“Enough is enough” as Mansfield MP wins unfair parking charges campaign
Mansfield MP Steve Yemm says new rules on private parking will finally stop companies getting away with unfair charges, after campaigning on the issue since being elected.
The Labour Government has laid a new Private Parking Code of Practice in Parliament, giving drivers new rights to challenge unfair charges.
Mr Yemm has repeatedly raised the issue in Parliament and with ministers and has taken on parking companies directly after his office received over 100 casework complaints from local people.
In a debate in May last year, he called on the Government to consider statutory regulation of the industry as a priority.
Mr Yemm said: “Since being elected, I’ve been campaigning to stop parking companies ripping people off.
"Today, the Government has backed my call for action, and it’s a big win for drivers in Mansfield.”
Under the new rules, drivers will get five minutes to decide whether to park and 10 minutes to leave once their time ends.
Charges will be cancelled on appeal for things outside a driver’s control, such as a breakdown, a medical emergency or a broken ticket machine, and smaller mistakes like entering the wrong registration will be capped at £20.
The maximum parking charge will also be frozen at £100, and operators who don’t comply risk losing access to DVLA data, making it far harder to chase drivers for payment.
A fully independent Scrutiny and Oversight Board will oversee the industry for the first time.
Mr Yemm singled out St Peter’s Retail Park, which has been the source of more complaints to his office than almost anywhere else in Mansfield.
He said: “St Peter’s Retail Park has repeatedly fobbed me off, with excuse after excuse, but enough is enough.
"Once these rules come in, the operators there will have no choice but to treat people fairly, and with the support of these new regulations I’ll be making sure local parking operators don’t get away with it any longer.”
Just under 17 million private parking charges were issued across the UK last year.
The Government has also committed to consulting next year on parking debt recovery fees, including whether to cut the current £70 cap or scrap the fees altogether.
Parliament will now have time to scrutinise the new code before it comes into force.