National Car Parks

National Car Parks
TypePrivate
IndustryCar parking
Founded3 January 1931
FounderColonel Frederick Lucas
HeadquartersLondon, England
Number of locations
340 (March 2026)
Area served
United Kingdom
Revenue£187 million (2023)
£11 million (2023)
Number of employees
682 (2026)
ParentPark24
Development Bank of Japan
Websitencp.co.uk

National Car Parks (NCP) is a British car park operator. Founded in 1931, it manages off-street car parks in towns and cities, including sites at airports, hospitals and National Rail stations. In March 2026 it entered voluntary administration.

History

NCP car park in Brewer Street, London

NCP was incorporated in 1931 and is commonly traced to its founder, Colonel Frederick Lucas.[1] It expanded after being acquired in 1959 by Central Car Parks, a business formed by Ronald Hobson and Donald Gosling, who developed car parks on vacant sites in Central London after World War II.[1]

In 1993 NCP chief executive Gordon Layton was acquitted in an Old Bailey trial following allegations of industrial espionage against rival company Europarks.[2]

In 1998 NCP was sold to the US company Cendant for £801 million.[3] In 2005 it was acquired by 3i for £555 million.[4] In 2007, 3i sold NCP's off-street parking business to a fund managed by Macquarie Group for £790 million.[5] In 2017 Macquarie sold NCP to a consortium of Park24 and the Development Bank of Japan.[6]

Part of an NCP-operated multi-storey car park in Nottingham collapsed on 19 August 2017, leaving vehicles hanging over the edge of the building; no injuries were reported.[7][8]

In March 2026 NCP entered voluntary administration with PwC appointed as administrator while the business continued to trade.[9][1] By May 2026 29 sites had closed.[10]

Operations

NCP operates off-street car parks across the United Kingdom, including locations in town and city centres and at major transport hubs.[1][11]

NCP previously operated a portfolio of Transport for London station car parks; the contract was awarded to Saba with effect from January 2023.[12][13]

In November 2005 NCP began operating bus routes 33 and 419 through its NCP Challenger subsidiary under contract to Transport for London.[14] It later operated routes 272, 283, 440 and E11.[15][16]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Prynn, Jonathan (16 March 2026). "Britain's biggest car park operator NCP crashes into administration". Evening Standard. Retrieved 20 March 2026.
  2. ↑ "Car parks chief is cleared of spying on rival". The Independent. 13 March 1993. Retrieved 20 March 2026.
  3. ↑ "Millions for car park entrepreneurs". BBC News. 24 March 1998. Retrieved 20 March 2026.
  4. ↑ "NCP car parks and traffic wardens sold for £555m". The Guardian. 13 July 2005. Retrieved 20 March 2026.
  5. ↑ "3i sells car parks firm to Macquarie for $1.5 bln". Reuters. 9 August 2007. Retrieved 20 March 2026.
  6. ↑ "Macquarie European Infrastructure Fund II reaches agreement to sell holding in National Car Parks to Park24". Macquarie Group. 14 July 2017. Retrieved 20 March 2026.
  7. ↑ "Collapse at Nottingham car park leaves vehicles dangling". The Guardian. 19 August 2017. Retrieved 20 March 2026.
  8. ↑ "Nottingham NCP car park collapse prompts call for answers". BBC News. 21 August 2017. Retrieved 20 March 2026.
  9. ↑ "Car park firm NCP falls into administration, putting nearly 700 jobs at risk". The Guardian. 16 March 2026. Retrieved 20 March 2026.
  10. ↑ Site closure list PwC
  11. ↑ "Changes to UK working habits push car park group into administration". Financial Times. 16 March 2026. Retrieved 20 March 2026.
  12. ↑ "Car Park Management Services (awarded contract)". Contracts Finder. 1 February 2023. Retrieved 20 March 2026.
  13. ↑ Moran, Mark (10 November 2022). "Saba to operate Transport for London's car parks". TransportXtra. Retrieved 20 March 2026.
  14. ↑ Competition for London bus contracts increases as NCP awarded two routes Transport for London 23 March 2005
  15. ↑ Latest News NCP Challenger 5 January 2007
  16. ↑ NCP Challenger's route 283 goes live NCP Challenger 3 March 2009

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