Free Traffic Legal Advice
Live cases legal advice => Civil penalty charge notices (Councils, TFL and so on) => Topic started by: Johnsmith86 on September 16, 2025, 10:13:32 am
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Any feedback from the forum regarding next steps?
Thanks,
Please to post a copy of what you wrote and an image (not transcript) of the Council's rejection letter (only redact yr name & address from the latter - leave all else in).
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Any feedback from the forum regarding next steps?
Thanks,
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In which case I'd reorder and rephrase your informal reps.
Surely you're trying to set out a compelling argument for the authority to exercise discretion(could be 'circumstances beyond your control...but I'm not going to get too exercised about the distinction), therefore perhaps....
On *** my son, aged **, developed a temperature and therefore I went to the (surely local, although you've said that you're not a resident of Richmond) pharmacy to buy some ***** (IMO, medicine is too vague). I parked as can be seen and saw the CEO to whom I explained the situation and who KINDLY! allowed me to park for 5 minutes without paying.
As luck would have it, **** pharmacy could not accept card payments and therefore as I did not have cash on me I had to go to the nearest ATM and then return to the pharmacy. This detour caused me to be late getting back to my car where I found the PCN, perhaps understandably.
Given the circumstances, I would ask the authority to exercise discretion on this occasion. I would also suggest that the actual wording of the contravention cannot be correct in that the parking place accepts phone payment and therefore not displaying something whose display is optional cannot be correct, surely. Likewise the sign doesn't reflect the option to pay by phone, but I hope that it won't be necessary to examine these issues in further detail in this case.
Some thoughts. Pl fill in the blanks and post a draft here first.
Hello,
Unfortunately the council did not show any compassion and have rejected my appeal. Is this now worth waiting for the NTO to arrive and then make formal representations?
Appreciate your guidance
Many thanks,
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On 15/09/2025 my son, aged 6 yrs old, developed a high temperature and therefore I went to the Richmond Pharmacy on Sheen Road to buy some Calpol medicine for him. I parked on Sheen Road, as can be seen, and saw the CEO to whom I explained the situation and who kindly allowed me to park for 5 minutes without paying for parking.
As luck would have it, Richmond Pharmacy could not accept card payments and therefore as I did not have cash on me I had to go to the nearest ATM at the garage on Sheen Road and then return to the pharmacy. This de-tour caused me to be late getting back to my car where I found the PCN has been issued, perhaps understandably.
Given the circumstances, I kindly ask the authority to exercise discretion on this occasion. I would also like to suggest that the actual wording of the contravention cannot be correct in that the parking bay accepts phone payments as well as machine payments and therefore not displaying something (i.e. ticket/voucher) whose display is optional cannot be correct, surely. Likewise the parking sign doesn't reflect the option to pay by phone, but I hope that it won't be necessary to examine these issues in further detail in this case.
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In which case I'd reorder and rephrase your informal reps.
Surely you're trying to set out a compelling argument for the authority to exercise discretion(could be 'circumstances beyond your control...but I'm not going to get too exercised about the distinction), therefore perhaps....
On *** my son, aged **, developed a temperature and therefore I went to the (surely local, although you've said that you're not a resident of Richmond) pharmacy to buy some ***** (IMO, medicine is too vague). I parked as can be seen and saw the CEO to whom I explained the situation and who KINDLY! allowed me to park for 5 minutes without paying.
As luck would have it, **** pharmacy could not accept card payments and therefore as I did not have cash on me I had to go to the nearest ATM and then return to the pharmacy. This detour caused me to be late getting back to my car where I found the PCN, perhaps understandably.
Given the circumstances, I would ask the authority to exercise discretion on this occasion. I would also suggest that the actual wording of the contravention cannot be correct in that the parking place accepts phone payment and therefore not displaying something whose display is optional cannot be correct, surely. Likewise the sign doesn't reflect the option to pay by phone, but I hope that it won't be necessary to examine these issues in further detail in this case.
Some thoughts. Pl fill in the blanks and post a draft here first.
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Yes that is correct.
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Can we nail the issue of the pharmacy please.
Are you saying that the pharmacy was not accepting card payments and required cash which you did not have. You therefore had to leave, find an ATM and then return to the pharmacy, all of which delayed you causing you to return.....
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I have come up with the following challenge and would appreciate the forum's feedback/comments:
Dear Sirs,
I make representations on the following grounds:
1) The traffic sign is incorrect;
2) The contravention code (06P) is incorrect and hence the contravention did not occur.
I stopped at the pharmacy in Sheen Road to buy medicine for my son who had a high temperature (receipt attached), I saw the CEO as I parked and he said its ok to stop but I should not take longer than 5 mins. Unfortunately, the card machine in the pharmacy was not working and I had to withdraw cash from an ATM (cash withdrawal slip attached), this lead to me overstaying the 5 mins agreed with the CEO. When I returned to my car around 6 mins later, I was shocked to see a PCN had already been issued. In this regard, I therefore parked without permission or having obtained parking rights. On which point, I would like to draw the council’s attention to the following:
The traffic sign in evidence states: Pay at machine. Display ticket.
The machine accepts payment and advises that parking rights may be obtained via RingGo, which is also confirmed on the council's website.
Therefore, it is clear that the alleged contravention is that of failing to display a ticket, NOT failure to pay.
It therefore follows that:
The traffic sign in evidence is incorrect because display of a ticket is not an obligation; and
the contravention is wrong for the same reasons.
Either of the above constitutes a statutory and therefore the PCN must be cancelled. Furthermore, if the council wishes to enforce this bay, then it must amend the traffic sign and use a mandated contravention description.
