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.
asserted
Charges → scrap → emergency
Maximum parking charges will be frozen at £100, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government said.
asserted
Ministry → freeze → Housing
Speaking on the announcement, 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.
asserted
fine → speak → doormat
“These charges leave people feeling ripped off and out of pocket, so I’m putting a stop to them.
"
asserted
I → leave → 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.
asserted
that → introduce → drivers
This means that even if they issue a charge, it will be more difficult to identify the registered owner to pursue payment.
asserted
it → mean → payment
Meanwhile, second-hand car dealers who wind back odometers - known as car clocking - to disguise a vehicle’s true mileage will also face tougher action, the government has announced.
asserted
government → wind → action
Fraudulently selling a clocked car is already illegal, but adding it to the official list of banned practices will make it easier for enforcers to crackdown on the practice, which will go some way to protecting buyers and backing honest businesses.
asserted
which → sell → businesses
Minister for Consumer Action, Kate Dearden, said: “Nobody works hard for their money just to be deceived by a dodgy trader, and this is exactly the kind of everyday rip-off this government is going after.
asserted
government → say → off
"By making it easier to take action against car clocking, we are protecting consumers’ hard-earned money and supporting businesses that play by the rules.”
The government has also promised to consult on private parking debt recovery fees, including on whether to cut an existing £70 cap or scrap the fees altogether.
asserted
government → make → fees
Data shows just under 17 million private parking charges were issued in the UK last year.
asserted
charges → show → UK
In 2025, the government set out proposals to improve standards by consulting on a new Private Parking Code of Practice.
asserted
government → set → Practice
Under the Code, a fully independent Scrutiny and Oversight Board will be brought in, requiring operators to share more information with the government.
asserted
Board → bring → government
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.
asserted
we → say → 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.”
asserted
which → need → pocket
Alison Tooze, chief policy officer at the British Parking Association, said her organisation “welcomes” the new code, which is an “an important step forward for motorists, communities and responsible parking operators”.
asserted
which → say → motorists
“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.
asserted
she → build → framework
“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.
asserted
she → strike → communities
Greg Smith MP, Shadow Transport Minister, said: “Andy Burnham posing as the driver’s friend is a joke.
asserted
Burnham → say → friend
This is the same Labour Government that is doubling parking fines right across England.
asserted
that → double → England
Five minutes’ grace in a supermarket car park will not fool anyone.
asserted
grace → fool → anyone
“The £100 maximum stays exactly where it is and Labour has ducked banning the debt recovery fees piled on top.
asserted
Labour → stay → 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.”
asserted
who → carry → country
The new code is expected to come into force by the end of this year.
asserted
code → expect → year
The Aporia
