RBKC PCN 21u Suspended Bay

I would be very grateful for any help on how to best approach this:

Hi all,

I would be grateful for advice before I submit an informal challenge to RBKC.

Council: Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea
Location: Princedale Road
Date of PCN: Wednesday 17 June 2026
Time of alleged contravention: 10:20
Contravention: 21u – parked wholly or partly in a suspended bay or space

I found the PCN on my windscreen at about 12:45pm on Wednesday 17 June 2026.

The vehicle was parked on Princedale Road. I am a disabled resident of RBKC and the vehicle was displaying an RBKC disabled residents’ Purple Badge. I also hold a Blue Badge issued by RBKC. I understand that the Purple Badge does not allow parking in a suspended bay, so I am not arguing that the badge itself exempts the vehicle if the bay was properly suspended.

The issue is that when I found the PCN at around 12:45pm, there was no visible suspension sign attached to the bays/signage where I was parked. At approximately 12:50pm I spoke to Civil Enforcement Officer KC2731 nearby who was not the officer who issued the ticket. The CEO confirmed there was no visible suspension sign for the bay I was parked in and said I would need to appeal/challenge the PCN.

I had checked my car on Monday and did not see any suspension sign then. I was unwell on Tuesday and was not able to check the car that day.

On Tuesday I checked RBKC’s online parking suspension service, but the webpage was unavailable and states that this is due to the cyber attack which occurred in November 2025. I have taken screenshots of this. This meant I could not check the council’s online suspension records.

I have since checked the RBKC PCN portal. The council’s photographs do appear to show a yellow parking suspension sign attached to a lamppost at the time the PCN was issued. I do not know when the sign was put up, whether it was still there continuously, when it was removed.

RBKC usually phone using an automated telephone service to warn residents if there vehicle is parked in a bay that is due to be suspended. On this occasion I was not warned by telephone about the suspension, despite RBKC holding my phone number and despite the vehicle displaying an RBKC disabled residents’ Purple Badge.

My questions are:

What is the best angle for an informal challenge in these circumstances?

Should I focus on the difficulty checking for a suspension on the day before?

Is there an argument for inadequate/uncertain signage, given that the council photos show a sign at 10:20 but there was no sign visible at 12:45?

Should I ask RBKC for the suspension log, the date/time the sign was erected and removed, CEO notes, all photos, and proof of the exact bays suspended?

Does the online suspension service being down help at all, or is that only a mitigation/fairness point?

Are there any London Tribunals cases or RBKC-specific points I should rely on?

Should I mention disability/Purple Badge/no phone warning, or keep the challenge focused mainly on signage and proof of suspension?

I have attached PCN and council photos as well as my photos taken at 12.45 with no suspension signs visible.

Thanks in advance for any help.









My photos taken at 12.45

Whose photos are these ? We cannot go and look at any there may be on their website because you've blanked out the PCN Number and car registration.

Other think that looks suspicious is the date of 16/06/2026 on the suspension notice. What is the heading above that date ? If it is the date the sign was put up, then the amount of notice given is grossly insufficient, as these are hardly emergency works. I expect the sign was taken down, (as it must be), when the works are complete.

Hello, Thanks for your message.

The first five photos are the councils from the PCN website. The last two photos are ones I took when I found the PCN on the car.

Sorry I thought it was convention to blank out PCN and vehicle reg. I have DM'd them to you - hope that is ok.

Above the date 16/06/2026 it says 'Date Posted' I checked another suspension sign further down the road that is still up. It also has the same reference: KESUP05743 and the same dates of suspension from 17 June to 18 June.

I just checked the RBKC website says:

'When are yellow warning notices put up on street?

We put bay suspension warning notices on street:

seven days in advance for residents' bays (or three days in advance for short notices or less in cases of emergencies)
the day before for pay-by-phone bays

The yellow warning notice will identify the suspended location, confirm the start and end dates and give the reason for the suspension.

How do I search for upcoming suspensions in my street or area?
You can sign up to receive email alerts about suspensions in your selected roads or you can search upcoming suspensions here'



This is the website to look up suspensions but it's not working because of the RBKC cyber attack which happened November 2025.

Many thanks for your help.

As I suspected, the date the sign was erected was the day befoe the suspension took effect, so manifestly unfair to people parking there. It is totally unreasonable to expect residents to check every single day. Minimum period for a suspension should as a minimum be 3 days, much better at 5.

So you need to submit representations based on your narrative, pointing out the totally unreasonable notice given. Don't expect them to roll-over and cancel the PCN. This is 95% a money-making game for them, so they ruthlessly reject virtually ALL representations no matter how valid because they know that >95% of people then cough-up to get the discount.
Although not officially published, the revenues for PCN penalties for London councils and Transport for London are about £650 million a year, hardly conducive to a council considering representations without bias.

Edit
Just to add that the reps you submit will be an "informal challenge" and almost all are rejected as part of their gaming of the system to maximise income. Serious consideration of reps is only given at the Notice to Owner stage. This is sent by post to the registered keeper. So is this you and is the name and address on your V5C up-to-date ?

Thank you for this.

The issue I am worried about is that this is a pay-by-phone bay I was parked in.

As a disabled purple resident badge holder I am entitled to park on both resident's bays and pay-by-phone bays without time limits.

However I am worried the council will say that as it's a pay-by-phone bay that their 1 day for posting suspension signs is what I had to abide by even though I was only parked on the pay-by-phone bay because there were no resident's bays available.

Should I lean on the disabled resident angle or is RBKC's policy of posting the suspension sign the day before arguable?

Also yes V5C name and address are all up to date.

