Page content section :
Your environment
Parking
: Penalty Charge Notices (Parking tickets)
and appeals
- Parking on the roads - How it works
- How to appeal your Penalty Charge Notice (PCN)
- Parking tickets / Penalty Charge Notices (PCN) explained
- Paying a Penalty Charge Notice (PCN)
- New Take our payment survey
Parking on the roads - How it works
On the 23rd January 2006, Horsham District Council and Mid Sussex District Council successfully introduced Civil Parking Enforcement (CPE), bringing about safer and less congested streets. Worthing Borough Council also joined CPE on 10th September 2007 and this was rolled out to Adur District Council on 5th March 2009. This has allowed Adur District Council to take over the role of on-street parking enforcement from Sussex Police, on behalf of West Sussex County Council, and it has contracted the service to NSL Services Group Limited (previously called NCP Services) to manage on a day-to-day basis. The scheme is managed by way of the Traffic Management Act 2004.
Previously, the Government received the majority of money generated through parking fines issued by the police. Under CPE, West Sussex County Council, in partnership with Adur District Council, collects the penalties and uses them to pay for the costs of enforcement - using any surplus money to the benefit of transport, parking and other environmental improvements in the Adur District.
The objectives
- To provide a single integrated parking service, combining on-street and off-street management and enforcement that will be accessible, at a local level within the districts and boroughs.
- To provide the effective enforcement of parking controls.
- To be self-financing with any surpluses arising from the enforcement regime used to improve parking facilities and approved transport and environmental improvement, within the District in which the surplus is accrued.
Contact us
Please contact the Parking Shop.
If you have contacted the Parking Shop and have further comments and complaints, please contact the Parking Enforcement Team.
Civil Parking Enforcement (CPE) in West Sussex
View our sections available here on www.adur.gov.uk/parking or find out more from West Sussex County Council (such as the benefits) and from other local councils that have successfully implemented CPE :
- West Sussex County Council - Civil Parking Enforcement (www.westsussex.gov.uk/default.aspx?page=9653)
- West Sussex County Council - Traffic Management Act (www.westsussex.gov.uk/default.aspx?page=8707)
- Horsham District Council - Civil Parking Enforcement (www.horsham.gov.uk/transport/5840.aspx)
- Mid Sussex District Council - Parking Enforcement (www.midsussex.gov.uk/page.cfm?pageID=4259)
- Worthing Borough Council - Parking Enforcement (www.worthing.gov.uk/worthings-services/parking/)
Civil Parking Enforcement Guide
We have also produced a thorough PDF guide for you to download to understand Civil Parking Enforcement and what it means to you :
How to appeal your Penalty Charge Notice (PCN)
If you think you have been issued with a Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) unjustly, or that there was a valid justification for parking as you did (i.e. mitigating circumstances), you are entitled to make a representation.
In order to make a challenge against a PCN please write, quoting your PCN reference number, vehicle registration number, name and address and enclose copies of any supporting evidence, such as your Blue Badge or your pay and display ticket, photos of any signs/lines at the time of the contravention to :
- Notice Processing Department,
PO Box 4758,
Worthing,
BN11 9NP
Tel : 0845 680 0189 (for advice or queries)
or on-line at https://onlineservices.nslservers.co.uk/worthingadur/ocm/
If you want a step-by-step guide on how to appeal online, please look at this presentation.
How can I challenge a PCN?
If you wish to challenge the PCN you need to do so in writing to the above address detailing why you feel that the PCN was incorrectly issued, or detailing any mitigating circumstances that you would like to be considered, where NSL Services Group Limited (previously called NCP Services) will consider your initial informal appeal.
Please do not send payment at the same time as appealing, as payment is seen as admitting liability and the appeal will not be considered.
Once we have received your challenge, we will aim to respond within 10 working days.
Appeal statistics - Annual Report
If you would like to see some statistics of the results of some of the appeals made in the last financial year against Penalty Charge Notices, the Annual Report document is included below. It shows that many of the appeals are successful.
What are the stages of challenging the issue of a PCN?
There are three stages in challenging the issue of a PCN :
- Informal challenge to NSL Services Group Limited (previously called NCP Services) within first 28 days
- Formal Representation to Adur District Council after 28 days and receipt of a Notice to Owner
- Formal Appeal to the Independent Parking Adjudicator following Notice of Rejection from Adur District Council
Any correspondence received within the initial 28 day period (as an informal Challenge) will be considered in line with policy. If received in the first 14 days (during which the discounted rate applies), NSL Services Group Limited (previously called NCP Services) will extend the discount period whilst they consider the Challenge and usually re-offer the discount period for a further 14 days from any letter of rejection being issued. If the Challenge is accepted, the PCN will be cancelled and a letter sent to the motorist. If more evidence or details are needed, a letter requesting the information within 14 days will be sent to the motorist (if no information is received within 14 days, the challenge will be rejected).
