The government has announced that the majority of fines issued by private operators will be cut by up to 50% as part of a new crackdown on “cowboy” firms.
Under a new parking code of practice, which is being introduced by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, the maximum fine allowed to be issued by private car parking firms will be reduced from £100 to £50 for most cases in England and Wales, excluding London.
According to the new rules, private car parks will also have to display prices more clearly, use a fairer appeal system, and give drivers a 10-minute grace period for lateness.
The maximum charge will be reduced to £50 in most cases, or £70 for more serious breaches.
When appealing fines, parking terms and conditions will also have to be clearly displayed in a bid to end firms hiding behind “non-specific, pseudo-legal and aggressive language”, although innocent mistakes, such as mistyping a registration number into a ticket machine, will be excused however.
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A single parking appeals service would also be created to handle complaints.
Private firms who breach the new code could end up having their access to Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) data cut off, which means they could be banned from collecting fines in the future, yet this is expected to only kick-in from the end of 2023.
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Speaking on the new government crackdown, Neil O’Brien – Minister for Levelling Up – said: “Private firms issue roughly 22,000 parking tickets every day, often adopting a system of misleading and confusing signage, aggressive debt collection and unreasonable fees designed to extort money from motorists.
“The new Code Of Practice will set out a clear vision with the interests of safe motorists at its heart, while cracking down on the worst offenders who put other people in danger and hinder our emergency services from carrying out their duties.”
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Vehicle insurance and breakdown companies the AA and RAC have welcomed the new code.
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Edmund King – President of the AA – said: “These much-needed upgrades to private parking rules will give better protection to drivers [as] for too long, those caught by private parking firms simply pay the charge to get rid of it [but] thankfully these days are numbered.
“Drivers should feel confident that having a single code of practice and a new appeals charter will give them confidence to appeal and be properly heard.
“We are also pleased that honest mistakes, like mistyping the car registration into the machine, will now be automatically cancelled.”
“The RAC has campaigned for years to end the sharp practices in the private parking sector,” added Nicholas Lyes – Head of Roads Policy at the RAC.
“So we welcome the new national code that will usher in higher standards and will introduce a lower cap on penalty charge notices, an independent appeals system, and an end to rip-off debt collection fees.
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“This will undoubtedly make drivers’ experience of using private car parks fairer while at the same time force rogue operators to clean up their acts once and for all.”
Three men jailed after armed robbery in Trafford left teenage boy with ‘serious injuries’
Emily Sergeant
Three men have been jailed after an armed robbery and stabbing left in Trafford left a teenage boy with ‘serious injuries’.
The incident in question occurred shortly after 3am on Sunday 27 November 2022, when a 15-year-old boy – the victim, who cannot be named for legal reasons – was at a cash machine on Upper Chorlton Road, in Trafford, and he noticed a black BMW drive past him, before making a U-turn and pulling up on the other side of the road.
As the boy set off on his scooter, the vehicle sped past him and cut him off.
Before he knew it, three men jumped out of the car and then proceeded to rob him at knifepoint – during which the boy was stabbed twice, and £120 was taken from him, before the offenders made off.
The 15-year-old was rushed to hospital, where he was required to undergo emergency surgery before being stabilised.
Police described the incident as an ‘unprovoked attack on a young boy’.
Following a thorough Greater Manchester Police (GMP) investigation, led by DC Marie-Louise Knight of Trafford CID, the offenders were identified as Callum Henson and Harry Jackson, both from Manchester, and Bailey Mann from Northampton.
Henson was sentenced to five years and six months for robbery and Section 20 assault, and Jackson was sentenced to four years and 10 months for Section 18 assault, while Mann was sentenced to three years in a young offenders institute for robbery, due to being under 18 years of age.
Speaking following the sentencing of the three men, DC Knight said: “I am grateful that [Henson, Jackson, and Mann] have now faced justice for their actions, not only for ourselves from an investigation side, but also for the victim and his family who were left shaken following this incident.
“These sentencings show that we will not tolerate this type of violent crime.
“Knife crime has no place on our streets, and we will do all that we can to make sure offenders are punished, and our communities are safe.”
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Bolton man, 22, jailed after his ‘dangerous driving’ kills motorbike rider just days before Christmas
Emily Sergeant
A man from Bolton has been sentenced to more than a decade in jail after causing death by dangerous driving.
Cormac Sale, 22-years-old of Ina Avenue in Bolton, has been sentenced at Bolton Crown Court after pleading guilty to causing death by dangerous driving following a collision between a car and motorbike in Horwich, which saw another young man lose his life just days before Christmas (Saturday 14 December 2024).
At around 9:40pm that evening, Greater Manchester Police (GMP) were called out to an incident on Chorley Old Road in Bolton.
When they arrived, they found that a Skoda Fabia – belonging to Sale – had collided with a motorbike. Spencer Rothwell-Poole, also 22 and from Horwich, was riding the motorbike at the time and sadly died at the scene.
Following Sale’s arrest at the scene, further testing was conducted and he was found to be almost 10 times over the legal limit for ketamine whilst driving when the incident occurred.
Investigations by GMP’s Serious Collision Investigation Unit led to ‘significant evidence’ being obtained of Sale ‘driving erratically’ throughout the evening, as spotted by multiple other drivers and CCTV footage, and he was also driving on the opposite side of the road when the collision took place.
Sale has been sentenced to 10 years and eight months in prison, as well as being banned from driving for 12 years.
“This sentencing reflects the devastating consequences of choosing to drive recklessly and whilst under the influence,” commented Detective Constable James Maskrey, who is GMP’s Roads Police Lead Investigator.
“Nothing can undo the loss suffered by Spencer’s family, but it is our hope that this outcome offers some measure of justice.
“When someone gets behind the wheel under the influence of ketamine, they have no control of their own judgement or body, and even a moment where drivers are dissociated or unaware on the road can be fatal.
“This case is a stark reminder that dangerous driving destroys lives, and I want to reassure the public that our officers remain absolutely committed to tackling dangerous driving and removing those who pose a risk to our roads.”
Emily Sergeant -
7th February 2022 
