Burnham outlines private parking rules giving drivers five minutes to decide and ten minutes to leave
Prime Minister Andy Burnham set out new rules for private car parks on Monday 19 October, the Guardian, the Mirror and BBC News report. The Guardian reports that drivers would get five minutes to decide whether to park and ten minutes to leave after their session ends. The Mirror says motorists in England, Scotland and Wales would be given ten minutes to leave without facing a penalty. The Mirror and BBC News report that charges would be dropped on appeal for honest mistakes, such as briefly stopping to check directions, medical emergencies, breakdowns or a broken ticket machine. For smaller slips, such as entering the wrong registration, the maximum charge on appeal would be £20. The coverage cites the RAC as saying private firms issued 16.9 million tickets in the last financial year, up 17%. A GOV.UK release is headlined 'PM puts the brakes on rip-off parking charges and car scams'.
Private parking charges are enforced by companies rather than councils, so the rules that matter are a code of practice and the appeals process. Turning grace periods and appeal outcomes into set rules means a driver can point to a standard when challenging a fine. The reported 17% rise in tickets shows why the issue has stayed on the agenda.
If you park in private car parks, the grace periods and the £20 appeal limit are the numbers to keep. Check the signs, keep your ticket or payment proof, and use the appeal route before paying a charge you believe is unfair.
Mr Burnham's case, as the Guardian and the Mirror report it, is that the rules end 'rip-off' charges by giving drivers time to decide and to leave, and by dropping charges on appeal for honest mistakes. The AA's Jack Cousens said drivers finally have something that could offer better protection against the worst operators.
The British Parking Association welcomed the changes but argued that many of the principles are already reflected in its voluntary code of practice, according to the coverage, which suggests the practical change may be smaller than the announcement implies.
Confirmed: the five-minute and ten-minute grace periods, the £20 appeal cap for smaller slips and the RAC ticket figure as reported. Not confirmed: the date the code takes effect and how it would be enforced. Watch for the code being laid in Parliament and for any response from parking operators.
DailyDrop U.K. edition No. 16 · Morning · TUE., OCT. 20, 2026