Mark Reardon returned from a family holiday in Spain in June to find his car in a state of shock. The rear number plate was sitting on his windscreen, the door handle was broken, and there were scrape marks down the side. Inside, the seats had been laid flat and blankets moved, as if someone had been sleeping in it. “I just don’t know how they can run a place like this,” he said. “It was absolute mayhem.”
Reardon’s car was held at New Farm, near the village of Elsenham, Essex – an unauthorised car park that set up in early 2025 offering a cheaper alternative to Stansted Airport. Despite being served with an enforcement notice last summer by Uttlesford District Council, ordering the “unauthorised use of the site to stop”, the facility has grown by nearly two-thirds, a BBC investigation has found.
“Unauthorised Stansted car park grew by two-thirds despite enforcement order, customers report damaged cars and 'mayhem'.”
The site, formerly agricultural land covering about seven acres (three hectares), can now hold up to 1,000 cars at a time. Customers described scenes of overcrowded transport, long waits for collection, and vehicles returned damaged and dirty. The business directors and a service provider linked to the site have not responded to requests for comment.
Aurangzaib Cheema, listed as an owner of SC Parking Ltd on Companies House, appealed the enforcement notice, telling the council the firm had future bookings to honour and cancelling them would have a detrimental impact on the company’s income. The appeal means the car park can continue trading until the case is heard by the Planning Inspectorate, which is not expected before 2027.
Uttlesford District Council said it would continue to monitor the site until the appeal is heard. For now, the unauthorised operation remains open, and customers like Reardon are left wondering how it can continue to operate without consequence.