Free Traffic Legal Advice

Hello,

I am looking for advice regarding this PCN.

For context, on 10/05/2026, I was driving home from a friend’s place when my phone died during a conversation. I drove to a nearby bar to charge my phone so I could get my directions back up. I parked in an area where parking would normally be free on a Sunday.

After charging my phone, I returned to my car and found a PCN issued for parking during an event day. However, there was no signage visible indicating that it was an event day. The images provided with the PCN also do not appear to show any indication that an event was taking place.


https://imgpile.com/p/laxzJMN
https://imgpile.com/p/f84OBJz

Newham's event day signage is defective and we have a number of allowed appeals, although some adjudicators don't see it this way.

The case below, coincidentally in Aldworth Road, covers the points. The position of entry signs in what can be large zones can also be a factor and I think the entry signs have the same defect of not mentioning Sunday.

The council's pic of bay signage plus one from Maps of zone entry:




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Case reference 2190067658
Appellant Claire L. Norman
Authority London Borough of Newham
VRM CX06 YMO

PCN Details
PCN PN17631831
Contravention date 22 Jul 2018
Contravention time 11:36:00
Contravention location Aldworth Road
Penalty amount GBP 130.00
Contravention Parked resident/shared use without clearly display

Referral date -

Decision Date 14 Mar 2019
Adjudicator Sean Stanton-Dunne
Appeal decision Appeal allowed
Direction cancel the Penalty Charge Notice and the Notice to Owner.
Reasons Miss Norman has attended in person.
This PCN was issued for the alleged contravention of being parked in a resident's or shared use parking bay in Aldworth Road at 11.36am on Sunday 22 July 2018 without displaying a valid permit or pay and display ticket.
I have looked at the CEO's photographs and the Council's site images. These show that Miss Norman's car was parked in a bay which was signed as being for parking by permit holders only or for pay and display parking during the restricted hours of 8am to 6.30pm from Mondays to Saturdays. Beneath this, a further restriction read "On event days 8am to 9pm". It is not in dispute that there was no valid permit or pay and display ticket on display in the windscreen of the vehicle.
The Council's evidence shows that Sunday 22 July 2018 was an event day.
Miss Norman appeals because she says that the signage was not clear in Aldworth Road. She says that she had no way of knowing that this was an event day.
The Council says in its case summary that motorists can check on the website for details of event days. The Council also relies upon CPZ signs alerting motorists to event days. An image is submitted of a CPZ sign which carried a notice at the foot of the sign alerting motorists to an event day on 22 July 2018.
CPZ signs alert motorists to single yellow line parking restrictions. A motorist parking on a single yellow line in a CPZ is expected to check CPZ parking sign restrictions and, in so doing, would be aware of event day restrictions. However, a motorist parking in a shared use bay is subject to the signed restrictions for the bay which may or may not be the same as CPZ restrictions.
The time plate for this bay does not provide motorists with any information about event days. It does not refer the motorist to CPZ signs or to the website for details of event days. A motorist parking in a shared use bay cannot be expected to know where to find details of event days.
The signage is also misleading. The wording "On event days 8am to 9pm" appears directly beneath the Monday to Saturday normal restricted hours so that the motorist could easily read the added restriction as meaning event days which are between Monday and Saturday.
I therefore find that the signage was not adequate and I allow the appeal for that reason.

Got a rejection on my appeal, so will be going to adjudicator.
Their letter of response is as follows:

Thank you for your correspondence received on 24 May 2026 regarding the above penalty charge notice (PCN). Your comments and the notes of the Civil Enforcement Officer (CEO) have been considered.

Your vehicle was observed at 19:14 parked in a residents' or shared use parking place or zone without a valid virtual permit or clearly displaying a valid physical permit or voucher or pay and display ticket issued for that place where required, or without payment of the parking charge in Aldworth Road.

You appealed this Penalty Charge Notice issued in Aldworth Road at 7:14pm on Sunday 10 May, explaining that although you do not dispute that no valid permit or pay-and-display ticket was displayed, you believe the signage was unclear and misleading in relation to event day restrictions, and that you had no reasonable way of knowing that the day in question was an event day. You also stated that motorists parking in shared-use bays should be able to rely on the bay signage alone and should not be expected to check CPZ entry signs or the Council website for event day information.

However, please be advised that on event days, parking restrictions within the Controlled Parking Zone are enforced between 8:00am and 9:00pm, Monday to Sunday. These additional controlled hours extend the existing restrictions and apply regardless of the day of the week. The restrictions are clearly marked on the signs adjacent to the parking bays, and details of event days are also stated on the entry signs to the Controlled Parking Zone.

It is the responsibility of the motorist to check all relevant road signs before leaving their vehicle unattended. In addition, information about event days is publicly available on the Newham Council, London Stadium, and Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park websites, ensuring that both residents and visitors have access to this information and can make appropriate parking arrangements when an event is taking place.

As the Council’s records confirm that Sunday 10 May was an event day and no valid permit or pay-and-display ticket was displayed at the time of enforcement, the vehicle was parked in contravention of the restrictions in force. The signage is considered adequate to convey the restriction, and the Penalty Charge Notice was therefore correctly issued and cannot be cancelled.

In conclusion, having taken all aspects of this matter into consideration, no justification for cancelling the penalty charge notice has been found.

It's kind of a silly response for a few obvious reasons so going to adjudicator

Oh yeah, I use a bunch of words interchangeably.
So I just do nothing for 14 days and they'll just send me a letter?