A proposal to allow drivers a grace period of 15 minutes if parking on double yellow lines has been rejected by the government, according to a written record of a House of Commons debate.

In place of the grace period, the government has taken alternative action in order to improve parking rules and regulations, a written answer from local government minister Brandon Lewis suggests.

In his correspondence, he lists all the changes that have been made since 2010, including how Labour’s Whitehall policy has been jettisoned, meaning local councils are no longer coerced into inflating car parking charges to discourage the public from using their cars. The government has also rolled out regulations requiring parking enforcement to be proportionate.

In addition, grace periods of ten minutes have been introduced so anyone using on-street parking or off-street municipal parking;will have longer to either extend their paid parking or move their car.

“Unreasonable parking charges and fines push up hard-working people’s cost of living. If parking is too expensive or difficult, shoppers will simply drive to out of town supermarkets or just shop online,undermining the vitality of town centres and leading to ‘ghost town’ high streets, “wrote Mr Lewis.

He believes the changes the coalition have made is evidence the government is standing up for hard-working people and local businesses. The reforms made since 2010 affect anyone working in parking and anyone wishing to park their cars in areas patrolled by traffic wardens.

The minister claims that previous rules and regulations allowed parking fines to be used as stealth taxes, which, in his opinion, is unconstitutional. However, Mr Lewis believes local councils have been making significant profits from parking revenues.

In his Written Answer, Mr Lewis quotes statistics from LV=, which reveal that there are nine million parking fines issued by local authorities every year, costing British motorists £30 million each month.

He believes some councils are raising money illegally through parking fines and despite the significant changes that have already been made, more needs to be done to prevent this from happening in the future.

The UK will always need parking professionals. As long as people continue to drive, parking regulations will be required to keep order in the country's towns and cities. The sector's long-term future is secure, but what is in store for it in the next few years? We take a look below.

Rising demand
Britain's roads keep on getting busier. Official figures show that with the odd exception of 1991, the number of vehicles licensed for use in the country has increased year on year since the end of World War Two and stood at 35.3 million during the first quarter of 2014.

That's a lot of vehicles and they all need to be parked somewhere. What's more, the number will almost certainly grow even further with each year that passes. The parking profession will be needed to keep order amongst this expansion and ensure regulations are upheld; otherwise the UK's towns and cities could quickly descend into congested chaos that will make it difficult for anyone to get anywhere.

Tackling confusion
For civil enforcement officers, educating the public is becoming an increasingly important part of their day-to-day work. A strong emphasis is being placed on the customer service aspect of the role and officers are expected to be able to provide motorists with information and advice that will reduce the chances of them breaching parking regulations in the future.

It would seem this is necessary, as the results of a survey suggest there is a lot of confusion surrounding parking at the moment. A poll undertaken by Churchill Car Insurance last month found 22 per cent of drivers have had their vehicle clamped or towed because they were unable to understand parking regulations in their area.

Furthermore, one in three people said they avoid parking in their local town or city centre as they are unsure of parking rules. This even prevents ten per cent of people from parking within their own residential area.

Understandably, the problem is worse in London, with 48 per cent of people unsure about parking restrictions in the capital.

This is a high level of confusion and it may well be the responsibility of people in the parking industry to educate the public and ensure as many drivers as possible know and understand the regulations where they live.

Government attention
It's less than a year until the next general election and the way the country votes may well have a bearing on the profession, as both Labour and the Conservatives have their own opinions on how parking regulations should be enforced.

There has been a fair amount of attention towards the sector from the current government recently. The coalition has decided to limit councils' use of camera cars in identifying parking offences and this will place extra emphasis on civil enforcement officers to ensure regulations are upheld.

Politicians have also expressed unhappiness with the amount of money some local authorities have been raising through parking fines and any changes that stem from this are likely to have an impact on officers as well.

Parking is a challenging and rewarding industry to work in. One of the main reasons for this is the fact it's a sector that provides plenty of opportunities for progression. Develop the right skills and make the right choices and you'll be able to work your way up the career ladder taking on more responsibility and improved pay as you go along. 

But just what does it take to get ahead in parking? Here's some tips to help you progress.

Know the industry
Anyone who wants to get ahead in parking needs to get to know the industry as well as possible. Keeping abreast of all the latest goings on and developing an excellent understanding of regulations will not only improve your day-to-day work, but allow you to impress potential employers with your knowledge when applying for a new role. Having a close eye on the news, reading industry publications and regularly visiting relevant websites will all help you to build up a good level of knowledge.

