NCP Leeds car parks remain open for now after national operator enters administration, but longer-term future uncertain

National Car Parks, the UK’s largest car park operator, entered administration on 16 March 2026, raising immediate questions about the future of six NCP Leeds car parks in the city centre. The administration covers three separate entities: National Car Parks Limited itself, NCP Empire No.2 Limited — which holds the lease interests on the car parks NCP operates — and MEIF II CP Holdings 3 Limited, a holding company. PwC has been appointed as joint administrator across all three and confirmed that all 340 NCP sites nationally remain open for now, staff are still employed, and there are no immediate changes to day-to-day operations.

The Six NCP Leeds Car Parks Affected

The Core – City centre multi-storey serving the Victoria Quarter, Trinity Leeds.

The Markets – Close to Kirkgate Market, the Royal Armouries.

Bedford Street – City centre location.

Wellington Place – Within MEPC’s Wellington Place commercial estate.

Lovell Park Hill – North of the city centre.

Water Lane – Holbeck/South Bank area.

What the Administrators Have Said

PwC’s administration page states the administrators will continue to trade the NCP business while assessing options, including a potential sale of all or part of the company. Crucially, PwC also states explicitly that “the Administrators will continually review the viability of each location, and depending on the outcome of discussions with stakeholders, there may need to be site closures as part of the process.”

The underlying cause is structural. NCP’s performance has deteriorated since Covid-19, with city-centre and commuter parking demand failing to recover to pre-pandemic levels. PwC says the company has a high concentration of long-term, inflexible leases that prevented it from reducing costs or exiting loss-making sites, resulting in ongoing trading losses.

Zelf Hussain, Joint Administrator and PwC partner, said:

“NCP has faced a challenging trading environment over several years, with changing consumer behaviours impacting volumes, and a high fixed cost-base leading to trading losses. Our priority on appointment is to ensure continuity of service while we undertake a detailed review of the business. All sites are open, staff remain in post, and trading continues as normal. We will be engaging with landlords, employees and other stakeholders as we explore all options, including the potential sale of all or part of the business, to secure the best possible outcome for creditors.”

Uncertainty for NCP Leeds Car Parks

No site-specific decisions have been announced for Leeds. However, the three-company structure of the administration is significant. NCP Empire No.2 Limited — the entity that holds the lease interests on car parks operated by NCP — is itself in administration. For the six NCP Leeds car parks, the outcome will depend on the terms of each site’s lease, the landlord’s position, and whether the administrators judge each location to be viable.

PwC has published a dedicated administration page with updates for employees, customers, suppliers, landlords, and creditors at pwc.co.uk/ncp.

Why this matters for Leeds

If any of the sites change hands, it may affect parking supply or pricing in the city centre — which in turn affects footfall for retailers, accessibility for visitors, and commuting options for workers. We will update you when more information becomes available.