National Car Parks
.svg.png) | |
Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Car parking |
| Founded | 3 January 1931[1] |
| Founder | Colonel Frederick Lucas[2] |
| Fate | In administration (administrators appointed 16 March 2026)[3] |
| Headquarters | London, England[1] |
Number of locations | 340 car parks (2026)[2] |
Area served | United Kingdom |
| Owner | Park24 Development Bank of Japan[3][4] |
Number of employees | 682 (2026)[2] |
| Website | ncp |
National Car Parks (NCP) is a British private 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.[2][3]
In 2017 the business was acquired by Park24 and the Development Bank of Japan.[4] On 16 March 2026, the company entered administration and PwC was appointed as administrator.[3][5]
History
The company was incorporated in 1931 and is commonly traced to its founder, Colonel Frederick Lucas.[1][2] It expanded after being acquired in 1959 by Central Car Parks, a business formed by Sir Ronald Hobson and Sir Donald Gosling, who developed car parks on vacant sites in central London after the Second World War.[2]
In 1993 NCP chief executive Gordon Layton was acquitted in an Old Bailey trial following allegations of industrial espionage against rival company Europarks.[6]
In 1998 NCP was sold to the US company Cendant for £801 million.[7] In 2005 it was acquired by 3i for £555 million.[8] In 2007, 3i sold NCP's off-street parking business to a fund managed by Macquarie for £790 million.[9] Macquarie later agreed a sale to a consortium of Park24 and the Development Bank of Japan in 2017.[4]
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.[10][11]
In March 2026, NCP entered administration, with PwC appointed as administrators while the business continued to trade.[3][2]
Operations
NCP operates off-street car parks across the United Kingdom, including locations in town and city centres and at major transport hubs.[2][5]
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]
References
- ^ a b c "NATIONAL CAR PARKS LIMITED overview". Companies House. Retrieved 20 March 2026.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Prynn, Jonathan (16 March 2026). "Britain's biggest car park operator NCP crashes into administration". The Standard. Retrieved 20 March 2026.
- ^ a b c d e "Car park firm NCP falls into administration, putting nearly 700 jobs at risk". The Guardian. 16 March 2026. Retrieved 20 March 2026.
- ^ a b c "Macquarie European Infrastructure Fund II reaches agreement to sell holding in National Car Parks to Park24". Macquarie. 14 July 2017. Retrieved 20 March 2026.
- ^ a b "Changes to UK working habits push car park group into administration". Financial Times. 16 March 2026. Retrieved 20 March 2026.
- ^ "Car parks chief is cleared of spying on rival". The Independent. 13 March 1993. Retrieved 20 March 2026.
- ^ "Millions for car park entrepreneurs". BBC News. 24 March 1998. Retrieved 20 March 2026.
- ^ "NCP car parks and traffic wardens sold for £555m". The Guardian. 13 July 2005. Retrieved 20 March 2026.
- ^ "3i sells car parks firm to Macquarie for $1.5 bln". Reuters. 9 August 2007. Retrieved 20 March 2026.
- ^ "Collapse at Nottingham car park leaves vehicles dangling". The Guardian. 19 August 2017. Retrieved 20 March 2026.
- ^ "Nottingham NCP car park collapse prompts call for answers". BBC News. 21 August 2017. Retrieved 20 March 2026.
- ^ "Car Park Management Services (awarded contract)". Contracts Finder (GOV.UK). 1 February 2023. Retrieved 20 March 2026.
- ^ Moran, Mark (10 November 2022). "Saba to operate Transport for London's car parks". Local Transport Today (TransportXtra). Retrieved 20 March 2026.
External links
Media related to National Car Parks at Wikimedia Commons