Get qualified
Another way to progress in parking is to strengthen your CV with as many qualifications as possible. Organisations such as the British Parking Association (BPA) offer a range of qualifications that allow you to develop new skills and demonstrate your experience and abilities to employers. Some parking jobs may give you the opportunity to gain these qualifications as part of the position - if not, you may have to study for them independently. The latter could well work in your favour, as it demonstrates you have the initiative and drive to pursue personal improvement.

Network
Networking is also useful when it comes to parking progression. Getting your name out there and meeting other people within the industry builds useful contacts that may well come in handy when applying for new positions. Attending industry events such as those held by the BPA is one way of achieving this. The organisation hosts both national and regional events, and this represents an ideal chance to meet fellow parking professionals and make connections that could lead to new opportunities.

Have the right attitude
As with any industry, it takes the right sort of attitude to get ahead in parking. You'll need to be committed to your work and be willing to go the extra mile at times if you want to stand out from the crowd. Individuals that climb the career ladder tend to be positive and proactive, with a genuine desire to improve and better themselves. Of course, the standard of your work will need to back this up and having a track record of success and good performance is vital when pushing for a promotion.

Think you're ready to take the next step in your career? Take a look at the parking jobs we have on offer. We have vacancies at all levels, so there's bound to be something that's right for you. If you're looking to enter the sector and start working your way up we regularly have entry-level roles available too.  

The government has appointed Dr Ros Altmann as a business champion for workers aged over 50 in an effort to support older people in the UK’s labour market, according to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).

As part of her new role, Dr Altmann will be tasked with making the case for older workers within the business community and challenging antiquated perceptions of the over-50s. She has a wealth of experience, which comes from her years spent as the director-general of Saga and independent expert on later life issues.

The move comes in the wake of the publication of a new report - entitled Fuller Working Lives – A Framework For Action’ - which explained the benefits to the economy, businesses and individuals of those aged over 50 staying in employment.

Commenting in her appointment, Dr Altmann said: “A big part of my role is to work with employers to understand the significant benefits of retaining and recruiting older workers. This fast-growing section of society has so much experience and talent to offer and could play a vital role in future growth.

“Everyone can benefit from ensuring their skills do not go to waste. I also look forward to challenging some of the outdated and downright inaccurate perceptions of later life workers who still have so much to offer.”

DWP Minister Steve Webb added that he wanted to appoint an individual with a powerful and respected voice within the business community and desired a person with a proven track record of speaking up with consumer rights without bias or fear. He believes Dr Altmann ticks all of these boxes.

According to Mr Webb, older workers can bring benefits to any workforce and are a source of untapped talent in Britain’s labour market. Currently, there are around 2.9 million people aged between 50 and the state pension age out of work in the UK, meaning they could well be a good source of candidates for parking jobs and positions in other sectors.

This country’s unemployment rate is around 60 per cent for this particular age group, compared to 70 per cent and above elsewhere in the world, which means there is a significant potential for older people to contribute in the labour market for longer.

So, you've heard about the parking industry and think it is the right career path for you. It's a good choice, but exactly how do you go about getting started in the industry, what qualifications will you need and what sort of parking jobs are available? Read on to find out.

Key skills
The exact skills needed to get into parking depend on the specific position, but there a few core attributes that are useful for the sector as a whole. These include :

- A strong work ethic
- Good communication skills
- Patience and tact 
- Calmness under pressure
- Strong numeracy skills 
- Good IT skills 

Entry-level roles
As with any industry, people getting started in the parking sector will nearly always begin at an entry-level position before moving up the career ladder as their skills and experience grow. Two of the typical starting roles in the sector are detailed below. 

Civil enforcement officer
More commonly known as traffic wardens to the general public, civil enforcement officers walk the UK's streets ensuring parking regulations are upheld. 

So what does it take to become an officer? There are often no formal entry requirements, but a strong academic background with good GCSEs in Maths and English usually helps. Any experience that relates to the duties undertaken in the role is also highly useful. 

For example, having experience of using communication skills and working in a customer service environment would set you in good stead. Other attributes employers look for in civil enforcement officers include physical fitness - you'll be expected to cover a lot of ground on foot - and computer literacy, as you may have to use a number of different devices on a day-to-day basis. 

Another thing to think about is having a driving licence. This isn't a requirement for all civil enforcement officer roles, but it is for some and may add weight to your application. There are plenty of other skills that come in handy for an officer and being able to demonstrate these in your application will go a long way:

- Ability to work in a team and on your own initiative
- Good decision-making skills even when under pressure 
- Strong written English for keeping records
- Knowledge of health and safety

Of course, any knowledge or experience of parking you have will also prove extremely useful.

