Free Traffic Legal Advice
Live cases legal advice => Civil penalty charge notices (Councils, TFL and so on) => Topic started by: 777GE90 on January 29, 2026, 11:37:03 am
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It's been a few weeks since I got the informal rejection, but not had anything in the post yet.
How long does it take? Do I need to follow this up with them?
It might be prudent to do so, but also check your V5C and make sure the address on it is correct in all detail. We've seen cases where there was an error, but because the OP had lived there so long, the postmen all knew him so any slight errors still got his mail delivered.
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It's been a few weeks since I got the informal rejection, but not had anything in the post yet.
How long does it take? Do I need to follow this up with them?
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Wait for the Notice to Owner which is sent by post to the keeper on the V5C. Are you the owner, and is the name and address on your V5C Registration Certificate for the vehicle up-to-date and the same as it was on the contravention date ?
Ok will do, was tempted to just pay and move on but I am going to fight this on the principal that I genuinely got caught out because that area is not properly sign posted and because the informal appeal guy clearly just fobbed me off without reading my appeal properly at all.
Worst case if I have to pay £70 then I will pay it, but I don't think I should have to pay a penny for their money trap setup.
Yes I am the owner and registered keeper, have been for a couple years so should have no issues getting the letter hopefully.
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Wait for the Notice to Owner which is sent by post to the keeper on the V5C. Are you the owner, and is the name and address on your V5C Registration Certificate for the vehicle up-to-date and the same as it was on the contravention date ?
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Yes they will reoffer the discount on rejection - nearly all authorities do apart from a few.
The next step is a notice to owner, and again they will probably reoffer the discount on rejection to try and stop you going to the tribunal, which is an expense for them.
I think I am gonna appeal again, do I have to wait for notice to owner (i.e. I guess 14 days must pass before they send that in the post?) or can I appeal now?
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It's the usual Fob-Off letter in response to informal representations. They do this because they know that almost all people then cough-up, (like >95%). Only reps against a Notice to Owner are looked at more carefully. If you wait for the NtO, you lose the discount option, although some councils will re-offer it when rejecting reps.
Your appeal argument is of inadequate signage. This is subjective, so you'd have to convince an adjudicator that the signage they've put up is inadequate to convey the restriction. With only a single sign on entry and nothing once in the zone you're in with a chance. Of course if you take them to Traffic Penalty Tribunal it will be with the full PCN penalty in play. If you win, you pay nothing, and if you lose, you pay the PCN penalty, but there are no additional costs
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Got my response today:
I refer to your recent correspondence in connection with the above Penalty Charge Notice (PCN).
The PCN was issued for parking or loading and unloading in a restricted street where waiting and
loading and unloading restrictions are in force.
We have carefully considered your comments; however, we have decided not to cancel the PCN.
You explained that you missed one of the signs on your route because it was approximately 34
metres away.
While I note your comments, please be aware that within a Controlled Parking Zone (CPZ),
additional signs are not required at every location unless specifically necessary.
You were issued a PCN for parking in a Restricted Zone at a time when parking is not permitted,
including for loading or unloading. The purpose of these restrictions is to support traffic flow and
maintain safety. Restricted Zones operate in the following way:
• They may not have yellow lines, as this improves the street environment and reduces
maintenance costs.
• They are governed by Restricted Zone entry signs, which act like boundary markers. These signs
are placed at each entry point to the zone, meaning you would have passed one when entering.
Restricted Zones vary in size and may cover only a single street.
• Where the sign states “No loading”, parking is not permitted for any reason, including loading or
unloading.
The sign will show either the hours during which restrictions apply or “at any time” for 24-hour
restrictions. If no days are shown, the restriction applies seven days a week.
Directorate for Communities
Highways and Technical Services - Parking
Head of Parking Services: Julie Rushton
Buckinghamshire Council
C/O PO Box 3584
Chippenham
SN15 9EF
www.buckinghamshire.gov.uk
The signage at the entry points clearly states: “Restricted Parking Zone – No Loading Except in
Signed Bays.” This means restrictions apply throughout the entire zone unless a specific, signed
bay indicates otherwise. In this case, you were parked within the restricted area but not within a
marked or signed bay.
In view of this, we are satisfied that the contravention occurred and the PCN remains payable.
Having considered the circumstances, I must advise you that you have not provided sufficient
grounds for cancellation of the Charge. The Council is satisfied that the PCN was issued correctly
and that payment is now due.
The Council is willing to accept the discounted amount of £35.00 providing payment is received
within fourteen days of the date of this letter. Failure to pay within this time will mean that the
discount offer expires and the full amount of £70.00 will become due.
