The Government’s new Private Parking Code of Practice puts accuracy, transparency and fairness at the heart of private parking in the UK. Those principles have shaped how we build our technology from the start.
This week the Government announced a new Private Parking Code of Practice for England, Scotland and Wales, which has now been laid before Parliament. It brings guaranteed grace periods, a clear Appeals Charter, and a new independent Scrutiny and Oversight Board to monitor how charges are issued and how appeals are handled.
At Unity5, we welcome it. Motorists should be able to trust that a parking charge is accurate, fair and backed by clear evidence. The best operators already work this way, and a consistent national standard gives everyone, motorists and operators alike, more confidence in the system.
Raising standards has always been the goal
Accuracy has been our goal at Unity5 for a long time. It’s how we design our platform, how we support the operators who use it, and how we judge our own success.
Much of the new Code is about getting things right first time: cancelling charges for honest mistakes, capping charges for minor slips such as a mistyped registration, and making sure appeals are dealt with fairly. Technology has a big part to play in making that happen. The fewer errors that reach a motorist in the first place, the fewer appeals there are, and the more trust there is in the sector.
How we’re making issuance more accurate
We’re continually developing our platform to make the issuance of parking charges more accurate. That includes:
- Fuzzy matching: camera reads of number plates aren’t always perfect. Fuzzy matching intelligently cleans up imperfect reads and matches them against permits and payments, so a motorist who has paid isn’t charged because of a misread character.
- Human review before issue: charges aren’t simply generated automatically. A person checks before a ticket is issued, adding a layer of judgement that technology alone can’t provide.
- Configurable fields: operators can configure exactly what information is captured and checked for each site, so every charge carries the right detail for that location.
- Evidence that operators own: clear, complete evidence packs belong to the operator. That makes appeals faster and fairer for everyone involved.
Ready for greater transparency
The new Scrutiny and Oversight Board will require operators to report data on the charges they issue and the appeals they handle. We’re already working with the industry associations on data-sharing formats, so our customers are ready to provide that information when it’s needed.
Recognised for raising standards
We’re proud that this commitment has been recognised across the sector. In 2026, Unity5 won Parking In Action at the British Parking Awards and Parking Team of the Year at the IPC Awards.
Supporting our customers through the change
Parliament will now scrutinise the Code before it comes into force. We’ll be working closely with our customers over the coming months to help them understand what’s changing and to make sure our platform supports them every step of the way. If you’re still preparing for the industry’s Single Code of Practice, read our tips on how to be compliant.
The new Code is good news for motorists, for responsible operators and for the parking sector in the UK. It’s what we’ve always worked towards, and we look forward to helping raise the bar further.
If you’re an operator and want to talk about what the new Code means for you, contact your Unity5 Account Manager.
