Your options explained if you were the driver of the vehicle that received a PCN.
Details of how to make a payment are on the back of the PCN letter. If you pay the PCN within 14 days of receipt, it will be at a reduced rate. The PCN will increase to £170 if it remains unpaid and will be passed to a Debt Recovery Agency.
However, if you feel there are extenuating circumstances involved in your case or that the PCN has been issued incorrectly, you can appeal the PCN. Valid grounds for appeals include: signage being inadequate on site, errors with ANPR cameras, getting a PCN for parking in a disabled bay despite having a valid blue badge or if you are an employee within the grounds of the car park.
All parking companies that are a member of an Accredited Trade Association (ATA), such as the British Parking Association (BPA) or International Parking Community (IPC) will have a Code of Practice that they must adhere to. The Code of Practice will include guidelines for the parking operator on areas such as signage, ANPR cameras and issuing PCN letters. If you feel that the PCN has been issued unfairly or that there is an issue with regards to the signage, it is always beneficial to check the Code of Practice to see what the rules are and if the parking operator has followed them.
For more information on the ATA’s and its Code of Practice, just click on the links below:
Click here to read the British Parking Association (BPA) Code of Practice.
Click here to read the International Parking Community (IPC) Code of Practice.
If you want to appeal a PCN due to extenuating circumstances such as signage, issues with cameras or if you received a PCN for parking in a disabled bay despite having a blue badge etc, it is also useful to gather as much evidence as you can to support your appeal. For example, if you believe that the signage does not comply with the ATA’s minimum standards or that the wording was misleading or unclear, then take photographs of the signs to include in your appeal.
If you are an employee at a site that has a privately managed car park, you should be on an exemption list to prevent you from receiving a PCN. You should speak to your employer about this and ensure that they have your vehicle registration so it can be passed to the parking operator and added to the exemption list. If you get a PCN despite being on the exemption list, raise this with your employer as they may be in a position to appeal the PCN on your behalf. If you can provide evidence of your employment and the dates and hours worked, this will support your appeal.
If you wish to discuss the PCN you have received or have any queries about how to appeal it or the options available to you, please call us on 0800 121 6022 or (028) 902 51600. You can also email us to contact@consumercouncil.org.uk and include a copy of the PCN letter along with your specific query.