How to appeal a Manchester Airport parking charge
If you have had a parking charge from Manchester Airport, you do not have to just pay it. Many of these charges can be appealed, and this guide walks through the grounds that work and how to escalate to POPLA if the operator says no.
Who issues the charge
Charges at Manchester Airport are issued by APCOA Parking Services. They are a private parking charge, not a council fine, so the route to challenge them is different. You appeal to APCOA first, and if they reject you, you escalate for free to the independent appeals service, POPLA.
Check the charge is even right
Before you argue anything else, check the sums. These are the figures shown on the drop-off signage at the terminals. If the amount demanded does not match, say so in your appeal, and ask the operator to justify how it was calculated.
| Up to 5 minutes | £5.00 |
|---|---|
| Up to 10 minutes | £6.20 |
| Up to 30 minutes | £25.00 |
| Blue Badge holder | Free of charge |
| Paid within 14 days | £60.00 |
|---|---|
| Paid after 14 days | £100.00 |
Figures as displayed on terminal drop-off signage. Tariffs change, so treat your own notice and the signs on the day as the authority.
Grounds that tend to work
- Registered keeper on byelaws land. Manchester Airport sits on statutory byelaws land, not "relevant land" under the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012, so liability does not automatically pass to you as the keeper. You do not have to name the driver.
- Drop off or pick up. A brief stop to set down or collect passengers is not really parking, and no contract to park was formed.
- Unclear or missing signage. If the signs were not obvious, no clear contract was communicated to the driver.
- Wrong turn, especially at Terminal 2. The barrier-less layout is easy to enter by mistake, which is not a decision to park.
The two stages
- Appeal to APCOA Parking Services. Do this within the deadline on your notice, usually 28 days. Expect an automatic rejection, that is normal and is the gateway to stage two.
- Appeal to POPLA. Use the verification code the rejection gives you. POPLA is independent, free to you, and binding on the operator.
One thing to avoid
Do not name the driver. As the registered keeper, keeping the driver unnamed preserves the byelaws defence above. Write in the third person, about "the driver".
This guide is general information to help you write your own appeal. It is not legal advice, and an outcome cannot be guaranteed. Only rely on grounds that are true for your situation. Manchester Airport Parking Appeal is independent and not affiliated with Manchester Airport, MAG or APCOA Parking Services.