Free Traffic Legal Advice

Anyone? Would be grateful for any support you can provide.

You can dispense with 'the driver' if it's you. This is owner liability and if you were the driver then your evidence is first-hand and any reps submitted would carry more conviction.

If you are not the owner (registered keeper) then I'd keep them in the loop. 

A 30-minute bay suggests high turnover and that it's likely to be enforced. As stated, there's no 'grace' period of 10 minutes in Wales and as far as the evidence is concerned and irrespective of when you parked 14.37-15.08 is more than 30 minutes.

As suggested, asking them to accept that the contravention was de minimis and that they should exercise discretion would seem to be your best bet. Don't risk antagonising them by reference to valve positions unless you know the vehicle was not parked as alleged, in which case it's 'contravention did not occur' but you'd need evidence.

Good news - the PCN has been cancelled

My informal appeal:

"Dear Neath Port Talbot Council,

I am writing to informally challenge this PCN.

The vehicle was parked in an on-street parking bay with a permitted parking time limit of 30 minutes. The PCN was issued for an overstay of 1 minute. Enforcement should be sensitive, fair and proportionate - I believe this is not the case in this instance as the driver received a PCN for returning to the vehicle 60 seconds after the expiry of a period of permitted parking.

I would like to kindly mention that guidance recommends a 5-minute observation period to check for exempt activity in relation to parking in a free bay with a permitted parking period. The PCN states the time that the vehicle was first observed, but it does not state the time the vehicle was last observed at the end of the observation period.

I hope you will consider the very close proximity of the timings and absence of the time the vehicle was observed at the end of the observation period as grounds for cancellation. Please kindly exercise discretion and cancel the PCN on the basis of de minimis (triviality - close proximity in timings). I look forward to your reply.

Yours faithfully,"


The council's response:

"I refer to the representations made by you in connection with the issue of the above Penalty Charge Notice (PCN).

I have noted the points raised in your communication.

I would advise you that all limited waiting spaces would usually have a 5 minute allowance after expiry of time. I can confirm that this Penalty charge notice has been issue incorrectly and we will remind the officers to check before issuing the notice.

I am sure you will be pleased to know that your representations have been accepted on this occasion and the PCN has been cancelled. I apologise for any inconvenience caused."


Thank you very much for your support!

Well done, congrats ! So they don't all have hearts of stone in Neath !

Thank you. And apparently not! I was pleasantly surprised at the outcome.