Many thanks

IMO, the legal issue is whether taking all the circumstances into account the council gave 'adequate information as to the effect of the order* ...available to persons using the road;'

*- the administrative suspension of the parking place pursuant to enabling provisions in the principal order.

Here there appear to be:
Planned works;
1 day's notice, possibly less;
Implication that the whole parking place was suspended but the regular traffic sign was left uncovered;
Possibility that the council has not complied with its own policy on giving notice of suspension.

IMO, strong grounds for representations.

+1

Thank you, I have drafted the following challenge with the help of your advice. I would appreciate your thoughts/comments before I submit it:

PCN: KE
Vehicle registration: 
Date: 17 June 2026
Location: Princedale Road
Contravention: 21u – parked wholly or partly in a suspended bay or space

I challenge this PCN on the basis that the alleged contravention did not occur because the suspension was not adequately signed and/or adequate information was not made available to road users. In the alternative, I ask the Council to exercise discretion and cancel the PCN.

I am a disabled RBKC resident. The vehicle was displaying a valid RBKC Purple Badge, and I also hold a Blue Badge issued by RBKC.

I understand that a Purple Badge does not permit parking in a properly suspended bay. That is not my argument. My argument is that the suspension was not adequately communicated or maintained, particularly given RBKC’s own parking arrangements for disabled Purple Badge residents.

RBKC allows Purple Badge holders to park in paid-for/pay-by-phone bays without payment and without time limit. RBKC therefore knows that disabled residents use these bays for resident parking, especially as resident bays are limited. However, RBKC appears to operate a policy of giving only one day’s notice before suspending pay-by-phone bays.

That creates an obvious fairness and adequacy problem. If RBKC chooses to let disabled residents use pay-by-phone bays without time limit, it cannot fairly treat those bays as if they are used only by short-stay visitors when giving notice of suspensions. One day’s notice for planned, non-emergency street lighting works is not adequate where the Council knows disabled residents may be lawfully parked there for longer periods.

I checked my vehicle on Monday 15 June 2026 and there was no suspension sign visible. I was unwell on Tuesday 16 June 2026 and was unable to check the vehicle. When I returned at approximately 12:45pm on Wednesday 17 June 2026, there was no visible suspension sign attached to the relevant bay/signage where my vehicle was parked.

At approximately 12:50pm, I spoke to Civil Enforcement Officer KC2731. The officer confirmed there was no visible suspension sign for the bay in which my vehicle was parked and advised that I would need to challenge the PCN.

I have seen the Council’s online PCN photographs, which appear to show a yellow suspension sign at the time the PCN was issued. However, I do not know when that sign was erected, whether it remained in place continuously, when it was removed, or whether it was positioned so as to give adequate information to vehicles already lawfully parked in the bay. The fact that no sign was visible at 12:45pm, and that CEO KC2731 confirmed there was no visible sign, raises a serious issue as to whether the suspension was adequately and continuously signed.

Regulation 18 of The Local Authorities’ Traffic Orders (Procedure) (England and Wales) Regulations 1996 requires a traffic authority to take such steps as are necessary to secure that adequate information as to the effect of the order is made available to persons using the road, and to maintain the relevant signs while the order remains in force. On these facts, I do not accept that RBKC complied with that duty.

The Council also failed to provide effective alternative safeguards for disabled residents. I was not telephoned or otherwise warned before the suspension took effect, despite the vehicle displaying an RBKC Purple Badge and despite the Council holding my contact details. I also attempted to check RBKC’s online parking suspension service, but the webpage was unavailable and stated that this was due to the cyber attack which occurred in November 2025. I have retained screenshots.

In summary:

- RBKC allows Purple Badge holders to use pay-by-phone bays without payment and without time limit.
- RBKC therefore knows disabled residents may use those bays for longer-stay resident-style parking.
- RBKC appears to have given only one day’s notice for this suspension.
- The works appear to have been planned street lighting works, not emergency works.
- No sign was visible when I checked the vehicle on Monday.
- No sign was visible when I returned at approximately 12:45pm on Wednesday.
- CEO KC2731 confirmed there was no visible suspension sign for the bay.
- RBKC’s online suspension checker was unavailable.
- RBKC did not telephone or otherwise warn me, despite holding my details and despite the vehicle displaying an RBKC Purple Badge.

- In those circumstances, RBKC has not shown that adequate information was made available and maintained, nor that it acted fairly towards a disabled Purple Badge resident. I ask the Council to cancel the PCN.

- If the Council is not minded to cancel, please provide the following before requiring payment:

1. the suspension application and authorisation;
2. the exact bay type relied on;
3. the exact location and extent of the suspended bay or bays;
4. whether the suspension was planned, short-notice, urgent or emergency;
5. the date and time the suspension sign was erected;
6. the date and time the suspension sign was removed;
7. all photographs taken when the sign was erected;
8. all CEO photographs and contemporaneous notes;
9. confirmation that CEO KC2731 has been asked to comment on my conversation with them at approximately 12:50pm;
10. the Traffic Management Order provision relied on;
11. RBKC’s explanation of how it complied with Regulation 18;
12. RBKC’s explanation of how one day’s notice was considered adequate for a bay which Purple Badge residents may use without payment and without time limit;
13. why no telephone warning or courtesy contact was made to a disabled Purple Badge resident whose vehicle and contact details were known to the Council.

For the reasons above, I request the PCN should be cancelled.

Is the above draft ok please? Would appreciate any advice before sending it. Many thanks

Is the above draft ok please? Would appreciate any advice before sending it. Many thanks

Submit it, but be in no doubt that it is likely to be rejected. In almost all London PCNs any reps are automatically rejected to get the money in, because the council know that >95% of people them just cough-up to get the discount.  You'll only get an unbiased judgment at London Tribunals

Thank you, will do