Author Topic: UKPC Kingsley Village, Fraddon. Not parked within the markings of bay or space.  (Read 5233 times)

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Hi,
I've managed to put the redacted docs online:

UKPC reply to POPLA appeal


My photos of the signage are here: photos



Hi,
I've doctored one of the previous cases to form the basis of my reply.  But I need to reduce the character count.

Quote
I respond to the operator's evidence as follows:
But first I must point out some incorrect statements in their evidence:
a)   UKPC state “An appeal was received from the vehicle driver MR ..”.  However, the appeal was made by the keeper.
b)   UKPC state “the vehicle was positioned in a manner that caused an obstruction”.  This is not true as can be seen in the photos of the NtK.  And I would reiterate the comments in the appeal at section 3.
c)   UKPC state “The vehicle was parked adjacent to the signage”.  This is not true.  The car was parked some distance from the signage show in UKPC’s NtK photos. 
d)   UKPC state “The appellant has stated that there isn’t a clear date that the period of parking.”  Whilst grammatically incorrect, the keeper did not state the same.
1. PoFA Compliance: UKPC states that the Notice to Keeper complies with Paragraph 9 of Schedule 4 of the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012. This is incorrect. The NtK only includes a single timestamp (11:12:14) and does not specify a "period of parking" as required by Paragraph 9(2)(a). This omission means that the NtK is non-compliant, and the operator cannot pursue the registered keeper. UKPC has made no attempt to explain how a single moment in time constitutes a period of parking, nor have they addressed the precedent set in Brennan v Premier Parking Solutions (2023), which confirms that a period of parking is required. Without a recorded duration, it is also impossible to establish whether the vehicle remained on site longer than the minimum consideration period that must be allowed before any contractual terms can take effect. Simply regurgitating that the NtK is PoFA compliant does not make it so. PoFA is not a “best efforts” checklist. It is an all-or-nothing statute. You cannot be “mostly PoFA compliant” any more than someone can be “mostly pregnant.” It’s binary: you either fully comply, or you don’t. As shown here, UKPC does not.
The purpose of this Private Parking Sector Single Code of Practice 5.1 Annex B is to set the MANDATORY minima for the consideration periods that parking operators are required to apply. “As a matter of contract law, drivers need to be given an appropriate opportunity to understand and decide whether to accept the terms and conditions that apply should they choose to park a vehicle on controlled land.”
UKPC state “The vehicle was parked adjacent to the signage” – this is not true.  The car was parked some distance from the signage show in UKPC’s NtK photos.  Furthermore, that same sign is some 10 feet or more above the road and partially obscured by foliage.
UKPC state “no one was at the signage or in the vehicle, which supports the conclusion that a parking event did take place”.  This suggests that a driver cannot view other more easily accessible signs without being presented with a PCN.
UKPC has provided no “evidence the consideration period had expired”. 
Therefore, in the absence of an 'agreed contract' I respectfully request that my appeal is upheld.


2. Presumption of Driver Identity: UKPC has not identified the driver. Their comments imply an assumption that the keeper was the driver, but they have not contested or rebutted the legal position in VCS v Edward (2023) which makes clear that no such presumption exists in law. As UKPC has not identified the driver, and PoFA has not been complied with, the keeper cannot be held liable.

3. Landowner Authority: UKPC has failed to provide any evidence of landowner authority. Their evidence pack does not include a contract, redacted or otherwise, no witness statement, and no proof that they are authorised to operate on this land. UKPC’s narrative merely asserts that a contract exists, but nothing is provided to support this. This is a clear breach of Section 14 of the BPA/IPC Private Parking Single Code of Practice (PPSCoP)). POPLA requires documentary evidence of landowner authority, and UKPC has failed to provide it. The appeal must be allowed on this basis alone.

4. UKPC’s photographic evidence shows the vehicle parked along side other vehicles parked on the same section of the car park. However, whilst other sections on the car park include double yellow lines and/or white road markings in the centre of a road to indicate no parking, the subject area lacked any such markings.  Hence, if other cars are parked and a space is between them without yellow or white lines any reasonable person would view it as a parking place.  UKPC’s signage evidence indicates ‘no parking on yellow lines’ and also ‘no roadway parking’ where white lines are marked on the roadway. UKPC have not provided any signage or markings to warn drivers that use of such areas would result in a PCN.
This layout appears to be a deliberate entrapment setup: the road visually invites people to use it. Rather than include yellow lines, UKPC instead chooses to entrap. This is unfair, and the alleged contravention is not clearly established. The burden of proof remains with UKPC, and they have failed to discharge it.

5. UKPC’s failure to include yellow or white lines in this area suggests that enforcement is not based on genuine management, but on opportunistic ticketing – especially in view of the number of cars parked in the area. This undermines any suggestion that the charge serves a legitimate interest and instead reflects a model based on entrapment.

6. Signage and Photographic Evidence: UKPC has included photographs of signage taken at the time of the alleged contravention, but these images do not assist their case. UKPC fails to address the keeper’s evidence of ambiguous signage (see previous photos) or the fact that the entrance sign is on the left of the vehicle and is not legible from the driver's seat of a vehicle entering from the road into the development except for the words “P 3 Hours Maximum Stay”.
UKPC, have not addressed the existence of the other signs in the keepers photographic evidence one of which indicates the property “is managed by Savills” and another which indicate “Parking time limit is 3 hours” without any conditions attached.
UKPC's photographic evidence cannot be relied upon as it is out of date and not viewed from the position of a driver's seat of a vehicle entering the car park.
Furthermore, POPLA has previously upheld numerous appeals where UKPC signage was found to be non-compliant with both PoFA and the BPA Code of Practice. The signs in this case suffer from the same fundamental defects: poor layout, inadequate font size, and failure to make key terms—particularly the charge—sufficiently prominent.

