A lot of people are asking the same question right now: if NCP has gone bust, do I still have to pay that fine? The short answer is yes — and ignoring it could land you in trouble.
Car leasing experts at LeaseLoco are warning drivers not to assume that NCP going into administration wipes the slate clean. The company still legally exists — it’s just being run by accountancy firm PwC, who were brought in as administrators back in March. And as far as they’re concerned, it’s business as usual.
John Wilmot, CEO of LeaseLoco, said: “A lot of people are confused about where this leaves them and we’re worried the news is going to catch some drivers out. If you are using an NCP car park, remember to continue to pay as normal — otherwise you can still face a fine.”
He added: “Those with existing fines should also treat these as they usually would by either appealing or paying it off. NCP has gone into administration which means it still exists — this doesn’t make fines void all of a sudden.”
PwC confirmed this week that “all other car parks remain open to customers” — so if you’re parking in one of Swansea’s three NCP car parks, you still need to pay.
So why did NCP collapse in the first place? The company — which manages 340 car parks and employs around 681 people nationally — never really recovered from the pandemic. Fewer people commuting into city centres meant lower occupancy, and the company was stuck in long-term leases it couldn’t get out of. Eventually it ran out of cash, and the directors called in the administrators.
Since then, PwC has been closing the sites it can’t make work. Twenty car parks shut on 27 March, including sites in Birmingham, Bristol, London and Leicester. Four more followed on 16 April in Belfast, Coventry, Leicester and Sheffield. Five more closed on 30 April in Bradford, Chester, Kidderminster, Nottingham and Southampton.
That’s 29 closures in total — and not one of them is in Wales.
When NCP entered administration in March, Swansea’s three city centre car parks — Kingsway, Orchard Street and City Gates — were immediately put under a cloud of uncertainty. Together they provide a huge chunk of city centre parking, and their loss would be a serious blow for shoppers, workers and visitors.
Kingsway alone is one of the busiest car parks in the city centre — a short walk from the Quadrant, the market and the high street. Losing it, along with Orchard Street and City Gates, would leave a significant hole in Swansea’s parking provision at a time when the city centre is already fighting to attract footfall.
The good news is that all three have survived every round of cuts so far. But survival so far is not the same as safety — and the administrators have been clear that every site remains under ongoing review.
The big date is Wednesday 20 May, when NCP’s creditors meet to discuss the future of the business. A creditors meeting is where the people owed money — landlords, suppliers, lenders — get to hear what the administrators have found and what the options are. PwC has said it is exploring a potential sale of all or part of the company as one route forward.
If a buyer is found, some or all of the remaining car parks could continue under new ownership. If not, further closures are likely. Either way, May 20 should bring some clarity on which way the wind is blowing for Swansea.
Until then, the message from the experts is simple: carry on as normal. Pay for your parking. Pay your fines. Don’t assume the chaos means you can get away with it — because you can’t.
