Free Traffic Legal Advice

Finally got a reply from CPM.

"Dear X,
Our Reference: X
Parking Charge Notice: X

I write in response to your email correspondence regarding the above-cited matter, received into our Info inbox on
9

th January 2026. We apologise for the delay in response.
I understand that following the issuance of the cited Parking Charge Notice, you lodged representation against the
charge and made a complaint to the DVLA but state you have not received confirmation of the cancellation of the
same.

By way of background, UK Car Park Management Ltd (UKCPM) have been contracted to manage and enforce a
parking management scheme at the land at Haydon Way, Battersea, since March 2021 and to date, the majority of
the site remains under private ownership. Following your complaint to the DVLA and claims relating to the land
ownership, the matter was thoroughly investigated, and it transpired that part of the roadway had been adopted by
the local authority (Wandsworth Borough Council), but we had not been informed by any party involved. As such, a
full review was undertaken and I can assure you that any parking charges issued on the affected land have been
cancelled and where applicable, refunded. This included the parking charge issued to yourself, which was cancelled
by our Appeals Team on 31st December 2025. An email notification would have been sent at this time advising of the
cancellation.

In regards to the access of your personal data, private parking companies may obtain vehicle keeper details from the
Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) under Regulation 27(1)(e) of the Road Vehicles (Registration and
Licensing) Regulations 2002. This regulation permits the DVLA to disclose such information to third parties who can
demonstrate a “reasonable cause,” such as enforcing parking terms and conditions. To access this data, parking
companies must be members of an Accredited Trade Association (ATA) and adhere to strict data protection and
operational standards.

At the time of the issuance and based on the information available to us, this reasonable cause was satisfied as the
vehicle was parked in contravention of the advertised terms and conditions for the use of the land. Pursuant to thisunder Article 6(1)(f) of the UK GDPR, we processed your personal data on the lawful basis of our legitimate interests.
This included the recovery of an outstanding Parking Charge Notice (PCN) and the administration of any related
appeals.

As outlined from the outset, as it has since transpired that the land had been adopted and was no longer owned by
our instructing client, the parking charge was cancelled and your personal data removed from our systems. I can
assure you that the data was only shared with our mailing provider, which was held for 30 days following the serving
of the notice.

We sincerely apologise for the issuance of the parking charge and any inconvenience this may have caused. Again, I
can assure you that the parking charge has been cancelled, there is no outstanding balance, and no enforcement,
recovery activity, or further correspondence will take place. Your details will not be passed to any third-party
agencies, and the matter is permanently closed and cannot be reinstated.
I trust this brings the matter to an amicable conclusion. "

At least I've now had confirmation that it has been cancelled, but I've told them that I dispute their reasonable cause as they've said that it was parked in contravention of the advertised T&C, given that it wasn't. I also had a reply from the IPC, but that was next to useless and ignored the fact that I had contacted CPM several times and not had a reply.

So thanks all for your help.

So only the DVLA have replied so far.

