Following the collapse of NCP into administration, drivers issued with parking charge notices (PCNs) may be uncertain whether they still need to pay. The short answer is yes, as administrators PwC confirm that all private parking penalties remain valid.
However, if you are owed money due to overcharging, it is unlikely you will receive a refund. PwC stated: "As a result of the administration, we are unfortunately unable to provide you with any refund."
Administrator's Statement
The administrators added: "Following the closure of a number of commercially unviable sites on 27 March and 16 April, it has not been possible to reach agreements to enable the continued operation of a further five loss-making sites."
Industry Analyst Reaction
Nick Bubb, an independent analyst, commented: "I can see in London that working from home post-pandemic and the congestion charge won't have helped, and that elsewhere a lot of traffic and footfall has shifted from high streets and shopping centres to retail parks out of town. But I'd still have thought that multistorey car parks were a reasonably defensive business, given the difficulty in finding parking."
Full List of NCP Car Park Closures
Closed on Thursday, April 30
- Bradford Southgate
- Chester Browns Yard
- Kidderminster Swan Centre
- Nottingham Huntingdon Street
- Southampton Portland Terrace
Closed on Thursday, April 16
- Belfast Dublin Road
- Coventry Belgrade Plaza
- Leicester St Nicholas Circle
- Sheffield Blonk Street
Closed on Friday, March 27
- Ashford County Square
- Ashton-un-Lyne Cotton Street
- Banbury Marlborough Road
- Bexley Royal Oak Road
- Birmingham Gough Street
- Bournemouth Hinton Road (already closed)
- Bristol Nelson Street
- Bromley Travelodge
- Eastbourne Trinity Place
- Exeter Market Street
- Grantham Station 1-3
- Hinckley Britannia Shopping Centre
- Ipswich Portman Road
- Leicester Abbey Street
- Leicester East Street
- Leicester Lee Circle
- Leicester Rutland Centre
- London King's Cross St Pancras
- London Knightsbridge
- Luton Regent Street
Future of NCP Sites
Nick Stockley, a partner at the law firm Mayo Wynne Baxter, suggests that more profitable sites at airports and stations are likely to remain parking venues with new owners, potentially saving some jobs. "It is unlikely that there will be any value in the NCP brand name," he says. "I don't think there's brand loyalty in a car park brand. People are interested in location."