Parking attendant
A good way to enter the parking sector can be to gain experience as a parking attendant. Often part-time, this position involves providing assistance at car parks to ensure people park their vehicle correctly and make sure any congestion is avoided.

Again, there are rarely any specific qualifications needed for this position, but there are a few skills that will give you a good chance of securing the role. Excellent communication skills are vital, as is the ability to be polite and patient with the public. Parking attendants are often part of a team, so you'll need to work well with others. Furthermore, the role tends to involve a lot of weekend and evening work, so flexibility is a must.

The skills and experiences developed as a parking attendant can be very useful for moving into a full-time parking position such as a civil enforcement officer.
 
Looking for an entry-level parking job? Take a look at our vacancies.

It is probably safe to say that parking isn't always the first thing that springs to mind when people are considering what career path to take. However, when you stop to think about it, having an effective parking sector is actually vital for the day-to-day operations of the whole country.

According to statistics from the Department for Transport, there are currently more than 35 million vehicles licensed for use on the UK's roads at present. Meanwhile, more than 15 million people drive to work every single day.

That's a lot of cars and a lot of drivers, all of whom need a place to park. Without parking professionals to manage these huge numbers, there would be chaos on the roads throughout the country. If you think congestion and traffic are a problem at the moment, imagine how bad it would be without the parking sector keeping order.

It's clear parking professionals are a vital part of the UK's workforce, but what are some of the exact positions available in the industry?

- Civil Enforcement Officer (Traffic Warden)
- Car Park Attendant
- Parking Manager
- CCTV Operator
- Parking Policy and Performance Manager
- Parking Supervisor
- Traffic Engineer
- Head of Parking
- Controlled Parking Zone Design

The roles above are just a snapshot of some of the most common positions available in the parking sector. So, now that you know what types of parking jobs are on offer, who will you be working for should you pursue a career in the industry?

Many parking positions such as Civil Enforcement Officer are employed by councils and local authorities. It is the responsibility of these organisations to ensure the UK's roads as are as safe and efficient as possible, so it's natural that they are responsible for the parking sector.

Plenty of pros

Working in the public sector can have many advantages. Pay tends to be higher than in the private sector, with superior holidays and pension schemes often on offer as well. What's more, you get the satisfaction of knowing your work is making a contribution to the local community, as the fees raised from parking offences are regularly put towards road repairs and other useful causes. Jobs in parking are not exclusively found in the public sector, however, and there are plenty of positions on offer with private companies that are often well paid.

Parking is a worthwhile and rewarding career that allows you to provide a service the country needs, but what are the other advantages? Positions such as Civil Enforcement Officer involve spending much of the day out on the streets on patrol. If you don't like the thought of being sat in front of a computer in an office for 40 hours every week this could be the job for you. There also tends to be wide level of variation in parking jobs and it's rare to be stuck doing the same task over and over again.

Parking is a sector that provides plenty of opportunities for progression and while you will likely need to start at an entry-level position it will be possible to move up into management and more senior roles as your level of skill and experience grows.

Interested in pursuing a career in the parking sector? Here at Unity we are specialists for recruitment in the industry. Click here to see the range of parking jobs we currently have on offer.

Plymouth City Council has issued a statement saying it will continue using a camera car to enforce parking rules.

This is despite the government approving a new law that bans local authorities from using the vehicles to punish certain offences such as breaching no loading restrictions.

A spokesperson for the council told local newspaper The Herald: "Camera cars have not been banned. There are, however, government plans to stop them being used to enforce certain things.

"Our camera car spends the majority of its time checking for inconsiderate and dangerous parking at bus stops and schools and this important enforcement will not be affected by the planned changes."

The spokesperson went on to add that all of the fines imposed thanks to the camera car are reinvested into road repairs in Plymouth and said the police, local bus companies and parents of school children are very supportive of the vehicles.

Earlier this week, communities secretary Eric Pickles claimed "greedy councils" were using camera cars as a "cash cow" to boost their incomes.

New regulations mean tickets can no longer be issued through the post for parking offences caught on CCTV unless they occur on critical routes, such as near schools and bus lanes. This is a significant change for people with careers in parking , as it means more emphasis will be placed on tickets that are physically attached to car windscreens.

Transport secretary Patrick McLoughlin said the new rules are fairer on drivers and will ensure parking enforcement is proportionate to the offence that has been committed.

The use of CCTV to monitor parking was first enforced by the Labour Party ten years ago. Some nine million fines are now imposed by local authorities on an annual basis, with £1.3 billion raised in this way in 2010.