Kind regards,
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Exactly and it MAY NOT.
How could it be a contravention for not doing something which is OPTIONAL i.e. you could EITHER pay and display OR pay via RingGo?
Answer: IMO, it isn't.
I think I've set this out as clearly as I can.
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Two errors IMO:
The sign is incorrect;
The contravention is incorrect.
I would start with your account, the CEO's conditional permission and that for reasons beyond your control it took you longer to get back to the car than agreed with the CEO*. In this regard, you therefore parked without permission or having obtained parking rights. On which point, I would draw the authority's attention to the following:
The traffic sign in evidence states: Pay at machine. Display ticket.
The machine accepts payment and advises that parking rights may be obtained via RingGo, which is also confirmed on the council's website.
The alleged contravention is that of failing to display a ticket, NOT failure to pay.
It therefore follows that:
The traffic sign in evidence is incorrect because display of a ticket is not an obligation; and
The contravention is wrong for the same reasons.
Either constitutes a statutory and therefore the PCN must be cancelled. If the council wants to enforce this bay then they must amend the traffic sign and use a mandated contravention description.
Many thanks for your help with this, however, the PCN does mention contravention code 06P - Parked without clearly displaying a valid pay & display ticket or voucher?
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Two errors IMO:
The sign is incorrect;
The contravention is incorrect.
I would start with your account, the CEO's conditional permission and that for reasons beyond your control it took you longer to get back to the car than agreed with the CEO*. In this regard, you therefore parked without permission or having obtained parking rights. On which point, I would draw the authority's attention to the following:
The traffic sign in evidence states: Pay at machine. Display ticket.
The machine accepts payment and advises that parking rights may be obtained via RingGo, which is also confirmed on the council's website.
The alleged contravention is that of failing to display a ticket, NOT failure to pay.
It therefore follows that:
The traffic sign in evidence is incorrect because display of a ticket is not an obligation; and
The contravention is wrong for the same reasons.
Either constitutes a statutory and therefore the PCN must be cancelled. If the council wants to enforce this bay then they must amend the traffic sign and use a mandated contravention description.
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You getting cash is not something you can visit on the CEO as you must surely realise. I'd forget this.
Was the sequence of events that you parked, went straight to the pharmacy, got the medicine and then went via an ATM machine before returning to the car and that this took longer than the CEO had specified.
Was your son with you?
IMO, you should focus on what seems to be a clear the procedural error.
Yes that is the correct sequence of events. OK I will draft some kind of appeal based on the procedural error, just to clarify none of the parking signs mention pay by phone and only mention pay at machine display ticket so this is still a procedural error, correct?
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You getting cash is not something you can visit on the CEO as you must surely realise. I'd forget this.
Was the sequence of events that you parked, went straight to the pharmacy, got the medicine and then went via an ATM machine before returning to the car and that this took longer than the CEO had specified.
Was your son with you?
IMO, you should focus on what seems to be a clear the procedural error.
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I am quite angry at the CEO as I feel he acted in a deceitful way and actually intended to issue a PCN all along.
Why? According to you he gave you conditional permission to park where you would otherwise not have been permitted unless you paid, but you did not comply with those conditions.
What has getting money from an ATM got to do with your son's condition or your parking, you weren't paying to park anyway(not that you'd have needed cash).
There are some free parking provisions for residents of Richmond, do you qualify?
https://www.richmond.gov.uk/services/parking/parking_machines/parking_machine_guide
What I am saying is that having to get cash from the ATM meant I ended up taking longer than anticipated and hence overstayed the 5 minutes offered by the CEO. Unfortunately I am not a resident Richmond so I do not qualify :(
I notice none of the parking signs mention paying via Ringo, however, on the pay and display machine there is the option to pay via Ringo?
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I am quite angry at the CEO as I feel he acted in a deceitful way and actually intended to issue a PCN all along.
Why? According to you he gave you conditional permission to park where you would otherwise not have been permitted unless you paid, but you did not comply with those conditions.
What has getting money from an ATM got to do with your son's condition or your parking, you weren't paying to park anyway(not that you'd have needed cash).
There are some free parking provisions for residents of Richmond, do you qualify?
https://www.richmond.gov.uk/services/parking/parking_machines/parking_machine_guide
IMO, it's the wrong contravention: display is optional if there's a RingGo alternative. It should be failure to pay the parking charge.
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Where is this on Google Maps.
https://maps.app.goo.gl/Rbv74FQqz5DuKabXA
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Where is this on Google Maps.
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Good day,
I have been issued with a PCN from Richmond Council for contravention code 06P (parking without a valid pay and display ticket). I stopped at the pharmacy to buy medicine for my son who had a high temperature, I saw the CEO as I parked and he said its ok to stop but I should not take longer than 5 mins in the pharmacy. Unfortunately the card machine in the pharmacy was not working hence I had to go and draw out cash from the ATM, the whole process took exactly 6 mins and when I returned to my car I was shocked to see a PCN had been issued. I am quite angry at the CEO as I feel he acted in a deceitful way and actually intended to issue a PCN all along.
The PCN mentions that the CEO observed my vehicle from 09:39 to 09:45 yet the timestamp on the photo does not show this?
Is there any grounds for appeal here from the attached PCN and photo evidence?
https://freeimage.host/i/KAZ3NxS
https://freeimage.host/i/KAZ3jb2
https://freeimage.host/i/KAZ3hOl
https://freeimage.host/i/KAZSeZ7
Many thanks,