As part of new legislation that was originally scheduled to debut in 2023, British drivers are set to be given a 10-minute ‘grace period’ before receiving a ticket in private car parks.
Anyone who just missed their cut-off in the past 12 months is about to be fuming but it’s good news all round, we’re sure you can agree.
Picture the scene: rushing back to your car in a race against the clock with a load of shopping from all the way over the other side of town and just praying you get there before the cut-off. We’re sure many of you have been there.
As per an update from the BPA, the aim of this new measure is to “raise standards and deliver greater transparency and consistency for the benefit of motorists.” Private companies have long been accused of using misleading and confusing signs, aggressive debt collection and unreasonable fees.
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So what does the new code actually state? Well, first off, it mandates the aforementioned “10-minute grace period for motorists” parking on private land, which is the most important detail of all.
Furthermore, a new appeals charter has been introduced, meaning that there are now clear parameters for motorists to contest a parking charge; there will also be clear signage to help people navigate parking on private land, and that cap on penalties will still remain at £100 or £60 if paid within 14 days.
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The new legislation also hopes to ensure “the protection of the most vulnerable in society, with no decrease to the deterrent for abuse of Blue Badge bays or those who choose to park selfishly, putting their own convenience above the needs or rights of others.”
Both independent bodies have asked for the changes to begin implementing the new guidance from 1 October onwards, with all existing private parking operators required to update by December 2026 at the very latest.
A raft of changes were initially due to be brought in towards the end of 2023, including the grace period for car parks and fines, and would have also seen the cap for most parking tickets halved to just £50.
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However, the AA via Sky News claims that the new policy could still see drivers ripped off because it omits “desperately needed” measures for limits on penalties.
According to the RAC Foundation, at least 9.7 million tickets were issued to drivers by private parking companies in Britain between April and December last year, with an estimated 35,000 fines dished out by operators every day.
The BPA’s Chief Executive, Andrew Pester,said: “We’re delighted to release a single sector Code across our private parking sector. This is a key milestone as we work closely with Government, consumer bodies and others to deliver fairer and more consistent parking standards for motorists. We will continue to push for a positive outcome for all.”
Luxury Manchester gym Blok confirms permanent closure after weeks of uncertainty
Daisy Jackson
Blok Manchester has announced its permanent closure, weeks after the doors to the premium fitness facility mysteriously closed.
Around a fortnight ago, members began to arrive to their classes to find the gym on Ducie Street locked up and a forfeiture notice on the door – but at the time, Blok said that it was fighting to reopen.
Sadly, in an email sent to members today, its founder has confirmed that the studio is now permanently closed.
Blok – which has several very successful sites down in London – said that its relationship with its landlord has ‘broken down to a point where trust has been lost’.
The gym wrote that it’s been left with ‘no workable way forward’.
They said: “BLOK Manchester was a space built by our loyal and dedicated community. Whether you joined us for one class or one hundred, we are deeply grateful. You helped create something genuinely special in an incredible city.”
In the immediate future, they said they’ll be supporting the team of fantastic trainers who worked here, as well as looking after members.
Members will be contacted within a few hours with options and refunds owed.
Blok Manchester has announced its permanent closure. Credit: The Manc Group
CEO and founder Ed Stanbury said: “While this marks the end of a chapter, we don’t see it as the end of our story in Manchester. We’re already speaking with developers about potential future sites and remain committed to returning to the city when the time is right.
“Thank you for being part of our story so far. Let’s shape the future of wellness. The mission continues.”
Commenting on Blok’s Instagram post – its first in almost a fortnight – people have been sharing their sadness at the closure of its Manchester site.
One person wrote: “beautiful space, beautiful staff and beautiful community.”
Another said: “Sending love to all the instructors !! :(((( gutted”
Someone else commented: “THE BEST CLASSES. I’m gutted.”
‘The average cost of a pint’ in the UK by region, according to the latest data
Danny Jones
Does it feel like pints keep getting more and more expensive almost every week at this point? Yes. Yes, it does, and while you can’t expect a city as big as Manchester to be one of the cheapest places to get one in the UK, we do often wonder how it compares to other parts of the country.
Well, as it happens, someone has recently crunched the numbers for us across the nation, breaking down which regions pay the most and the least for their pints.
The data has been examined by business management consultancy firm, CGA Strategy, using artificial intelligence and information from the latest Retail Price Index figures to find out what the ‘average cost of a pint’ is down south, up North and everywhere in between.
While the latest statistics provided by the group aren’t granular enough to educate us on Greater Manchester’s pint game exactly, we can show you how our particular geographic region is looking on the leaderboard at the moment.
That’s right, we Mancunians and the rest of the North West are technically joint mid-table when it comes to the lowest average cost of a pint, sharing the places from 3rd to 8th – according to CGA, anyway.
Powered by consumer intelligence company, NIQ (NielsenIQ) – who also use AI and the latest technology to deliver their insights – we can accept it might seem like it’s been a while since you’ve paid that little for a pint, especially in the city centre, but these are the stats they have published.
Don’t shoot the messenger, as they say; unless, of course, they’re trying to rob you blind for a bev. Fortunately, we’ve turned bargain hunting at Manchester bars into a sport at this point.
We might not boast the lowest ‘average’ pint cost in the UK, but we still have some bloody good places to keep drinking affordable.
London tops the charts (pretends to be shocked)
While some of you may have scratched your eyes at the supposed average pint prices here in the North West, it won’t surprise any of you to see that London leads the way when it came to the most expensive pint when it came to average cost in the UK.
To be honest, £5.44 doesn’t just sound cheap but virtually unheard of these days.
CGA has it that the average cost of a beer in the British capital is actually down 15p from its price last September, but as we all know, paying upwards of £7 for a pint down that end of the country is pretty much par for the course the closer you get to London.
Yet more reason you can be glad you live around here, eh? And in case you thought you were leaving this article with very little, think again…
Danny Jones -
28th June 2024 
