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Summary of our market study
Since 2020, the UK car park industry has been facing significant challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with road traffic levels dropping by 73% during lockdown measures, signaling a decline in parking demand. Despite this reduction, ParkLet reported a resurgence in demand once lockdown restrictions eased, with a 47% increase above typical April volumes as commuters opted for private transport over public to maintain safety. The average national parking fee in an off-street car park in the UK stands at £1.10 per hour, with London and Oxford being the most expensive cities at £3.00 per hour. On the other end, Belfast and Lisburn are among the cheapest at £0.30 per hour.
Major players in the parking industry include APCOA, Q-Park, NCP, Britannia Parking, and Purple Parking, with a focus on varied parking services such as airport parking, city center parking, and parking management solutions. The UK car parks industry revenue was £1.1 billion in 2021, and it is forecasted to grow by 10.2% in 2022. Despite the impacts of the pandemic, the market size is expected to recover, indicating a potentially positive outlook for the future.
UK Car Parking Market Trends and Demographics Analysis
The UK car parking market has been experiencing significant changes over the years, with both growth and declines that align with broader economic and societal trends. As of the end of 2021, Great Britain alone was home to between 30 and 35 million licensed cars, marking an increase of nearly 40% over the past 25 years. This growth suggests that the demand for parking spaces has similarly risen, albeit with the notable exception of 2020, when car registrations experienced a slight decrease for the first time in 25 years, likely due to the COVID-19 pandemic. By region, there's a clear imbalance in car ownership rates, with England averaging about 1.24 cars per household. Excluding London, this rate rises to 1.33 cars, indicating a higher demand for car parking outside the capital. London, interestingly, records the lowest rate at 0.78 cars per household, further reflected in the fact that more than 40% of London households don't own a car. In contrast, the South West and East of England boast the highest car ownership rates, averaging between 1.45 and 1.5 cars per household.
Travel behavior in the UK also shapes parking demand, as the vast majority of trips in England (94%) utilized private transport in 2020. Within this, cars and vans dominated as the chosen mode of transportation, accounting for 62% of these private journeys. Public transportation usage saw a significant drop in the financial year ending 2021, with journeys by local buses accounting for 68% of public transport trips, yet this represented a 68% decrease compared to the previous year due to the pandemic impact. The collective attitude towards transportation is another factor affecting the parking market. A large segment of the population, has a favorable view of travelling by car, compared to lower favorability for buses and bicycles. This preference contributes to the ongoing demand for parking services. Parking costs and the associated challenges, such as the time spent searching for available spaces, carry a substantial economic impact.
UK drivers spend an average of 44 hours per year looking for parking, which comes with a cost of £733 per driver in time, fuel, and emissions wasted. Collectively, issues like overpaying for parking, parking fines, and avoidance of driving to shops due to parking difficulties cost the UK billions of pounds annually.
Leading Companies Steering the UK's Car Park Industry
The United Kingdom's car park industry is facilitated by a number of key players who have established substantial footprints across the nation. These companies not only manage but also own and operate a diverse array of parking facilities catering to city centers, airports, and more.
- APCOA: APCOA stands for innovation and versatility in European parking solutions. With over four decades in the business, APCOA is at the forefront of the UK's parking industry, managing 1.3 million parking spaces across 12 countries. As the UK's leading parking management company, APCOA offers a suite of tailored services and operates from approximately 300,000 spaces in 700 distinct locations within the UK and Ireland.
- NCP (National Car Parks): An icon in the parking world, NCP breathes mobility. As the largest and longest-standing private car park operator in the UK, its name is synonymous with parking. Their portfolio includes more than 203,406 parking spaces in about 684 locations, serving customers with convenience and reliability. Under the ownership of Park24 and the Development Bank of Japan, NCP continues to evolve, contributing actively to a fluid urban landscape.
- Q-Park: A relative newcomer having entered the UK in 2001, Q-Park has rapidly climbed the ranks to become one of the leading car park companies in the country. They proudly boast around 70 parking structures, shaping the parking experience for 15 million visitors per year throughout the United Kingdom. True to their ethos, they are on a constant quest to acquire more sites to expand their strategic hold.
- Britannia Parking: Britannia deploys over two decades of expertise in the UK's parking management spectrum. Known for their expertise in running a diverse mix of parking facilities, they manage over 800 locations nationwide. Britannia's reputation cements its standing as one of the most respected operators in the country.