"Dear xxx
Thank you for your correspondence of  about the release of information from the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency’s (DVLA) vehicle register. I have been asked to formally review your case at Step 1 of our complaints procedure. 
The DVLA takes the protection and security of its data very seriously and has procedures in place to ensure data is disclosed only where it is lawful and fair to do so and where the provisions of the Data Protection Law are met. The Agency must strike a balance between ensuring the privacy of motorists is respected while enabling those who may have suffered loss or damage to seek redress.
I have investigated the matter with UK Car Park Management Ltd who made the request to the DVLA for the registered keeper details for vehicle registration number (VRN) xxx. UK Car Park Management Ltd have confirmed that a Parking Charge Notice (PCN) was issued to you for breaching the terms and conditions at Haydon Way, London. UK Car Park Management Ltd have further confirmed that following their investigations they can confirm the PCN was issued in error. They have explained that as part of their internal controls on 27th October 2025 they were able to establish that a portion of the roadway at Haydon Way, London had been adopted, but unfortunately due to human error amendments were not made to their enforcement boundaries until 17th December 2025. UK Car Park Management Ltd have assurred me that the matter has been addressed with the individual concerned and a full review of the PCN’s issued within the incorrect time period has been undertaken. They have further confirmed that the PCN issued to you has been cancelled and you have been notified of this on 31st December 2025.
I would like to make it clear that while the DVLA uses an electronic line to provide registered keeper details, we do not use automated decision making. There is no requirement for a decision to be made to disclose information at the time an application is made. The request is received and processed in accordance with the terms and condition of the contractual agreement between the DVLA and the parking company. The evidence relevant to each request must be held by the company and made available to the DVLA upon request. This process is strictly audited and where any inappropriate use of DVLA data by a company is identified, swift and proportionate action is taken.
The DVLA requires private car parking operators to be members of a relevant ATA before providing vehicle keeper information. ATA membership helps to ensure parking companies operate within a code of practice and it is clearly in everyone’s interest for the ATAs to make sure that its members comply with the code. But we know that operators do make errors, some of which represent shortfalls in compliance with their code of practice. The DVLA takes such matters seriously and looks primarily to the ATA’s to monitor adherence to the code of practice and explore and address non-compliance when it arises.
The company in question, UK Car Park Management Ltd is a member of the International Parking Community Ltd (IPC) which is an Accredited Trade Association for the parking industry. The IPC’s code of practice is published on its website at www.theipc.info under the heading Accredited Operators Scheme. If a member of this AOS does not comply with the code of practice, it may be suspended or expelled, during which time no data will be provided to it by the DVLA. If you feel that any of the practices used by the company do not comply with the IPC’s code of practice you may wish to contact the IPC via their website or by writing to IPC, at PO Box 662 SK10 9NR. 
We have fully considered all the information available. If you feel that your complaint has not been resolved, you can request escalation of your complaint to Step 2 of the complaints process. Further options about our complaint procedure can be found online at www.gov.uk/dvla/complaints"

I haven't received any notification that the PCN has been cancelled yet, unless its in the post, but it is shown as cancelled on the website.

The bit about the adopted road suggests to me that the council adopted the road back on 27th October 2025 (which I think is unlikely, as I suspect that the road was adopted years ago given its location). That still sounds like CPM have accessed the data unlawfully. Can someone confirm if I'm correct in my understanding?

I'm heading out in a bit and will see if they've changed the signage there.

Once again, thank you for all of your help

I’ve had a reply back from Wandsworth Parking services which seems pretty positive.

“Dear Xxxx,
 
Thank you for reaching out to us. I wanted to confirm that you are correct in your observation; the private parking attendant indeed made an error regarding the designation of the land as highway land. I appreciate your attention to this detail.
 
To address this, I recommend that you contact the private parking company directly to instruct their attendants accordingly. Additionally, we will ensure that our parking contractor arranges more frequent checks at this location to prevent similar issues in the future. Rest assured, we will also reach out to the private parking company separately to inform them of this mistake and emphasize the importance of accuracy in their operations.
 
Once again, thank you for bringing this to our attention. If you have any further concerns or questions, please do not hesitate to let us know.
 
 Kind regards
 
Xxxxx
Parking Operations Officer
Serving Richmond and Wandsworth Councils”

Been sent, but acknowledged and no further reply

On the basis that the council come back and say that I was on their bit of the road, and CPM have no authority to act there, I presume that there are also issues with regards to CPM (and by extension the DVLA) misusing my data?

Pictures should be in correct order, as you enter street and then move to the sign. The other sign is in the same pillar, but on the side of it. These are the first CPM signs you see as you get into the road. To the right of the sign (Rochelle Close) is presumably council owned as there are no CPM signs whatsoever, but there are parking meters and with the local council details.

The Wandsworth council website says that the road has mixed ownership/responsibility, but it isn’t any clearer as to which bit is which

That is the only sign I could find, 75m into the road and well beyond where the vehicle was stopped but it isn't on the initial streetview image I provided, but is if you move into the street. If you were to stop on the left, then turn around and go into any of the premises on the main road, you'd never walk past it. As said, I don't doubt that they manage the land beyond, but I'm surprised they manage the whole thing.