Free Traffic Legal Advice

We’ve just received a Charge Certificate (CC) for a Bus Lane PCN, but I paid the PCN a few weeks ago. I have an email receipt for the payment and have checked that I gave the correct PCN number.

I have sent the receipt to the council using their online contact form but given that they can’t even seem to get their fine payments system to allocate payments to the relevant PCN, I don’t have much faith in their online messaging system.

I am also concerned as the CC was issued on 09 Apr so the 14 day deadline ends just after the bank holiday weekend. It doesn’t leave them any time to process my message before the deadline. Should I be trying to get through to them by phone Tuesday? They no longer have a drop in.

Should I send a follow up by snail mail? I took a copy of the online form and confirmation page but had no dated email confirmation.


Thank you.

Thank you for replying.

My husband is the register keeper.

PCN number is BH86976963, issued 26/02/2025.

It was paid on 03/03/2025 using the online payments service. I received an email receipt which confirms payment and the correct PCN number.

I don’t know what you mean by enforcement notice. I’ve had a PCN, and then just yesterday the Charge Certificate which is dated 09/04/2025 (issue date). I’ve not had anything else.

Is it ok to publish my VRM online. Feels like identifiable information?

Thanks again for any help.

It's not a London PCN. It's very obviously Brighton or maybe Birmingham at a push.

It is a Brighton PCN.

“ I have sent the receipt to the council using their online contact form but given that they can’t even seem to get their fine payments system to allocate payments to the relevant PCN, I don’t have much faith in their online messaging system.
...........
What exactly do you mean?”

Well I’m assuming that their admin has gone wrong and they haven’t linked my payment to the PCN in their records. Hope that makes more sense? I can’t think how else to phrase it.

The VRM is GJ60 YVW.

“If the PCN wasn't paid within the 28 days specified then the Council would have issued an Enforcement Notice. If that wasn't paid then the Council became eligible to impose a 50% surcharge and serve a Charge Cert. So something seems to be wrong. The EN is missing and the CC appeears pre-mature.”

Does this apply everywhere? (ie you have referenced the London procedures but this happened in Brighton)?  And if so what does that mean practically (if anything)?

What do we do now? My main concern is that I don’t want this to progress and I don’t feel confident in just having sent the council a message via their contact form. Their systems don’t seem to work very well as I mentioned above!

Thanks again for any help.

Oh fantastic! That’s great. Odd that it was closed on 10th April as I only queried it yesterday. Assume they must have caught up with the unallocated payment and applied it.  Thank you so much for your help. Such a relief!