- Purple Parking: Specializing in the airport car parking service, Purple Parking makes the 'meet and greet' all the more seamless for travelers. By serving major UK airports, the company simplifies airport transitions for countless passengers. While primarily functioning as a booking agent, Purple Parking also takes pride in their park and ride services, ensuring that the journey starts off on the right foot.
Each of these companies plays a pivotal role in shaping the UK's car parking infrastructure.
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Summary and extracts
1 Synthèse du marché
1.1 Definition and scope of the study
Private parking lots are used for non-commercial use of parking space for motor vehicles. Paid parking lots may be considered "public" if they are regulated by municipalities. Private parking lots are often large, multi-story paved buildings and can be used for short-term parking or long-term storage of vehicles.
The global parking market is growing in line with global urbanization and the increasing number of vehicles on the road. In fact, the global private parking market is showing continued growth and is expected to remain so in the coming years. The parking market is expected to reach $140 billion in 2025, up from $44 billion in 2015. The market size, measured by revenue, of the Car Parks industry is £1.1bn in 2021. The market size of the Car Parks industry is expected to increase 10.2% in 2022. UK road traffic levels have fallen by 73% since the lockdown measures were introduced, and were at their lowest since 1955 – a stark indication of how hard the industry has been hit.
in 2018, Europe counted just under 500 million parking spaces, less than 15 million of which were private. In the UK there ar 17,000 - 20,000 car parks across the country where people regularly park their vehicles. Of those, It is estimated there are around 6,000 multi-storey car parks.
The five major players in the private parking industry in Uk are APCOA, Q-Park, NCP, Britannia Parking, and Purple Parking. While APCOA e Britannia Parking only manage car parks but do not own them, NCP and Q-Park also own car parks in addition to managing them. Then there is Purple Parking which act mainly as a booking agent for other airport parking service providers but they also provide park and ride services.
Across the UK, the average cost of parking in an off-street car park is £1.10 per hour. London, unsurprisingly, came out worst in the study of parking charges, with drivers in the capital forking out nearly three times the national average. The same applies to Oxford. At the other end of the table, drivers in Northern Ireland enjoy some of the lowest parking rates around
Future trends in the sector are the rise in data and integration, the switch to electric cars and the acceleration of autonomous vehicles.
1.2 The global private parking market
The global parking market is growing in line with global urbanization and the increasing number of vehicles on the road. In fact, the global private parking market is showing continued growth and is expected to remain so in the coming years. The parking market is expected to reach $*** billion in ****, up from $** billion in ****.
Moreover, the smart parking market represents a promising segment for the industry. The value of this segment, estimated at * billion in ****, could reach ** billion in ****.
Market value of the global parking market Europe and the United States, ****-****, in billions of dollars Source: ****
In ****, there were ** million parking spaces in Europe versus *** million in the United States. However, it is interesting to note that the breakdown into on-street and off-street parking spaces is different. In Europe, off-street spaces account for more than ** percent of total regulated parking. In the United States, on-street parking spaces are much more prevalent, accounting for nearly ** percent of the total.
Value of the Parking Market Europe and USA, **** - ****, in millions of units Source: ****
1.3 UK Market
The market size, measured by revenue, of the Car Parks industry is £*.*bn in ****. The market size of the Car Parks industry is expected to increase **.*% in ****. The market size of the Car Parks industry in the UK declined faster than the economy overall and faster than the Consumer Goods & Services sector overall. The primary positive factors affecting this industry are total number of registered motor vehicles and public concern over environmental issues. The number of registered motor vehicles is a key demand determinant for car parking services. When the number of motor vehicles expands, demand for car parking facilities tends to rise. A higher number of cars on the road represents an opportunity for the industry to boost revenue. In ****, the number of motor vehicles is expected to decrease, posing a threat to industry revenue.
Market size of the private parking market in the UK UK, ****-****, in millions of pounds Source: ****
1.4 Covid Impact
Figures published by the Cabinet Office indicate UK road traffic levels have fallen by **% since the lockdown measures were introduced, and were at their lowest since **** – a stark indication of how hard the industry has been hit.
