The UK government has introduced a statutory Private Parking Code of Practice to regulate car park operators and prevent what campaigners call "rip-off" charges. The move follows cases like Rosey Greenwood's, who was pursued for £1,906 over parking charges at a Derby car park after breaching a five-minute payment deadline she did not know existed.

The new code, laid out in Parliament on Tuesday, sets binding standards for parking operators. It includes a guaranteed five-minute consideration period before charges apply, a 10-minute grace period to leave after permitted stay ends, and a maximum charge of £100 (or £60 if paid within two weeks). Charges should be cancelled entirely on appeal in cases of sudden illness, delayed medical appointments, childcare delays, or vehicle breakdown. The sector's existing voluntary code already included most of these protections.

The code's main enforcement mechanism is withdrawal of access to DVLA vehicle data, which parking operators need to issue charges. Housing and Communities Minister Florence Eshalomi said the code would "give drivers a range of rights and protections to make these unfair practices a thing of the past." The code enters a 40-day parliamentary scrutiny period before taking effect 21 days after formal issue.

However, motoring groups say the code does not go far enough. The AA and RAC, which campaigned for the statutory code, both welcome it but argue it lacks a single independent appeals process. Jack Cousens, head of roads policy at the AA, said the benefit was that government now holds "the pen" on changes rather than the parking industry. The AA also wants an alternative to debt recovery fees, which operators can still add at £70 per charge. These fees, combined with court costs, have caused charges to spiral for drivers. RAC and AA representatives have flagged that loss of DVLA access has not effectively punished operators under the voluntary code, though the government says it will enforce this more strictly.

The code is now subject to parliamentary scrutiny before it formally comes into force.