This is not something you should be rushing to pay, and you have not reached the end of the road. In the vast majority of these cases that we advise on, you will not be paying a penny to ParkingEye.
First, it is still unclear how this ParkingEye charge was issued. From what you describe, it is likely to have been a windscreen ticket Notice to Driver (NtD), rather than a postal Notice to Keeper (NtK). That distinction matters, but at this stage it is secondary because you have already appealed and appear to have done so as the driver. That may have removed the strongest line of defence (Keeper liability), but given that you do not own the vehicle anyway, that point may not ultimately be determinative in your case.
You have already appealed to POPLA. Without knowing exactly what grounds were raised in that appeal, it is not possible to give you precise next steps on POPLA itself. For now, you wait. When ParkingEye upload their evidence pack, you will be given a short opportunity to comment on it. That is where you deal with the signage issue properly.
The signage point is critical. You have since discovered that this was a “disabled badge holders – wheelchair vehicles only” bay, but the sign relied upon by ParkingEye is positioned behind the car. The key question is not whether the wording exists somewhere, but whether it was visible to a driver before parking. For disabled motorists in particular, the rules are stricter. The Private Parking Single Code of Practice (PPSCoP) requires that at least one sign containing the parking terms must be viewable from the vehicle without the driver needing to get out, so that a disabled driver can make an informed decision whether to park. A sign located behind the vehicle, only readable after parking and exiting the car, does not meet that requirement.
Is it possible for you to get a photo of the sign and the bay where you parked? A photo of the actual sign and its position relative to the bay matters. If the restriction is not clearly marked on the ground and not visible from the driving position, ParkingEye have a serious problem, regardless of what the sign says.
Your most important route at the moment is not POPLA, but the hospital. You have done the right thing by contacting PALS and the complaints process. You are attending a children’s hospital, you displayed a Blue Badge, you were supporting your son, and you were recovering from surgery yourself. NHS Trusts frequently instruct cancellation in circumstances like this, especially where signage is poor or confusing.
If PALS attempt to fob you off or say it is “nothing to do with them”, it must be escalated. This is ultimately the responsibility of the NHS Trust as landowner. If necessary, it goes to the Trust’s senior complaints team and then to the Chief Executive. ParkingEye act only as an agent and can be instructed to cancel.
For now, the correct position is to wait for:
1. the PALS response, which may resolve this entirely, and
2. the ParkingEye evidence pack for POPLA, so the signage and disability-accessibility issue can be addressed properly in comments.
3. some photos of the bay and the signs relative to them and the actual wording on the signs.
Do not be panicked by talk of discounts or deadlines. This is a hospital charge, involving a disabled badge holder, a child’s appointment, and signage that was not visible from the vehicle. Those are the facts that matter.
For now, please show us the PCN, both sides and what you put in your initial and subsequent POPLA appeal:
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