However, as soon as locdown measures were loosened and people went back to work, there was an increase in the demand for parking spaces, according to ParkLet, the UK’s largest parking space letting agent. The company, which initially experienced an ** per cent slump in demand at the beginning of the UK’s lockdown period, has since seen a ** per cent rise above normal April volumes (***), as the country’s employees avoid using public transport and instead switch to driving to and from their workplace. With traditional city-centre parking often being overcrowded and overpriced, it appears many commuters are looking at alternative options such as renting private parking spaces.
Working from home is simply not possible for everyone and therefore those who do need to go out to work are trying their best to do so in the safest way possible. Due to the pandemic, many public transport services are operating on a reduced timetable, and so buses and trains can be overcrowded or ...
2 Analyse de la demande
2.1 Number of cars in UK
At the end of **** there were **,***,*** cars licensed in Great Britain (***). Over the past ** years, the number of cars in GB has risen **.*%. If growth continues at the same pace, we could have ** million cars on British roads by ****.
In **** the number of cars dropped (***)—while this is likely related to the pandemic, it is startling because looking back on ** years worth of data, **** was the first year that the number of registered cars decreased. And in **** the number of cars started to climb again.
How Many Cars are Registered in the UK? UK, ****-****, in millions Source: ****
motorization rate of *** cars per *,*** inhabitants in ****
Number of passenger cars per *,*** inhabitants in the United Kingdom UK, ****-****, in units Source: ****
2.2 Geographical distribution of demand
In ****, households in England had an average of *.** cars. However if we exclude London (***)
The biggest decrease in car ownership per household has occurred in London. In the ** years from **** to ****, the number of cars per household in London dropped *%, from *.** to *.**.
The biggest increase in car ownership per household was in the North East, where the number of cars per household grew **% from *.** in **** to *.** in ****.
In England overall, **.*% of households don't have a car. This number is a bit skewed by London, where **.*% of households have no car. If we consider households outside of London then **.*% don't have a car. In other words, * in * households outside of London don't drive. The South East and the South West have the highest rates of car ownership, with **.*% and **% of households having at least one car or van.
How Many Households Don't Have a Car? Uk, ****, in % Source: ****
2.3 Analysis of trips in Uk by type of transportation mode
On average, people in England made *** trips across private and public transport modes in ****. In ****:
the average number of trips fell **% compared to **** private transport accounted for the vast majority of trips (***)
How much english people travel on public transport ? Uk, ****, in % Source: ****
In **** the most used type of private transportation mode was the car/van: people made *** trips on average with the car/van (***)
Other private transport accounted for *% of total private trips (***): other private transport includes trips by private hire bus, such as school buses, and motorcycles.
Percentage of trips by type of private transport in the UK UK, ****, in % Source: ****
**% of public transport journeys in Great Britain were made on local buses in the financial year ending ****.
In the financial year ending **** in Great Britain, there were:
*.* billion passenger journeys made on public transport vehicles, down **% on the financial year ending **** *.* billion local bus passenger journeys, down **% on the financial year ending ****, and down **% from **** *.* billion journeys made by rail, down **% on the financial year ending ****, and down **% from **** of which *.* billion of journeys were made on the National Rail, down **% on the financial year ending **** *.* billion passenger journeys made on light rail and tram systems, ...
2.4 Attitudes toward different types of transportation
Despite government efforts to get more people on public transport to cut congestion and pollution, Britons would still rather hop in the car
As governments around the world look for ways to get citizens out of cars and onto public transport for health and environmental reasons, a new YouGov RealTime survey reveals that it won’t be easy. Britons would much rather just jump in the car.
When asked whether they have a favourable or unfavourable view of travelling in various ways, **% expressed a positive view of being a car driver.
But only two thirds of Britons (***).
At the very bottom of the transportation table come bicycles, which only four in ten (***) who feel the opposite.
Attitudes toward different types of transportation Uk, ****, % Source: ****
2.5 Costs and lost time due to parking search
UK drivers spend an average of ** hours a year searching for parking, at a cost of £*** each in wasted time, fuel and emissions, a total of £**.* billion across the country
Overpaying for parking costs British motorists up to an estimated £*.* billion a year or £*** per driver; UK drivers also pay £*.* billion annually in parking fines
Businesses and high streets bear the brunt of parking pain as **% of motorists avoid driving to shops due to problems finding parking
INRIX analysed parking pain in ** of the UK’s largest cities, with London ranking as the worst city to find parking. On average, drivers in the capital spend ** hours a year searching for a spot, costing them £*,*** each in wasted time, fuel and emissions and the city as a whole £*.* billion. Belfast came second (***).
