On the horizon – Multi Storey Car Parks Bill

The Multi Storey Car Parks (Safety) Bill is a Private Member’s Bill introduced by Peter Dowd MP in 2025, currently progressing through Parliament with its second reading still to be scheduled. Its aim is to substantially raise safety standards in multi storey car parks across England and Wales.

 

The Bill is closely linked to ‘Gabe’s Law’, a national campaign that emerged following the tragic death of 15-year-old Gabriel Santer, who fell from a car park in Liverpool.

 

At its core, the Bill proposes more than doubling current barrier height requirements, from approximately 1.1 metres to 2.7 metres, for both roofs and exposed floor deck edges. It also mandates round-the-clock staffing and creates enforcement powers including potential criminal penalties.