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National Car Parks

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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

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BERJAYA
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

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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

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  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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