Almost two thirds of British drivers (***) abandoned a trip due to issues finding a space. **% of motorists think there are not enough parking spaces available and **% said taking up two spaces is the worst parking “sin.”
UK Drivers Pay £*.*bn Annually in Parking Fines. No analysis of parking pain would be complete without understanding what drivers pay in fines. The survey asked how many parking tickets motorists received annually. The ...
3 Structure du marché
3.1 Main market players
In the UK there ar **,*** - **,*** car parks across the country where people regularly park their vehicles. Of those, It is estimated there are around *,*** multi-storey car parks . (***)
The five major players in the private parking industry in Uk are APCOA, Q-Park, NCP, Britannia Parking, and Purple Parking. While APCOA e Britannia Parking only manage car parks but do not own them, NCP and Q-Park also own car parks in addition to managing them. Then there is Purple Parking which act mainly as a booking agent for other airport parking service providers but they also provide park and ride services.
Q-Park arrived in the UK in **** and is now one of the UK’s leading car park companies with ** car parking facilities housing some **,*** parking spaces in key locations in the UK with over ** million visitors every year. Q-Park is continuously looking to buy, lease or manage new and existing parking facilities across the UK and Ireland. As a leading car parking operator with a European portfolio consisting of ***,*** parking spaces spread over more than *,*** parking facilities they have extensive knowledge and experience in the parking industry.
National Car Parks is a private car park operator, with car parks in towns, ...
3.2 Mid-size operators
Below is a list of some mid-size operators in the UK. This list includes both parking management companies, which manages and provides specialized services in different types of car parks, both companies that own car parks. There are companies that deal with different types of car parks: city centres, airport parkings lots, Hotel parkings lots, Shopping center parking lots and Fair and event parking lots.
3.3 Inudstry Innovation: parking space letting agents
ParkLet
ParkLet was launched in **** to offer an alternative to traditional parking. Parking had, and continues to, become ever more expensive and more difficult to find. The founder members had noticed unused private parking spaces in areas where parking was in high demand. ParkLet was created to offer an effective marketplace and management service for the letting of these parking spaces and garages.
Over the years the team has grown, and they become one of the UK’s leading agent for parking spaces and garages. They currently have in excess of **,*** spaces advertised to let, across the whole of the UK. The landlords include residential clients with a single space, as well as most of the national car park companies and councils, and most things in between.
JustPark
Founded in ****, JustPark has been making it easier for drivers to find, book and pay for parking for over ** years. It started with one simple idea: to connect drivers with unused driveways, garages and parking spaces. The platform made it easy for homeowners to make the most of their unused assets, whilst helping the UK grow its parking network in a uniquely sustainable way.Today over *m drivers use our award-winning app to ...
3.4 Future trends in the sector
The rise in data and integration
Many companies and landowners are gaining a deeper understanding of their car park usage from the data provided in their car park management system. You can gain valuable insight into your visitor’s parking behaviour. From visitor duration and loyalty to occupancy and capacity, there are numerous opportunities where data can help you make informed business decisions.
This insight using data and sensors can also benefit customers to help them find parking in and around city centres. Data from the system is loaded onto a smartphone app and provides real-time information on where a parking space is available.
Ultimately data enables you to provide better customer service and gives a better understanding of your customers. You can build a clear profile of your customer, review their visiting patterns and provide a better experience. By knowing more about your customer and their parking patterns you can develop personalised marketing offers and promotions. The potential for shops in town centres and out of town retail parks is endless.
This is only the beginning of how data and parking can work better together. Back in ****, the government announced the formation of the Alliance for Parking Data Standards (***). The ...
4 Analyse de l'offre
4.1 Overview of the offer
We can distinguish the supply of parking lots according to their different structure and according to their type or function.
Structure
Surface parking lots
Surface parking lots are parking lots on the same level, usually bounded by a fence, barriers, etc. This type of parking can be off-street or on-street. The main advantage of this type of parking is ease of access, as well as safety (***). However, it requires a significant investment considering the cost of land acquisition, and encourages urban sprawl.
