Free Traffic Legal Advice

I have been issued a PCN for driving through a prohibited road (Parson Mead Croydon).

On Sep 27 2023, a high school girl was murdered and Wellesley road was blocked, leading to high traffic in the area.

I was caught in the roadblock on the morning of Sep 28 2023 and had to take a diversion through a prohibited road to get home. I appealed stating the circumstances but the appeal has been rejected. Is there anything I can do? Can the council block a road and not provide alternative paths for the traffic? Will an adjudicator consider the mitigating circumstances here?


I have attached a rejection notice.

Original PCN: https://ibb.co/8NhZSty
PCN notice of rejection:
https://ibb.co/Z2By3Nr
https://ibb.co/rFHJnW2
Video of violation: https://sendeyo.com/en/2a6bb17f33

Tweet showing Wellesley road closure: https://ibb.co/rw7XXW5

I have a week before the 14-day period to pay the discounted charge of £65 expires.

This was the representation I made:

I hope this letter finds you well. I am writing to formally challenge the parking violation ticket numbered [Ticket Number] that was issued against my vehicle on [Date] at [Location]. I fully understand the rules and responsibilities of the road, and I sincerely apologize for any inconvenience my actions may have caused.

On the aforementioned date, I unfortunately entered a prohibited road. This decision was made in a dire situation where the usual traffic flow was extraordinarily disrupted due to a tragic incident - the murder of a teenage girl the previous day. This led to unexpected road closures and traffic blockages, leaving me with no viable alternative routes at that moment.

I want to express my deepest condolences for the loss of the young life and sympathize with the community's grief. My intent was not to disregard traffic regulations but rather to find a way out of the unprecedented traffic situation caused by the sad event.

I kindly request the council to consider the extraordinary circumstances in this case and kindly retract the parking violation ticket issued. Your understanding and compassion in this matter would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you for your time and consideration. I am looking forward to a favorable response and am willing to provide any further information or attend a hearing if necessary.

@John: Thanks, I have updated the post with the corrections.

I have attached the second page of the rejection notice. The PCN was one page only - the remaining was payment details.

There is a service vs delivery flaw on the notice of rejection, but this argument only seems to work for Traffic Management Act 2004 PCNs.

Don't worry if you've paid the discount, you can appeal regardless at any point during the 28 day period.

So, to determine how much of a case you have you'll need to draw up a map showing the route you wanted to take, and illustrating why this was the only viable route.

I am trying to put together an appeal - I have paid the discounted penalty though. The appeal says I can only appeal on the following grounds:

I really suggest you don't try and appeal yourself, if there is a viable appeal one of us will represent you.

Please explain exactly what you mean by "heavy traffic / vehicles stalled".

I am running out of time for 28 day cutoff. Can someone advise please?