Free Traffic Legal Advice

Good evening - I received a PCN whilst my car was parked in a council run car park on 17/12/24 and would appreciate some advice on how to proceed.

I parked on 17/12/24, and used Mi Permit to pay, leaving well before my expiry time.

Here's the issue:

The carpark consists of a multistory area, and outside that, stretching to approx 50m, a parking area with spaces for both cars and coaches. I parked in the outside area, in a car space. There is a sign giving the Mi Permit car park code (700108). See 3 images - car park entrance, layout and signage on the link below:

https://imgur.com/a/O5bvNpT

Street View:

https://maps.app.goo.gl/vtEW79Kszv6w1fvP6

Within the Mi Permit App, there is in fact 2 tags, 1 for cars and one for coaches. the 'Cars Tag' (700108) is geographically situated on the multistory area, and the 'Coaches Tag' (710108) is geographically placed some 50m away in the outside parking area.

https://imgur.com/a/6uuQ4Gf

Not realising the above, I selected the tag which was in the position I was parked (710108) and being only 1 digit different to the sign, I didn't notice.

So in summary, I paid for a coach, not a car.

The cost was £2.40 for up to 4 hours (I stayed for about 1hr 40mins).

https://imgur.com/a/YffTzVF

If I had selected the other tag, some 50m away from where I was parked, which is for cars, I would have paid £1.70 for up to 2 hours.

I recieved the following PCN:

https://imgur.com/a/8jJD1Oa

I have appealed using the online process, explaining all of the above in detail but and my appeal has been rejected as follows:

https://imgur.com/a/mB7pzMF

The rejection response also had a photo of the Pay and display machine and signage, which I think is in the multi-story section of the car park, and does seem to have some T&Cs on it. I never went into the multi-story, so never saw this, and the outside signage doesn't have any T&Cs printed.

The Mi-Permit receipt did state "Sadlers Mead Car Park (Coaches)" which whilst I didn't notice at the time, doesn't seem entirely strange considering I was in a car parking space within a coach parking area. Ambiguous perhaps.

I think that the way the app is setup is ambiguous and having 2 codes so similar has lead to a genuine mistake that actually resulted in me paying a higher charge than I could have done, but to not recognize this seems somewhat unfair.

Any advice on how to proceed would be appreciated! thank you.

thanks, I'll edit my original post with the extra information.

This is a council PCN, not a private parking charge notice, so I have moved this post to the Civil penalty charge notices (Councils, TFL and so on) forum.

To help the users there provide you with the best advice, please read the following thread carefully and provide as much of the information it requests as you are able to: READ THIS FIRST - **BEFORE POSTING YOUR CASE!**, This section is for council, TFL, Dart/Mersey/Tyne etc. cases - the information required is slightly different with council PCNs, so you should read this guide even if you have already read the private parking one.

OK, lots of useful info, but you haven't shown us the sign with the location number for coaches parking that you mistakenly used. If this sign refers to coaches parking you will struggle, but if it doesn't you are in with a chance. We also need to know exactly where you parked in photographic terms and the nearest sign to that.

Also be aware that councils reject virtually all informal challenges, because they know that most people then just cough-up to get the discount. People are far too accepting that councils know what they are doing, the plain fact is most of them haven't a clue, based on experience of this forum !

I have appealed using the online process, explaining all of the above in detail

I suspect a bit too much!

Anyway, let's break this down.

The alleged contravention is not for driving a car and not a coach, or not paying(irrespective of location codes) or parking in an area not designated for your class of vehicle, it is for not displaying a P&D ticket or voucher.
But you paid online, so it's impossible to display and there cannot be a requirement to display, therefore the contravention did not occur...

..unless where you parked has clear Ts and Cs to the contrary.

So, pl forget about payment, whether you're a coach or car etc...we need to see the Ts and Cs board which applied to where you were parked pl.

I have appealed using the online process, explaining all of the above in detail

I suspect a bit too much!

Anyway, let's break this down.

The alleged contravention is not for driving a car and not a coach, or not paying(irrespective of location codes) or parking in an area not designated for your class of vehicle, it is for not displaying a P&D ticket or voucher.
But you paid online, so it's impossible to display and there cannot be a requirement to display, therefore the contravention did not occur...

..unless where you parked has clear Ts and Cs to the contrary.

So, pl forget about payment, whether you're a coach or car etc...we need to see the Ts and Cs board which applied to where you were parked pl.

Thanks for your reply. I did wonder about the contravention definition. Seems odd. I'll get a copy of the T&C's board later today.

...everything except the Ts and Cs board applicable to where you were.

No amount of narrative and references to a permit app which might be irrelevant can substitute IMO.

Good Evening and thanks for the replies so far.

I went and found the T&Cs board that's closest to where I parked - see below:

https://imgur.com/a/nxIy7B0

I also searched for the sign that shows the coaches code (710108), and I'm fairly sure it doesn't exist. The only way to find that code is via the app.

PS - Maybe I should have parked like these cars have:

https://imgur.com/a/jb2kNyk

!!