‘Drivers, shops and high streets deserve a fair parking system’

Since entering Parliament, I have been contacted by several constituents who have been affected by indeterminate car parking penalties for overstaying their limit. This is why I have been campaigning to see a fairer car parking system. 

Their cases are often incredibly similar. They pull up in a private car park – usually one with poor signage and run by an anonymous owner. They head into a shop, a medical appointment, or to run an errand on the high street. It then takes slightly longer than expected – they overstay their parking by a few minutes and get hit hard by a disproportionately large fine. When I have looked into this further by writing to Ministers and submitting Parliamentary Questions, I have discovered that we currently have no real means of standardisation, regulation of fees, signage displays, or the level of transparency required for a fine or penalty to be valid. I believe this is unfair. 

Although my constituents who have been affected – and I am sure most people who have faced one of these fines – do understand there are consequences for overstaying their time, what they object to is the unfairness of the system as a whole. The lack of standardisation, with private car parks who are able to charge however much they like in fines, regardless of how long they overstay or take to pay back the fine, and display signage however they wish, is what so many people – including myself – take issue with. Too often, the current system prioritises revenue generation over fair enforcement. 

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Since the global financial crisis, many families in my constituency of Ashford, Hawkinge, and the Villages – and across the country – have lived through a cost-of-living crisis, where every penny counts. I am pleased the Labour Government is introducing new measures to help relieve the financial burden many families are feeling – whether it’s £117 off energy bills, freezing prescription prices, or increasing the National Living Wage to £12.71 – providing a £900 boost for 2.4 million workers. 

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However, the last thing working people need is an indeterminate fine, followed by debt recovery fees, should they overstay their parking. This has a wider economic impact too. If people are unsure whether they will be hit with a fine for parking in a private car park, it will decrease footfall on the high street, negatively affecting jobs and the local economy as shops take a hit. 

I want to see the introduction of standardisation, fairness and transparency in the private car parking guidelines – and I will continue to press until these measures are introduced. This would follow a structure outlined by the Driving and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA), similar to speeding fines – requiring photographic evidence, a user-friendly appeal system, removing debt recovery fees, and a clear legal cap within a legally fixed graduated penalty structure, with penalties invalid where these standards are not met, where charges start lower and only increase if payment is delayed. 

Road users deserve to know the consequences of overstaying in a private car park – regardless of the owner or location. This is why it is crucial that the Government publishes the findings of their consultation on the private parking code of practice and the relevant Departments update the guidelines, so they are standardised, transparent, and fair.

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