirm it in the machine when parking, drivers will face a maximum charge of £20 on appeal.
The code also freezes the maximum parking charge at £100. Operators who don't comply risk losing access to DVLA data.
North Northumberland MP David Smith said: "I have heard from a number of constituents over the last two years who have been treated unfairly by private parking firms.
"One resident had been fined for spending a few minutes in a car park on a day when flooding had caused major disruption to the rail network. He was due to pick up a relative whose train had become stuck further down the line and ended up driving to a different station.
“I’ve also had cases where signage has been unclear and residents have been hit with fines despite trying to buy the right ticket.
"In my experience private operators can be heavy handed and dig their heels in, so I am pleased to see some common sense being brought into the system.”
Prime Minister Andy Burnham said: “Being a few minutes late back to your car or typing one digit of your number plate 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."
The government has also promised to go further still, by consulting next year on private parking debt recovery fees, including on whether to cut an existing £70 cap or scrap the fees altogether.