A Bill to make provision relating to the licensing of charging, publicly-available, privately-owned car parks; to require local authorities to introduce a licensing system for such car parks; to enable local authorities to recover the costs of such a licensing scheme from car park operators; and for connected purposes.
The Bill would require local authorities in England to introduce a licensing scheme for charging, publicly-available, privately-owned car parks. The requirements on local authorities would be set out in regulations made by the Secretary of State by statutory instrument, and would include:the criteria which private parking operators must satisfy to acquire a licencethe maximum level of fixed penalty charges which could be imposed under the licensing schemeprovision for the costs incurred by each local authority in setting up and administering the licensing process to be recovered by a levy on private parking operators operating within that local authority areaprovision for local authorities to permit exemptions from the licensing schemedetails of the penalties which should apply to any non-licensed private parking operator.
House of Commons
2 May 2012
If passed, the bill would require local councils in England to licence privately owned, charging car parks. The rules would be set by government regulations, including licence criteria, maximum penalties, how councils recover the scheme’s costs from operators, and possible exemptions, with penalties for unlicensed operators. The overall aim is to create clearer rules and fairer enforcement for drivers using private car parks.
The bill is currently at the second reading in the House of Commons. If it progresses, it would move to the committee stage for detailed scrutiny.
Generated 21 February 2026
No recorded votes for this bill yet.
