Free Traffic Legal Advice

Hello everyone,

I have recently received a charge notice from VCS Ltd to myself the registered keeper. ( How do I attach the Notice Paper into this post? I have images but couldn’t see how to include them here).

We were on a family holiday and briefly stopped at 4:07am to check where to go with the meet & greet company. The notice shows us at 4:08am allegedly stopped as we are approaching the barrier for short stay.
The small white sign to the left of our vehicle. In the first image doesn’t appear to be about a no stopping zone ( although we were tired and it was dark so didn’t take note)

I would like to appeal/complain and have seen on their website a clever drop down list to put a title of what you were doing to stop. I ignored this and it let me move to the description box. I would also only put that I am a registered keeper as I wasn’t driving at the time. I haven’t actually put a description of my appeal in yet. I just tested the waters to see what I had to do.So I haven’t appealed yet or complained.

I really appreciate that this is an ongoing topic but don’t want to appeal/complain if there is no chance of it being rejected. I have also written to Bristol Airport Ltd expressing my complaint about this.

Any guidance is much appreciated and valued.

Do not identify the driver.

Search the forum for

VCS Bristol

and you will see lots of cases, including https://www.ftla.uk/private-parking-tickets/vcs-cn-stopping-in-a-prohibited-zone-bristol-airport/ which suggests

I am the registered keeper. VCS cannot hold a registered keeper liable for any alleged contravention on land that is under statutory control. As a matter of fact and law, VCS will be well aware that they cannot use the PoFA provisions because BRISTOL Airport is not 'relevant land'.

If Bristol Airports landowners wanted to hold owners or keepers liable under Airport Byelaws, that would be within the landowner's gift and another matter entirely. However, not only is that not pleaded, it is also not legally possible because VCS is not the Airport owner and your 'parking charge' is not and never attempts to be a penalty. It is created for VCS’s own profit (as opposed to a byelaws penalty that goes to the public purse) and VCS has relied on contract law allegations of breach against the driver only.

The registered keeper cannot be presumed or inferred to have been the driver, nor pursued under some twisted interpretation of the law of agency. Your NTK can only hold the driver liable. So you are urged to save us both a complete waste of time and cancel the PCN.

As you will see from the linked thread, VCS will reject your appeal and spout a load of rubbish, so you’ll have to be prepared to continue the process with advice given here.
Ultimately, assuming it’s DCB Legal who get involved, they will initiate a court claim but discontinue before paying the court fee. It’s their modus operandi to frighten people into paying.

Thank you so much mickR, jfollows, b789

Here is the image link. Thank you mickR https://imgur.com/a/3PkpHno

I have taken onboard b789 that if needed to refer to the driver in a third party tone, and am very grateful jfollows for the quote text to help me word my response.

My concern is, if it does become a court hearing that I will lose, and face higher costs or is this what they want?

Or should I just pay the Ł60 for literally a minute or less stop as we approached the barrier.

Bristol Airport have referred my complaint in house, so i’ll let you know what they respond with as and when.

Thank you agin for your time and advice, it really helps.

Thank you jfollows! It is so good to know you are all here and helping.

I’ll ensure I keep all paperwork, and set reminders for deadlines etc.

I’ll keep you posted throughout.

Today, I’ll send them my appeal description.

I would stick to the original proposed appeal.
(I didn’t write it but someone else put some thought into it.)

In what way is the notice “not valid”?

You omit the words about the NTK only holding the driver liable, which I think is important.

However, since your appeal is going to be rejected it doesn’t really matter anyway.

Which should I use from the www.myparkingcharge.co.uk drop down list? as it won’t let me submit my appeal without one.

I did not park for the stated time (VCS sent a CN for stopping not parking)
or
My vehicle was not in the car park at the time the contravention occurred (but doesn’t that wording seem like I admit a contravention occurred)

I’m treading carefully here as I don’t want to give them any cause to respond saying ‘Well you put.....so that means ..... you are responsible”

Many thanks again.

Send the following two emails and report back on any responses and show us what they send you. The first is to Bristol Airport. Make sure you also CC yourself:

Send to: dpo@bristolairport.com
CC: privacy@bristolairport.com

Subject: Environmental information request – VCS parking enforcement contract and site plan

Dear Sir/Madam,

Please treat this as a request under the Environmental Information Regulations 2004.

