Penalty Charge Notice
Penalty Charge Notices
What is a Penalty Charge Notice (PCN)?
It is a Penalty Charge of up to £70 that can be issued to a vehicle where the Civil Enforcement Officer (CEO) has reason to believe that the vehicle has stopped/parked in contravention of the parking regulations.
What is a Civil Enforcement Officer (CEO)?
Civil Enforcement Officers used to be called Traffic Wardens for on-street parking enforcement and Car Park Inspectors for off-street parking enforcement. The Government has decided that one piece of legislation, the Traffic Management Act 2004, will now be used to enforce parking regulations for both on-street and off – street. As a result the people employed to carry out the enforcement of both disciplines will be referred to as Civil Enforcement Officers.
Are your Civil Enforcement Officers paid financial incentives to encourage them to issue as many penalty tickets as possible?
No. They are paid an annual salary irrespective of the number of penalty tickets issued per day, week, month or year.
Are your Civil Enforcement Officers (CEO’s) set any minimum target levels for the number of penalty tickets issued per day, week, month or year?
No. We believe that by not doing so the CEO is free of any pressure and as a result will only issue penalty tickets where he/she considers that they have just reason to believe that a contravention has taken place.
Penalty Charge Notice Discount Periods and Appeals
Is there a discount if I pay the penalty charge promptly?
Yes. The penalty charge will be reduced by 50% if you pay within 14 days of the date of issue of it. The discount period is 21 days from the date of issue if the Penalty Charge Notice is issued by post.
Can I appeal against the issue of a PCN if I think that it was issued unfairly?
Yes, you must do so in writing within 14 days of the date of issue. Information on how do so is printed on the reverse of the Penalty Charge Notice.
Will I lose the discount option if I appeal?
No. Generally the discount period will be deferred until a decision has been made on your appeal. If your appeal is upheld you will not have to pay. If it is rejected you will be given a further 14 days to pay the 50% discounted rate. If this is not paid within 14 days the full fee will be due.
Who will deal with my initial appeal?
Your appeal will be dealt with in a fair and unbiased manner. The officer within the Council who will deal with it will not have been involved in any way with the issue of the Penalty Charge Notice.
If I do not agree with the Council’s decision can I appeal to a higher authority?
Yes. You can make one further appeal to the Traffic Penalty Tribunal, which is an independent adjudication service. This organisation will hear and decide on your appeal totally independent of the Council. The Council will provide the information on how to do so.