If no payment is received, a Notice to Owner will be sent to the registered keeper of the vehicle as
provided by DVLA. This will allow that person or their authorised representative to submit a formal
appeal (known as representations) against the Charge. The appellant will be offered the
opportunity to take the matter to independent adjudication at no extra cost if they are unhappy with
that decision. The decision of the Adjudicator is binding upon both appellant and council.
Got this rejection response today, I feel like they didn't even read my letter properly. They open with:
You explained that you missed one of the signs on your route because it was approximately 34
metres away.
Which is not what I said at all, I said I missed the ONLY restriction sign in my route, because of my high driving workload of immediate left and then immediate right on a blind corner, where my focus is purely on driving and not this poorly placed sign. I mentioned at the end of my letter that that sign is 34 meters away from my parking location and the closest repeater sign on the pavements is over 90 meters away as an additional reason.
This part of the restricted zone seems a bit scammy to me, since even after parking you can clearly see yellow lines further up the road but the bit I was parked on didn't have any, further reinforcing my belief that I wasn't in a restricted zone. I checked Google Maps street view before parking and I checked again when I got out for signs of restriction and didn't spot any, yet was still stung, so clearly their signage is insufficient as it genuinely caught me out.
But instead they want to fine me and carry on catching other people out like this.
Do I pay or keep fighting?
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Yes they will reoffer the discount on rejection - nearly all authorities do apart from a few.
The next step is a notice to owner, and again they will probably reoffer the discount on rejection to try and stop you going to the tribunal, which is an expense for them.
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Thanks, super useful, I did submit an appeal several days ago with a detailed PDF containing lots of info and references to that manual, they sent me a confirmation number and said they will either respond by post or email within 28 days, but every time I login to the site to try and view the status or something it just shows me a form to submit another appeal again, there is nothing on the site that shows my appeal information, hoping my appeal was submitted correctly.
Couple of questions:
If they were to reject the appeal, do I get another 14 days to pay at the discounted rate? If I was to appeal the rejection and then it gets rejected again, do I get another 14 days to pay at the discounted rate?
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Have a read of the restricted parking zone chapter in the traffic signs manual chapter 3.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/traffic-signs-manual
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Stamfordman has pointed you to a valid appeal argument, so why not submit representations based on complete lack of repeater signs, and only a single entrance sign. At least they'll have to do some work for their money !
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I can't see any small repeater signs - I think that part of the street heading out of the centre should at least have one or two.
The traffic signs manual agrees:
It is for the traffic authority to determine how many signs are required within the zone and where they are to be placed. The aim should be to place signs strategically so that where drivers might be tempted to stop, they can see a sign.
These are repeater signs.
(https://i.ibb.co/cSyXtjjs/Screenshot-2026-01-29-at-16-34-51.png)
That's actually quite helpful for an appeal, thank you really appreciate it. Will wait a couple days to see if anyone else can find anything before raising one.
EDIT: Can you send me a link to this manual, would like to take a read.
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I can't see any small repeater signs - I think that part of the street heading out of the centre should at least have one or two.
The traffic signs manual agrees:
It is for the traffic authority to determine how many signs are required within the zone and where they are to be placed. The aim should be to place signs strategically so that where drivers might be tempted to stop, they can see a sign.
These are repeater signs.
(https://i.ibb.co/cSyXtjjs/Screenshot-2026-01-29-at-16-34-51.png)
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(https://i.ibb.co/tMYWS9v4/HA59-rv0-1.jpg)
Ye so it's definitely restricted. The only argument I have is whether there was enough signage or not I suppose, as I genuinely didn't notice, even when checking google maps street view before hand.
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(https://i.ibb.co/tMYWS9v4/HA59-rv0-1.jpg)
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I am very surprised you took the 'Zone Ends' sign as applying to the street you turned into when it quite plainly is on the traffic lane for vehicles driving towards Abbey Way, see this GSV view: -
https://maps.app.goo.gl/HP28x8UMK57J7srF6
It's difficult to think of a robust appeal argument, but with the fairly draconian restrictions past the sign (No Parking, No Loading except in marked bays). I think they should have put up two signs at the entry to Easton St, not one. Looking around, they have put repeater signs like this one opposite the entrance to the law courts and car park.
https://maps.app.goo.gl/QZBUnL77yLqxbV498
I suppose to remind people.
Wait a bit to see what others might suggest, but if you are minded to pay the discount, don't miss the deadline for that.
Ye we probably posted at the same time, but I just answered above, truth is I didn't notice any of those signs to be honest. But when you are actually on the road there is nothing to show you that you are in a restricted zone and I made the point about the repeated signs that you just made on the other side, where it's very obvious once you have parked up, but on this small part of the road it's not.
