Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether his Department has plans to encourage private companies that levy car parking charges to introduce clearer signage for the public on the charges and potential consequences of parking in private car parks.

My department is leading on the implementation of the Parking (Code of Practice) Act 2019, which includes creation of an independent Code of Practice for private parking companies to improve standards.

MHCLG is developing the Code of Practice through the British Standards Institution (BSI) in close consultation with key stakeholders, including landowners, consumer organisations, and the private parking industry, who are advising on its impact. The draft Code, which is available online at https://standardsdevelopment.bsigroup.com/projects/2020-00193 and on which the BSI recently publicly consulted, includes a requirement for a clear signage, surface markings, and clear and accessible displays of terms and conditions, as well as appropriate terminology used in operator notices or by debt recovery agents.

In parallel to the BSI consultation on the Code, my department consulted on the Parking Code of Practice Enforcement Framework and on 20 March 2021 published the response to the consultation, available online at: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/parking-code-enforcement-framework

The consultation response announced our intention to develop a series of fairer parking measures which will benefit motorists and encourage people to return to high streets and town centres. This includes the creation of a single independent appeals service for motorists to turn to if they receive a private parking charge and an Appeals Charter, which will protect motorists from charges that are unfair or issued in error.