A three-month consultation led to the decision to change the rules in this area and councils will now be forced to publish details of how the money they raise from parking fines is spent.

The new car market in the UK experienced further growth last month, new figures have revealed.

According to data from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), new car registrations went up by 7.7 per cent in May 2014 to 194,032. 

This means that the market has experienced growth in 27 successive months. The figure for May was also the highest amount recorded at this time of year in a decade.

Mike Hawes, chief executive of SMMT, commented: "The new car market has now grown in every month since March 2012 - the longest period of growth on record and a reflection of the UK's ever-improving economic conditions."

Figures from the organisation also indicated that during the year to date, the number of registrations has gone up to 1,058,974 units - an increase of 11.6 per cent.

Mr Hawes has attributed the upturn over the last 27 months to a number of factors, including increasing confidence among consumers and the emergence of some "fantastic new products".

For instance, he stated that the latest models offer attractive features including improved fuel economy and highly innovative technologies.

In addition, Mr Hawes noted that dealerships have been attracting buyers by offering competitive deals that are helping to make new cars more affordable.

However, he is not expecting this significant rate of growth in the new car market to hold up during the rest of the year.

This, he said, is because underlying demand is likely to stabilise and therefore lead to growth rates "levelling off" slightly.

Mr Hawes added that estimates from the SMMT suggest the marketplace will see a rise of approximately six per cent throughout the year as a whole.

The previous longest period of consecutive monthly growth in new car registrations in the UK came in the late 1980s, with an upturn taking place in 26 months from May 1987 to June 1989.

This followed a 21-month period of growth in the marketplace between August 1962 and April 1964.

The majority of employers in the UK are planning to increase their recruitment of permanent staff over the coming quarter, according to a newly-released report.

Figures from the latest monthly Jobs Outlook survey published by the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) show eight out of ten (83 per cent of firms) are intending to create more long-term positions for candidates during the next three months.

In addition, 81 per cent plan to up their staff intake within four to 12 months, a slight increase from the statistic reported four weeks ago.

More than one-third (34 per cent) of employers have found they need an increased number of workers to deal with rises in demand, with 51 per cent planning to recruit these from agencies.

Almost half (48 per cent) intend to do this at some point in the next four to 12 months, even if they do not have immediate plans to contact agencies for more staff.

At the beginning of 2014, just 25 per cent felt the need to recruit more employees to deal with the amount of demand they were experiencing, so this indicates a significant increase.

Head of policy at the REC Kate Shoesmith commented: "Business confidence continues to grow and it is excellent news to see employers planning to hire more people on permanent contracts for the rest of 2014.

"Despite the skills shortages taking hold of many sectors, it is testament to the hard work of recruiters that nearly 90 per cent of employers are satisfied with the quality of the candidates being put forward by their agency."

The survey also found 61 per cent of companies have not needed to reduce the cost of their workforce during the last 12 months, whether by redundancies, cutting pay, reducing workers' hours or freezing recruitment.

This suggests the UK is currently experiencing a period of business stability, the REC states, which is likely to be due to the steadily recovering economy.

New government funding could lead to an even wider range of vehicles being fitted with carbon-reduction components and new fuel systems.

People in automotive jobs have already been tasked with greening the bus fleets of 26 local authorities across the UK with the money made available by the Clean Bus Technology Fund, but now the coalition has announced a further £5 million will be devoted to cutting road pollutants.

The cash comes from the Clean Vehicle Technology Fund and will allow councils in England to bid for state funding to continue making improvements to their fleets. This time, the money will not be restricted to buses and any vehicle that is predominantly used on local roads with poor air quality will be eligible for a mechanical upgrade.

Announcing the provision of the new fund, transport minister Baroness Kramer said: "We are raising the bar and making sure that the ongoing trend of improving air quality continues.

"This £5 million will mean less harmful exhaust fumes from buses, and other vehicles, in some of our most polluted urban areas. This funding will also secure jobs and growth in the industries delivering the technology."

The government stresses its main priority is to reduce pollutant emissions from older vehicles. Mechanics and engineers who have experience working with heavy duty vehicles that produce high concentrations of nitrogen oxides could be high demand.

According to the Department for Transport, the next step of the process will see local authorities receive a letter from the transport minister outlining the requirements for entering a bid for funds. The correspondence state that the deadline for applications to be considered for the funding will be Friday July 25th 2014.

This is the latest drive in a long-standing battle to update the UK's public sector vehicles and help cut emissions to bring them into line with long-term European air quality targets.