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Yes, double yellows are of course 24/7. Some have additional loading restrictions.

Nothing to lose by at least making polite reps to ask for settlement at discount.

That part of the wiper arm isn't secure for a PCN in my view and that can be pointed out and in fact a PCN must be securely affixed to satisfy service.

Thank you very much for your thoughtful reply.

The food was pre-ordered, and as a Sunday it was very busy and no place to park, so the vehicle was stopped at closest available place.

Good catch about the timing - the invoice was emailed to me after I had already picked up the food; but in any case it seems the total amount the car was parked was <20 minutes, which seems to be a general maximum referred to when I searched online.

No additional loading restrictions (no addtional pain markings on kerb) as far as I am aware.

If I understand the tone of replies, it may be worth contesting on the grounds of a pre-ordered collection, though there is some question about whether the order needs to have significant weight to it?

+1
Unfortunately, such is the venality of London councils, it is almost guaranteed the OP would have to take them to London Tribunals, and I'm afraid a lot would depend on which adjudicator took the case.  And, of course, the full PCN penalty would be in play too.

A winning appeal would have to major on the parking that Sunday, and how far away the OP would have had to park to be legally parked and its likely effect on the temperature of the takeaway. One can see why delivery companies like Deliveroo are now so popular !!

Thanks again for replies.

@tincombe, the date of post was last week, so the timeline is:

Date of service (when vehicle was ticketed): 10 May
Notice to Owner (when letter was issued): 11 June

Apologies if this was unclear; I am under the impression at this point that it may be advisable to:

- write LB Barnet to at least ask for a 50% reduction, as the PCN was not on the windscreen when I returned to the car about 10 minutes later;

- provide evidence of the pre-ordered takeaway order and outline that the spot was the closest I could park to the restaurant around the corner on the Broadway.

One issue seems to remain: my understanding is that contesting on the basis of active loading/unloading only applies if a delivery/pickup is physically large or heavy, so would a lunch takeaway be reasonable grounds to have stopped for less than 20 minutes?

Thank you for your kind reply.

Yes, I am the registered keeper.

I am unclear why the term "yesterday" is causing a hangup, though I understand there are strict timelines to respond. The NtO, dated June 11th, was received by me on June 16th; I had not previously been aware of the PCN as it was not there when I drove away on May 10th.

I believe the only deadline that requires attention atm is the 28 days from the NtO dated June 11th (which is July 9th, ~2 weeks from now). I wish to get my ducks in a row before I make my challenge, so if there are any angles to support a successful appeal, I would be most grateful to receive.

I have drafted the following appeal to my PCN for parking for ~15 minutes on double yellow to collect a pre-ordered takeaway from The Broadway in NW7 Barnet; I wonder if any of you eagle-eyed helpers might have a quick look and would kindly help with any amendments / adjustments etc? The photos/attachements referred to are available on the top of this thread if helpful. Many thanks in advance for your help



To: Parking Services
London Borough of Barnet


RE: Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) Number:
Vehicle Registration Mark:
Contravention: 01 - Parked in a restricted street during prescribed hours

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am writing to formally appeal the Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) issued to my vehicle on 10/05/2026 at 13:08:57 near Mill Hill Broadway NW7 for the alleged contravention of parking on double yellow lines.

I request that this PCN be cancelled immediately based on the following grounds:

The alleged contravention did not occur. The vehicle was parked correctly, as I had pre-ordered a hot meal from a local restaurant and the vehicle was used for loading, which is “permitted on single and double yellow lines for a maximum of 40 minutes”, according to London Councils’ website. As shown by the attached photographs, there are no yellow kerb markings in this location, so loading is allowed at this location for 20 minutes.

The restaurant is located on The Broadway, just around the corner from where the vehicle was stopped, and as the high street was particularly busy on this particular Sunday afternoon, there was nowhere else to park to ensure the pre-ordered meal remained hot. As you can see from the time codes on the attached supporting receipts, at the time the PCN was issued, the vehicle was stopped for only about 15 minutes.The vehicle was stopped for as short a time as possible in the closest parking place to make the loading occur and without causing an obstruction on the high street outside the restaurant or on this road and was necessary to ensure that the meal was still hot when placed on the table at home.

Confusing Signage. Contributing to my decision to stop at the location was a Controlled Zone sign located about 2 meters from the car declaring local restrictions in effect “Mon–Sat 8am–6:30pm”, which appears to suggest that on Sundays, restrictions are not in effect. I am unfamiliar with the area and was not previously aware that double yellow lines are in effect 7 days a week, but am aware now. Other cars were parked up the road (as pictured) so I mistakenly thought it was okay to stop for a short time.

As well, the yellow PCN shown in the warden’s photograph was not on the car when I returned a few minutes later, so it had not been affixed securely. Indeed, the photographic evidence shows the PCN it was placed in the space between the wiper arm and the windscreen, so it must have blown away in the wind. As you are aware, a PCN must be securely affixed to satisfy service, therefore if my challenge is not successful, I would request the 50% discount be applied as I first learned of this PCN was via the Notice to Owner where I was given 28 days to make representations, rather than the usual initial 14 days to challenge.

I kindly request that you cancel this PCN. Should you reject this challenge, please provide me with a Notice of Rejection so that I may appeal to the independent adjudicator at London Tribunals. Please note that I will be away from London on holiday from July 18th until September 2nd, so communication by email would be necessary if possible please.

Yours truly,