If the Challenge is rejected, NSL Services Group Limited (previously called NCP Services) will send a letter clearly explaining the reason, later followed by a Notice to Owner (NtO) a few weeks later. A formal Representation may then be made using the NtO and sent to the Council via the PO Box Address. If the NtO is not completed, the motorist loses any further right to dispute the PCN. If this is again rejected, A Notice of Rejection will be sent. If accepted, a Notice of Acceptance will be sent and the fine cancelled.
Following the receipt of a Notice of Rejection, the person then has the right to make an Appeal to the Traffic Penalty Tribunal, an independent body which has been set up to ensure that unresolved legal disputes between the motorist and the councils can be heard at a formal tribunal hearing. This body is independent of the Council. If you are not satisfied by the outcome of a representation that you have made to the Council that issued the PCN, you are entitled to make an appeal to the Traffic Penalty Tribunal (for more information see www.trafficpenaltytribunal.gov.uk).
How long does the representation process take?
On average it will take 1-2 months dependant on having all the required facts.
If I challenge the PCN will the charge increase?
If any appeal is made against the PCN within 28 days of the PCN being issued then it is put on hold until the informal representation is reviewed and for 14 days after the decision notice has been sent. Once a Charge Certificate has been issued (on or shortly after 56 days from date of PCN issue if no payment has been received or no valid Challenge or Representation has been made), payment due will be increased by 50%.
On what grounds can I make an appeal?
Below are the guidelines with which appeals staff must consider appeals. It is important to note that all cases are reviewed on their individual merits and that these guidelines change regularly.
Appeals and Representations - Countywide Procedure
The grounds for a formal appeal against a Penalty Charge Notice are :
- The alleged parking contravention did not occur.
- The penalty charge, (or release or storage charge), exceeded the relevant amount.
- The Traffic Regulation Order was invalid.
- You were not the owner of the vehicle when the alleged contravention occurred.
- When the vehicle was parked it had been taken without your consent.
- You are a hire company and have supplied the hirer's name and address.
In additional to the legal grounds for making formal appeals, the Councils operating Civil Parking Enforcement are obliged to consider all mitigating circumstances presented to them. Guidelines have been established to assist Parking Services' staff in this process.
These guidelines provide a consistent framework for reaching decisions across the County, whilst allowing each individual circumstance to be considered on its own merits. Details of how to make an appeal are outlined on the reverse of the Penalty Charge Notice.
PLEASE NOTE : Once a ticket has been issued, it cannot be cancelled by a civil enforcement officer, so please do not ask. Threatening behaviour, verbal or physical abuse towards officers will not be tolerated, and will be reported to the police. Instead, please make a representation where the circumstances of the ticket’s issue will be considered.
Parking tickets / Penalty Charge Notices (PCN) explained
Below is a sample Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) with an explanation of the various important details contained on it, including the :
- PCN number
- Vehicle registration mark (or car registration number)
- Contravention code or reference code for the offence witnessed
- Description of the offence
- Details of the charge to be paid
Paying a Penalty Charge Notice (PCN)
To pay your Penalty Charge Notice (PCN), we offer four means of doing so for your convenience. Please be ready to quote your PCN reference number and vehicle registration number when making payments and ensure all correspondence is marked with the same plus your name and address.
On-line
You can pay your Penalty Charge Notice online today. This service uses a secure connection to encrypt your personal and sensitive information. We accept all major forms of credit and debit cards.
- Click here for on-line Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) / Parking Ticket Payments (https://www.e-paycobalt.com/adur)
Telephone
You can telephone the secure automated telephone payment line on 0845 680 0189 (then select option 2 for Adur, and then option 1).
All major forms of credit and debit card are accepted.
In Person
Payments may be made in person at :
- Worthing Parking Shop,
52 Chapel Road,
Worthing,
West Sussex, BN11 1BE
Please note that this is for payments only and appeals and representations can only be considered in writing.
Cash and postal order payments (made payable to 'Adur District Council') can be paid to the shop during office hours. Please do not send cash by post or post through the Parking Shop letterbox. Postal orders only can be sent by post to the Parking Shop. Please quote the PCN number and vehicle registration when posting postal orders.
All major forms of credit and debit card are accepted.
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