About Penalty Charge Notices (PCN)
A Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) can be issued to any driver for a parking contravention (disobeying parking restrictions), for driving in a prohibited zone, or for failing to pay a required charge. Common reasons for receiving a PCN include:
- parking in a parking space without the required permit or payment
- stopping on a red route
- parking on a double yellow line
- driving in a lane or street provided for buses only
- failing to pay a Clean Air Zone (CAZ) charge
Drivers are responsible for paying attention to road markings, signs and notices about parking and driving restrictions and acting accordingly. Vehicles can also be removed if parked in contravention.
View a that PCNs are issued for.
Parking Charge Notices issued by private parking companies can look similar to council-issued Penalty Charge Notices. We cannot give advice about these as they are not issued by us. Useful information on appealing these parking tickets can be found on the .
Bus lanes or bus-only roads
We use CCTV cameras to monitor bus lanes and streets. A PCN will be sent to the registered keeper of those vehicles that use bus lanes or bus-only roads but are not permitted to do so. Roads restricted for use only by buses, hackney carriages (taxis) and/or motorcycles must not be used by private hire vehicles.
Clean Air Zone
The Clean Air Zone was launched on Tuesday 1 June 2021. If a vehicle which does not meet the required emission standards is caught on camera driving in the and does not make payment by 11:59pm on the sixth day after the date the vehicle was issued in the zone, a Penalty Charge Notice will be sent to the registered keeper of the vehicle.
Charges
Parking
The two levels of contravention that can lead to a PCN (parking) being issued are:
- low-level contraventions (such as parked with an expired pay and display ticket) - £50 (reduced to £25 if paid within 14 days*)
- higher level contraventions (such as parked on double yellow lines) - £70 (reduced to £35 if paid within 14 days*)
For parking PCNs issued by CCTV camera, the reduced rate shown above is to be paid within 21 days*
Bus lane / Bus only roads
The penalty charge for driving illegally in a bus lane is £60 (reduced to £30 if paid within 14 days*) for contravention dates up to 30 May 2022.
From 31 May 2022 and thereafter, the penalty charge for driving illegally in a bus lane is £70 (reduced to £35 if paid within 14 days*)
Clean Air Zone
The penalty charge for not paying the required clean air zone charge in time is £120 (reduced to £60 if paid within 14 days*)
*Beginning on the date on which the PCN was served.
Mobile CCTV and parking restrictions
It’s difficult to enforce parking restrictions in some areas using only civil enforcement officers (traffic wardens) patrolling on foot. Mobile CCTV assist us in upholding parking restrictions to improve safety for road users and pedestrians. Mobile CCTV may be used when vehicles are:
- in a bus lane
- parked in a bus stop clearway or bus stand clearway
- parked in a Keep Clear zig-zag area outside schools
- parked on a red route
View the code of practice for operation of mobile CCTV cameras in Â鶹ÊÓƵ.