Stayed Less Than 10 Minutes Over Your Allowed Time

Parking operators who belong to the BPA or IPC must give you at least 10 minutes after your paid or permitted time runs out before they can issue a ticket. This is the grace period in the industry's joint Single Code of Practice (paragraph 5.2 and Annex B Table B.1), in force since 1 October 2024, and the Code states a parking charge must not be issued during a grace period. If your overstay was 10 minutes or less, the ticket should not have been issued and can be cancelled on appeal. Note: the grace period applies at paid or time-limited car parks; it does not apply in designated short-stay areas (30 minutes or less, e.g. station drop-off zones).

Legal basis

BPA–IPC Private Parking Sector Single Code of Practice v1.1 (in force from 1 October 2024): para 5.2 (grace period — 'A parking charge must not be issued during a Grace Period') and Annex B Table B.1 (minimum 10-minute grace period at paid and time-limited sites). (Verified against fetched Code text 2026-07-14.)

How to identify this in your case

Compare ANPR entry/exit times on the PCN with the paid duration plus 10 minutes. If overstay is 10 minutes or less and the operator is BPA or IPC accredited, the Code applies.

Sample appeal wording

Dear [Operator Name], Re: PCN [PCN_NUMBER] — Vehicle [VRM] — [SITE_NAME] — [DATE] The PCN records ANPR entry at [ENTRY_TIME] and exit at [EXIT_TIME], a total stay of [TOTAL_MINUTES] minutes. I was permitted parking until [PAID_UNTIL_TIME], meaning my overstay was [OVERSTAY_MINUTES] minutes. Under the Private Parking Sector Single Code of Practice (BPA/IPC, effective 1 October 2024), operators must apply a minimum 10-minute grace period at the end of a parking stay before issuing a PCN. As my overstay falls within this grace period, this PCN is in clear breach of the Code. I require cancellation in full within 14 days. Failing that I will appeal to [POPLA/IAS] citing the Code breach and ParkingEye v Beavis [2015] UKSC 67 on proportionality. Yours faithfully, [Driver Name]

Replace [PARKING DATE], [NtK DATE] etc. with your own dates before sending.

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Sources

Private Parking Sector Single Code of Practice (BPA/IPC, 27 June 2024)
https://www.which.co.uk/news/article/new-private-parking-code-of-practice-comes-into-force-amEPQ4x3t1ek