UKPC has failed to show that any contract could have been formed, and therefore cannot demonstrate that a contravention occurred.

7. Generalised Assertions: UKPC repeatedly rely on boilerplate language rather than addressing the specific context of this case. They refer to signage and enforcement “throughout the car park” but do not show current information – UKPC photos are dated July 2025.  The operator must prove the terms were properly conveyed and that the driver breached them—this has not been done.

In conclusion, UKPC has failed to prove valid PoFA compliance, failed to prove landowner authority, failed to provide adequate signage evidence from the material date, failed to justify the charge under Beavis, and failed to rebut the specific arguments made in my appeal. I respectfully request that POPLA allow this appeal and cancel the PCN.

Hi,
I have another couple of days before I need to submit a response to the operator's comments.
I'd be grateful for any advice before I submit please.
Thanks

I've submitted my response to the operator's comments - Let's see what happens next.

I'm assuming a few more forms then mediation phone call.

Hi and thanks for all the relevant information on this forum.

I've just received a "Your appeal was not successful" response from POPLA.
From reading the forum threads I assume I just wait for and ignore any "Debt Collection Letters".
Then I wait for the "Letter Before Claim" at which point I need to respond further.
Thanks in advance for any comments.

FYI the POPLA response is as follows: 
Decision
Unsuccessful
Assessor Name: Richard Beaden
Assessor summary of operator case:
The operator has issued a Parking Charge Notice (PCN) as the driver was not parked correctly within the markings of a bay or space.

Assessor summary of your case:
The appellant advises that they are the keeper of the vehicle and dispute that the operator has complied with the Protection of Freedoms Act (2012). The appellant disputes that a consideration period has been allowed. The appellant questions the adequacy of the signs on site. They have asked to see evidence that the operator has a valid contract with the landowner. The appellant has provided photos of the signs at the site and a document detailing their appeal.

Assessor supporting rational for decision:
When assessing an appeal POPLA considers if the parking operator has issued the parking charge notice correctly and if the driver has complied with the terms and conditions for the use of the car park. The operator is holding the appellant liable as the keeper of the vehicle using Schedule 4 paragraph 9 of the Protection of Freedoms Act (2012). The operator has provided a copy of the notice which shows that it contains all of the required wording and was sent out within the required time scales. The notice has a single time and date on it and the parking event is the period of time directly before the specific time. There is no requirement within the Protection of Freedoms Act (2012) for the notice to specify the duration the driver was parked the only requirement is that the notice details the period of parking it relates to. One moment in time is a period of parking. I am satisfied that this notice meets this requirement. There is also no requirement in law for the exact wording to be quoted within the notice as long as the meaning of the wording is the same as it is with this notice. Section 5.1 of the Single Code of practice requires the operator to allow a consideration period. This can end sooner than the time specified in annex B.1. In this case the operator has provided photos of the appellants vehicle on site which is empty and photos of the closets signs this confirms that the driver was not trying to review the signs and as such I am satisfied that the operator has proven that the consideration period had ended. I note that all of the operator’s images of the parking event are date and time stamped. As the driver was parked in breach of the terms and conditions no grace period would apply. Section 3 of the Single Code of Practice sets out the requirements for signs. Both the operator and appellant have provided photos of the signs at the site. Both the operator and appellant have shown that there is a clear entrance sign in the required format. It is sized so that the driver would have been able to see this while driving as confirmed by the appellants image of this sign. The entrance sign provides a clear warning regarding the use of ANPR cameras as can also be seen in the appellants own image of this sign. The signs fully comply with the requirements of Annex A. The operator has also shown that there are prominent terms and conditions signs throughout the site including signs on lighting poles so I am satisfied that the clear blue and white signs would have been visible at all times of the day and night. There was a sign just a few meters from where the driver was parked as shown by the operator’s photos of the parking event. The signs make it clear that there is a three hour maximum stay with no charges required. They warn that all vehicles must park within a marked bay or a parking charge of £100 will be issued. I note that the appellants own photos prove that clarity of the terms and conditions signs and show their prominence and visibility. I note that the amount of the PCN is clearly highlighted with a black box so that it is prominent and is in a font comparable with the rest of the text on the signs. I note that the appellant has provided photos of signs which are not the operators and a such the operator is not responsible for them. The terms and conditions are made clear. If the appellant has concerns about the other signs on site, they should raise these concerns with the landowner. The operator has shown that there were no bay markings where the appellant parked so it was clear that this was not a permitted parking area. By parking outside of a marked by the driver was obstructing other motorist’s movements around the car park. Other vehicles being parked in similar manner is not an indication that this was a valid parking location. Section 14 of the Single Code of Practice requires the operator to have an agreement in place before it starts management of a site. In this case the operator has provided a copy of the contract it holds so I am satisfied that on the balance of probabilities there is a valid contract for the operator to manage parking in this location. After considering the evidence from both parties, the driver parked outside of a marked bay and therefore did not comply with the terms and conditions of the site. As such, I am satisfied the parking charge has been issued correctly and I must refuse the appeal.