The laughable matter is i literally checked this on Google maps street view BEFORE I went and parked there, having just had my first ever parking ticket a week earlier, but the maps street view of that exact location again shows no sign in sight, it's only when you come down the route that you have to notice it's a restricted zone, which is hard to notice when you are doing immediate left / immediate right.
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I am very surprised you took the 'Zone Ends' sign as applying to the street you turned into when it quite plainly is on the traffic lane for vehicles driving towards Abbey Way, see this GSV view: -
https://maps.app.goo.gl/HP28x8UMK57J7srF6
It's difficult to think of a robust appeal argument, but with the fairly draconian restrictions past the sign (No Parking, No Loading except in marked bays). I think they should have put up two signs at the entry to Easton St, not one. Looking around, they have put repeater signs like this one opposite the entrance to the law courts and car park.
https://maps.app.goo.gl/QZBUnL77yLqxbV498
I suppose to remind people.
Wait a bit to see what others might suggest, but if you are minded to pay the discount, don't miss the deadline for that.
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It's possible you can make a case that the end zone sign on the main road looks to apply to the part of Easton Street where you parked but you'd have to make it as a theoretical case as you didn't see any signs and crucially not the entry sign.
Ye I see where you are going. The truth is I didn't see the sign, I've come this route many times before but never really noticed that sign before (probably because it's an immediate left turn and then an immediate right and so my focus would have been on the road while doing these manoeuvres), this is the first time I've actually had to park there and genuinely thought it was a unrestricted area. I even checked Google Maps before I went there to double check for no parking restrictions but didn't notice any and so went ahead, there is actually a car park just up the road that I could have easily used as well had I known it was restricted.
Annoying, but oh well. My only comment about the signs is that when you take that immediate right, you clearly see a white sign and not a big red one, so subconsciously I would have not been alerted that this is a restricted area and the white sign gave quite the opposite, they also don't have anything on that part of the road to reinforce that it's a restricted area, like further up Easton Street they have signs constantly showing it's restricted, but this part it does not. Hence why I genuinely ended up parking there and not noticing it was restricted.
But from the sounds of it, seems like I have a pretty weak case then? Do you have any advice on how I should go forward with this? Do I just appeal stating the reasons above and when I get the inevitable rejection pay up and move on?
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It's possible you can make a case that the end zone sign on the main road looks to apply to the part of Easton Street where you parked but you'd have to make it as a theoretical case as you didn't see any signs and crucially not the entry sign.
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Ok thanks, I genuinely did not notice any such sign on my approach. I just had a look through the maps street view and can see there is actually a sign on my route but it appears to be conflicting.
See image below of my route:
(https://i.ibb.co/k6JW3PZh/Screenshot-2026-01-29-at-11-57-36.png)
The orange sign is where the restricted sign is, which is a bit of road that I am on for a very short distance before I turn right more than 90 degrees, where I saw the second sign (marked blue on the image) saying Restricted Zone Ends. To me it seems like that second sign was indicating that that the zone had ended on that part of Easton Street, it is located in a confusing spot.
Restricted sign, seemingly indicating restriction if you are following the road on, i.e. going LEFT:
https://maps.app.goo.gl/Nxc2rgw7RxbvuTVd7
Restrictied zone ends sign, seemingly indicating that if you then turn right onto that part of Easton Street the zone has finished: https://maps.app.goo.gl/MYFQv5BMo5Ghha2n8
Do I have any leg to stand on here?
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It's a restricted parking zone often used to cut out unsightly lines. But you need to have passed clear entry signs like this for it to be enforced.
And in a large zone there should be repeater signs.
https://maps.app.goo.gl/4RBuBBwwPQ96BvyG6
(https://i.ibb.co/j9wLNt9M/Screenshot-2026-01-29-at-11-45-32.png)
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I parked my car on the side of the street, where there is no yellow line or signs of any restriction or loading bay, I thought I was legally parked, yet I was surprised to see this ticket upon my return. I am genuinely shocked as I still don't understand how on earth this is some sort of restricted spot? There is no sign anywhere in sight.
(https://i.ibb.co/7JH6Sw8t/20260129-112302.jpg)
(https://i.ibb.co/d4n1RdcC/20260129-112309.jpg)
Never had a ticket in 14 years of driving and now got 2 a week apart :(.
This is where I was parked on maps street view: https://maps.app.goo.gl/tFv7KYfNuBRs9kAd7
(https://maps.app.goo.gl/tFv7KYfNuBRs9kAd7)
Can someone explain how I am supposed to know there is no parking allowed here as I am genuinely confused?