3. PCN for 3.5min and no signage before entering the road.
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PCN for 3.5min and no signage before entering the road.
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Hi all,

I've received a private Parking Charge Notice from Parking Control Ltd for allegedly being "parked within a restricted area" at The Green Quarter, Southall, London, England.

The PCN was issued by post and I've attached the PCN, their evidence photos, a Google Maps link to the location, and a video showing the approach to the road.

Evidence:
PCN - Google Drive
Google Drive · drive.google.com


One thing that stood out to me is that there are no signs visible when entering the road. The first sign is only visible once you've already entered, and it's quite lengthy with a lot of text on it.

The evidence photos are timestamped:

21:58:45

21:59:01

22:01:06

22:02:20

So based on their own evidence, the vehicle appears to have been there for around 3 minutes 35 seconds in total. The photos also show the vehicle directly in front of the sign.

The appeal portal shows:

Date: 07/06/2026

Time: 22:02

However, the PCN letter itself refers to 21:56, which doesn't appear anywhere in the evidence photographs provided.

My questions are:

Is there usually any grace/consideration period for reading a sign before deciding whether to stay or leave?

Does the fact that the photos only show around 3 minutes 35 seconds have any significance?

Is it relevant that the PCN refers to 21:56 but the evidence starts at 21:58:45 and the appeal portal shows 22:02?

Could the lack of signage at the entrance be a strong appeal point if the first sign is only visible after entering the road?

Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks.
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Re: PCN for 3.5min and no signage before entering the road.
« Reply #1 on: »
There is no “period of parking”, see
Protection of Freedoms Act 2012
An Act to provide for the destruction, retention, use and other regulation of certain evidential material; to impose consent and other requirements in relation to certain processing of biometric in...
legislation.gov.uk

Quote
8(1)A notice which is to be relied on as a notice to keeper for the purposes of paragraph 6(1)(a) is given in accordance with this paragraph if the following requirements are met.

(2)The notice must—

(a)specify the vehicle, the relevant land on which it was parked and the period of parking to which the notice relates;

There is a minimum 5 minute “consideration period”.

A “grace period” is an additional 10 minutes added to a period of parking paid for, so does not apply here.
« Last Edit: June 17, 2026, 05:38:10 pm by jfollows »
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Re: PCN for 3.5min and no signage before entering the road.
« Reply #2 on: »
Thanks. Just so I understand correctly, are you saying the PCN may not be POFA-compliant because it only states a single time (21:56) rather than a "period of parking"?

The evidence photos they provided are timestamped 21:58:45, 21:59:01, 22:01:06 and 22:02:20, so they appear to show a total duration of about 3 minutes 35 seconds. The PCN itself says the vehicle was photographed at 21:56, but there is no photo from that time.

Does that strengthen the "no period of parking" argument, or is the stronger point that they appear not to have provided all the evidence relied upon?

Also, regarding the 5-minute consideration period, if the only sign is visible after entering the road and contains a large amount of text, would 3 minutes 35 seconds potentially fall within that consideration period?
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Re: PCN for 3.5min and no signage before entering the road.
« Reply #3 on: »
« Last Edit: June 17, 2026, 09:34:28 pm by jfollows »
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Re: PCN for 3.5min and no signage before entering the road.
« Reply #4 on: »
The notice also fails to meet the requirements of PoFA Schedule 4 Paragraph 9(2)(b) - the notice fails to state that "the parking charges have not been paid in full" which is the second requirement of the sentence set out in 9(2)(b).
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Re: PCN for 3.5min and no signage before entering the road.
« Reply #5 on: »
Quote
Dear Sir or Madam,

Re: Parking Charge Notice [PCN NUMBER]

I am the registered keeper of the vehicle and I dispute your Parking Charge Notice.

Firstly, the Notice to Keeper does not appear to comply with the requirements of Schedule 4 of the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012. Paragraph 9(2)(a) requires the notice to specify the period of parking to which the notice relates. Your Notice merely states a single time of 21:56 and refers to a "period of parking that immediately followed the time specified above", but no period of parking is actually specified.

Further, Paragraph 9(2)(b) requires the notice to inform the keeper that the driver is required to pay parking charges and that those charges have not been paid in full. No such statement appears in the Notice to Keeper. Accordingly, you cannot rely on Schedule 4 of the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012 to transfer liability from the driver to the keeper. I am under no obligation to identify the driver and will not be doing so.

Secondly, your own evidence is inconsistent. The Notice to Keeper states a contravention time of 21:56, yet the evidence photographs supplied are timestamped 21:58:45, 21:59:01, 22:01:06 and 22:02:20, while the appeal portal records the time as 22:02. No evidence has been supplied supporting the alleged contravention at 21:56.

Thirdly, the evidence provided demonstrates a duration of approximately 3 minutes and 35 seconds. The entrance to the road does not contain any clear signage and the first sign only becomes visible after entering the road.

Furthermore, the sign itself contains extensive terms and conditions requiring time to read and understand. The Private Parking Sector Single Code of Practice provides for a minimum consideration period, and your own evidence falls within that period.

In view of the above, I require that this Parking Charge Notice be cancelled.
No admission is made as to the identity of the driver and no assumptions may be drawn.

Thanks,



How does this sound?
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