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Of course you can. Remind the council of decision 218015398A about a previous PCN of theirs.

This PCN was issued for the alleged contravention of being stopped in a restricted area outside a school when prohibited. The alleged contravention occurred in Clovelly Avenue at 4.14pm on 8 March 2018.

I have looked at the CCTV footage and also the site images submitted by the Council. These show that Mr Byanouni's vehicle was stopped on entrance markings in front of Colindale Primary School. They also show that there is a sign at the location warning motorists that there is no stopping on the entrance markings between 2.45pm and 4.15pm Mondays to Fridays.

Mr Byanouni appeals because he says that he stopped to pick up his children from school. He says that he is well aware of the restrictions and that the clock in his car showed the time of 4.15pm. The Council says that its clock is calibrated according to the Atomic Clock, ensuring 100% accuracy. The CCTV timing shows the vehicle stopping at 4:14:18.

I accept the evidence of Mr Byanouni that the clock in his car showed the time of 4.15pm. I find that the alleged contravention did not occur. There must be some application of common sense. Motorists cannot all be expected to wear time pieces calibrated to the exact second according to the Atomic Clock. A motorist reading an ordinary watch will not be able to know the time calculated to the exact second.

You can't of course really run this argument and one that the signs were not adequate.
You missed the advance warning sign which the council have made more prominent following a number of tribunal losses.

You want a council employee (or more likely the outsourced provider) to be nice to you and cancel so don't poke them in the eye about their maintenance failure nor tell them what is the sensible course. That won't get them onside. (Yes, I know I poke them in the eye a lot but just the sight of my name is enough to enrage them!). Ballards Lane isn't anything to do with this. I wonder if this is the product of chatgpt or a copy and paste of someone else's challenge.

What we have to try and decide is what an adjudicator will think if you get that far.

He won't much care about the advance warning sign being covered. The key is the main signage. I agree that the right hand sign was in the sun but the left hand one, the one you are more likely to notice, is in a direct line in front of you as you approach. Signs can be up to 4m off the ground according to the traffic signs manual.

I doubt that either the council or the tribunal will cancel so paying the 50% is in my opinion (and that is all it is, things can play out differently) the best option.

The PCN you have from the other end where you turn into the road off a roundabout I am more hopeful about as I have won 2 tribunal cases there although many cases have also been lost.