Underground parking lots
Underground parking lots are parking lots located under buildings, either in the city or in the suburbs (***). They often have several levels, thus allowing significant savings on land investment. However, construction costs are often much higher, and underground parking lots are subject to a large number of regulatory requirements.
Multi-storey parking lots
Multi-storey parking lots are very similar to underground parking lots, the key difference being that the levels do not go below ground level, which saves heavy excavation work and costs.
Function
Another segmentation can be made by considering the specific function of parking lots.
Airport parking lots
Airport parking lots are characterized by high flows of cars and a wide variety of demands, from ...
4.2 Prices
Across the UK, the average cost of parking in an off-street car park is £*.** per hour. London, unsurprisingly, came out worst in the study of parking charges, with drivers in the capital forking out nearly three times the national average. The same applies to Oxford. At the other end of the table, drivers in Northern Ireland enjoy some of the lowest parking rates around
The data was revealed in a study of council data by apartment specialists Citybase
Top ** most expensive cities
Top ** cheapest cities
Other important cities
Below we provide prices from some of the leading companies in the industry
Market leaders
Q- Park
Q- Park - London Covent Garden
Up to * hour : £ *.**
Up to * hours : £ **.**
Up to * hours: £ **.**
Up to * hours: £ **.**
Up to * hours: £ **.**
Up to ** hours: £ **.**
Q- Park - Glasgow Sauchiehall Street
Entry from **:** to **:** : £ *.** Entry from **:** to **:** : £ *.** Entry from **:** to **:**: £ *.** Entry from **:** to **:** : £ *.** Up to ** hours: £ **.**
Q- Park - Manchester Piccadilly Place
Entry from **:** to **:** : £ *.** Entry from **:** to **:** : £ *.** Entry from **:** to **:**: £ *.** Up to ** hours: £ **.**
NCP
NCP - London Soho Brewer Street * hour £**.** * to * hours £**.** * to * hours £**.** * to * hours £**.** * to * hours £**.** * to ** hours £**.** NCP - Liverpool Capital
* hour £*.**
* to * hours £*.**
* to * hours £*.**
* to * hours ...
4.3 Cost of building a parking garage
The national average price to build a parking garage ranges from $*.*M to $**M with most people paying around $*.**M for a ***,*** sq.ft. multi-level parking garage above ground. The lowest costs associated with this project are $***,*** for a **,*** sq.ft. surface lot. The highest costs are $**M for a ***,*** sq.ft. multi-level parking garage on two underground levels and two four-person elevators.
The vast majority of parking garages built today use precast materials. Most garages use precast concrete pillars and forms, but some luxury garages and urban garages can also use precast brick and other decorative forms. Precast pillars and forms are less expensive and easier to build with, although they require transportation to the site, cranes, and heavy equipment to lift into place. Using precast forms means the garage can be built more quickly than if the concrete was poured, set, and cured on-site, which could stretch out the project’s length by days, weeks, or even months. Since precast is the most typical option, the rest of the prices in this cost guide will refer to precast instead of traditional garages.
The cost per space will be different in precast and traditional garages. The average precast parking garage ...
5 Règlementation
5.1 Regulations
The Private Parking Code of Practice is published by the Secretary of State for the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (***).
Attention is drawn to the following specific regulations and codes of practice:
The Protection of Freedoms Act **** The Parking (***) Act **** The Vehicle Excise and Registration Act **** The Surveillance Camera Code of Practice The General Data Protection Regulation **** (***) The Equality Act **** The Services, Public functions and Associations: Statutory Code of Practice, issued by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (***) The Consumer Rights Act ****
This Code of Practice specifies requirements for the operation and management of private parking by companies engaged in managing activities on four categories of controlled land:
Public Use Car Parks – land/premises where the parking of vehicles by members of the public is invited, subject to such terms and conditions as may apply; Private Use Car Parks – land/premises where the parking of vehicles is not openly available to the public, but is permitted for a defined set of vehicles, for example those driven by the employees and/or customers of a business, residents of a development, attendees of an event, or permitted visitors e.g. to a doctor’s surgery; Short-stay areas – land/premises where the ...
6 Positionnement des acteurs
6.1 Segmentation
- Q-Park
- National Car Parks
- APCOA UK
- Total Car Parks
- Airparks
- Ace Parking
- Just Park
- YourParkingSpace
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