Parking fines and enforcement

Grounds for us not accepting a challenge

Our grounds for not accepting a challenge typically include the below.

Leaving your vehicle to get money to pay for parking

As soon as you leave your vehicle unattended, other than to go to get a ticket from a pay and display machine, you're deemed to have parked. You should always arrive with sufficient change to pay for parking.

Parking outside of a marked bay 

Parking outside of a marked parking bay in a car park hinders the movement of other vehicles. If there was enough space for a parking bay in an area without hindering the movement of other vehicles, a space would have been marked.

Not displaying the correct permit for the space in a car park 

Some parking spaces are reserved for specified ticket/permit holders. These are marked/signed differently to other parking spaces and it's your responsibility to ensure that you're parking legally and to fully read and obey the signs and markings.

Parking in a bay meant for others

Some parking places on the highway are reserved for specific users such as residents' bays, police bays, doctors' bays or loading bays. It's your responsibility to make sure you park legally and to read and obey the road markings. Disabled drivers are not exempt from these restrictions.

Overstaying the time you've paid for

It's your responsibility to buy enough time to cover the duration of the parking time you need. When paying for parking it's important to allow for the possible over-running of meetings or appointments.

Forgetting to set the clock on a Blue Badge

Blue Badge holders are permitted to park for up to three hours where there are waiting restrictions (double or single yellow lines). A condition of using your Blue Badge is that the clock is set every time you use it and leave your car. This is so that the civil enforcement officer knows that you're parked legally and what time you'll return to your vehicle. Not setting the clock prevents the officer from knowing when you'll be back, and so they must assume that you've parked for longer than allowed and will issue a penalty charge notice.

Parking on double or single yellow lines

If you park on double or single yellow lines during the restricted hours (see the local time plates), even for a minute, you remain liable for the penalty charge notice. This doesn't apply to Blue Badge holders.

You're not allowed any time at all, unless the reason that you've stopped is a permitted reason. For example, you can't stop on a yellow line to pop into a shop, withdraw cash or similar. You should find a legal parking place for this.

Civil enforcement officers will observe your vehicle to determine if you've stopped for a permitted reason. As soon as it's obvious that this isn't the case, a penalty charge notice will be issued.

Parking where loading is prohibited

Parking where loading is prohibited includes parking on double yellow/single yellow lines or double/single yellow kerb tabs during the restricted hours (see the local time plates). This applies to all vehicles, including Blue Badge holders.

You're not allowed any time at all unless the reason that you've stopped is beyond the driver's control.   

You're the owner of the vehicle but it wasn’t you who parked there

If you're the registered owner or keeper of the vehicle, then you're responsible for the penalty charge notice and must pay it. However, you'll have the opportunity to notify us of the driver of the vehicle when you receive a 'notice to owner' letter from us.

If your vehicle was stolen when the penalty charge notice was issued, the PCN will normally be cancelled - provided you produce a police incident number.

You didn’t know about the restrictions/thought you were parked legally but made a mistake

When you park, it's your responsibility to ensure that you're doing so legally and to read and obey the signs and road markings.

Your car broke down

You're responsible for ensuring that your vehicle is roadworthy and will not break down. 'Foreseeable' problems such as running out of fuel/water/oil/brake fluid, or problems that have been happening for a while are no excuse and you'll remain liable for the penalty charge notice. 

Emergency problems such as flat tyres, collisions etc can at our discretion be accepted as valid reason for cancelling your penalty charge notice. In these cases, please include the following when you write to us:

• garage invoice

• parts invoice where repairs have been carried out by yourself

• recovery sheet from a breakdown service as proof that your vehicle required work

You were only parked to drop off or pick up your child from school

We enforce rules outside and around schools to ensure that parents park correctly and consider pedestrians and other motorists’ health and safety. Our civil enforcement officers patrol schools on a regular basis.

You're not permitted to park for an extended length of time to drop a child to school, over and above the time required for a child to board or alight the vehicle. Even this is not permitted on a 'school keep clear' marking.

You should always ensure you arrive at the school early enough to find a permitted parking place.