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This case ruled on by one of the toughest adjudicators says the restriction extends to the mid-point of the carriageway as I indicated so Mr Andersen may well be right that your car was outside what can be ruled as the restriction.

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Case reference 2250155724
Appellant xxxxxxx
Authority London Borough of Barnet
VRM DE21FYH
 
PCN Details
PCN AG47309883
Contravention date 29 Nov 2024
Contravention time 08:35:00
Contravention location Southover
Penalty amount GBP 130.00
Contravention Stopped in a restricted area outside a school etc
 
Referral date -
 
Decision Date 25 Jul 2025
Adjudicator Michael Burke
Appeal decision Appeal refused
Direction Full penalty charge notice amount stated to be paid within 28 days.
Reasons The allegation in this case is that the vehicle was stopped in a restricted area outside a school, a hospital or a fire, police or ambulance station. The Appellant does not in fact dispute this although he asserts that the vehicle was not actually on the road markings. He says that the signage indicates the prohibition on the school markings.
The enforcement camera evidence shows a brief but clear example of the contravention with the vehicle apparently stopping to allow a passenger to alight. The prohibition is not limited to vehicles touching the actual markings. If it was then the Appellant would have been entitled to park and leave his vehicle there. The school markings indicate a prohibition which extends to the mid-point of the carriageway.
The Appellant could have pulled over to the left-hand side of the road in order to drop off his passenger but he remained in the centre of the carriageway with a significant section of the vehicle on the side of the carriageway prohibited by the school markings.
There is a strict prohibition on stopping in the restricted area outside a school. There is no boarding/alighting exemption.
The brevity of the stop amounts only to mitigation. The Enforcement Authority may cancel a PCN as a matter of their discretion but Adjudicators have no power to direct cancellation on the basis of mitigating circumstances.
Having considered all the evidence I am satisfied that the contravention occurred and that the PCN was properly issued and served. I am not satisfied that any exemption applies.

Hi,

I've just posted another reply to your Facebook posts, copied here...

This is an interesting case and a very difficult one to call. The Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions 2016 (as amended), Schedule 7, Part 6, para 3 states, “...a person driving a vehicle must not cause it to stop on that marking...”. Technically you weren’t stopped on the marking, but how would an adjudicator interpret this?

As a side issue, there’s a minor design error in the upright sign on the photo you posted. The x-height of “No stopping” should be 50mm and “Mon - Fri” should be 40mm. It looks wrong to me, but probably not substantial enough for the PCN to be cancelled on this alone.

Pl don't overthink this.

Contravention did not occur

The markings shown in the council's video are those prescribed for use at Item 10 of Part 4 of Schedule 7 to the Traffic Signs etc. Regulations 2016 which apply in this case. The prohibition is as follows:

Part of the carriageway outside an entrance where....vehicles should, or must, not stop.

Therefore in this case the only issue at large is whether I was stopped on 'part of the carriageway' to which the sign applies.

The answer is in the authority's own evidence which is a video showing my car parked on that part of the carriageway beyond the centre-line and therefore not a part of the carriageway to which the restriction applies.

If the authority considers that any part of my car was parked on that part of the carriageway to which the prohibition applies then they must reject these representations.

However, the council's video and this extract from a recent decision of adjudicator Michael Burke (ETA case reference 2250155724) would suggest that to take such a position would be at best frivolous and at worst an abuse of the council's power:

'The school markings indicate a prohibition which extends to the mid-point of the carriageway.
The Appellant could have pulled over to the left-hand side of the road in order to drop off his passenger but he remained in the centre of the carriageway with a significant section of the vehicle on the side of the carriageway prohibited by the school markings.'

The PCN must be cancelled.