I request copies of the following environmental information held by Bristol Airport Limited:

1. The current “Concession Service Agreement (Parking Enforcement)” between Bristol Airport Limited and Vehicle Control Services Ltd (VCS), including all schedules and any variations or addenda from 1 January 2023 to the present.
2. In particular, Schedule 3 (site plan / enforcement areas) identifying the internal roads, PUDO areas, car parks, entrances/exits and any other locations where VCS is authorised to enforce.
3. Any subsequent agreement replacing or extending the above, and any documents that alter the extent of the enforcement area (e.g. changes to red-route/no-stopping coverage) since 1 January 2023.

If you consider any parts exempt (e.g. Reg 12(5)(e) – commercial confidentiality), please disclose the remainder with proportionate redactions and provide the refusal notice identifying the specific exception(s) and public-interest test outcome.

Please provide the information electronically (PDFs for text; plans as PDFs or GIS files if held).

My name and contact details are below.

Yours faithfully,

[Your name]
[Email]
[Postal address]
(For the avoidance of doubt: under the EIR, requests may be made by email and do not have to use a web form.)

Send the second one to North Somerset Council and again, CC yourself:

Send to: foi@n-somerset.gov.uk
CC: infogov@n-somerset.gov.uk

Subject: Environmental information request – Bristol Airport internal roads: enforcement extent and signage consents

Dear FOI/EIR Team,

Please treat this as a request under the Environmental Information Regulations 2004.

For the area comprising Bristol Airport (BS48 3DY), please provide:

1. Any plans/drawings (including those lodged with planning or highways files) that show the extent and location of red-route / “no-stopping” restrictions and associated signage/road markings on internal, unadopted airport roads (not the A38) from 1 January 2018 to present.
2. Copies of any planning permissions and advertisement consents for such signage and road markings on internal airport roads within the same period, including location plans and sign layouts.
3. Any documents you hold (e.g. planning statements, conditions, s106 obligations, traffic management drawings) that delineate areas where a third-party contractor (e.g. VCS) is stated to enforce parking or stopping controls within the airport estate.
4. If held, any records clarifying whether specific airport roads are adopted or private, and the boundary between the public highway and airport-managed roads.

Please provide the information electronically (copies of decision notices, plans and any GIS layers if held). If parts are exempt, please disclose the remainder and issue a refusal notice identifying the exception(s) and public-interest test outcome.

Yours faithfully,

[Your name]

[Email]
[Postal address]

STOP!!!!!!! DO NOT, EVER, contact VCS, especially by phone.  You treat VCS and any other unregulated private parking firm as you would any suspected scammer. You are not dealing with a respectable firm that has some sort of fluffy public facing customer service.

You have been told what to put in your appeal. I have adjusted it slightly because of the entrapment they have set up if you try and use their portal to appeal.

Send you your appeal by email to cpo@vehiclecontrol.co.uk and CC yourself. DO NOT try and overthink this and keep it verbatim:

Subject: Keeper appeal for PCN ref: [PCN number]

Please treat this as my formal appeal and complaint submitted by email. I will not be using your web portal or selecting any forced drop-down reason. Under the Private Parking Single Code of Practice v1.1 (17 Feb 2025), operators must accept appeals/complaints via reasonable channels and must not require use of a specific portal; treat this email accordingly (see §.11.2).

I am the registered keeper. VCS cannot hold a registered keeper liable for any alleged contravention on land that is under statutory control. As a matter of fact and law, VCS will be well aware that they cannot use the PoFA provisions because Bristol Airport is not 'relevant land'.

If Bristol Airport wanted to hold owners or keepers liable under Airport Byelaws, that would be within the landowner's gift and another matter entirely. However, not only is that not pleaded, it is also not legally possible because VCS is not the Airport owner and your 'parking charge' is not and never attempts to be a penalty. It is created for VCS’s own profit (as opposed to a byelaws penalty that goes to the public purse) and VCS has relied on contract law allegations of breach against the driver only.

The registered keeper cannot be presumed or inferred to have been the driver, nor pursued under some twisted interpretation of the law of agency. Your NtK can only hold the driver liable. VCS have no hope should you be so stupid as to try and litigate, so you are urged to save us both a complete waste of time and cancel the PCN.

Acknowledge receipt and confirm you will process this appeal without insisting on use of your portal.