Parking tickets are often referred to as Penalty Charge Notices or PCNs. If you park in breach of local parking restrictions, displayed on signs and lines, you may receive a PCN.
The PCN will generally be attached to your vehicle, but Milton Keynes Council issue notices by post where vehicles have driven away before the PCN can be completed and issued to the motorist or attached to the vehicle. If this is the case, the civil enforcement officer (CEO) will be required to provide evidence that the PCN was 'in production'.
Charges
Under the Traffic Management Act (TMA) 2004, we operate a 2 tier penalty system depending upon the severity of the contravention committed:
- a lower penalty of £50 (reduced to £25 if paid within 14 days) will be given when a vehicle is breaching regulations of the parking bay - for example, when a car exceeds its time limit in a pay and display bay
- a higher penalty of £70 (reduced to £35 if paid within 14 days) will be given when a vehicle is parked somewhere it should not be - for example, on yellow lines
More details of which contraventions are subject to the higher and lower penalties can be found below.
The charge at Notice to Owner is £50, when the charge certificate is issued it increases to £75 rising to £83 if the debt is registered with court.
Lower charge band
On - Street
05 - parked after the expiry of paid for time
06 - parked without clearly displaying a valid pay and display ticket or voucher
11 - parked without payment of the parking charge
19 - parked in a residents' or shared use parking place of zone displaying an invalid permit, an invalid voucher or an invalid pay and display ticket
22 - re-parked in the same parking place or zone within one hour (or other specified time) of leaving
24 - not parked correctly within the markings of the bay or space
30 - parked for longer than permitted
Off - street
73 - parked without payment of the parking charge
80 - parked for longer than the maximum period permitted
82 - parked after the expiry of paid time
83 - parked in a car park without clearly displaying a valid pay and display ticket or voucher or parking clock
86 - parked beyond the bay markings
90 - re-parked within one hour (or other specified time) of leaving a bay or space in a car park
Higher charge band
On - street
01 - parked in a restricted street during prescribed hours
02 - parked or loading/unloading in a restricted street where waiting and loading/unloading restrictions are in force
12 - parked in a residents or shared use parking place without clearly displaying either a permit or voucher or pay and display ticket issued for that place
14 - parked in an electric vehicles' charging place during restricted hours without charging
16 - parked in a permit space without displaying a valid permit
21 - parked in a suspended bay or space or part of a bay or space
23 - parked in a parking place or area not designated for that class of vehicle
26 - vehicle parked more than 50cm from the edge of the carriageway and not within designated parking place
40 - parked in a designated disabled persons' parking place without clearly displaying a valid disabled person's badge
42 - parked in a parking place designated for police vehicles
45 - parked on a taxi rank
48 - stopped in a restricted area outside a school
61 - a heavy commercial vehicle wholly or partly parked on a footway, verge or land between two carriageways
62 - parked with one or more wheels on any part of an urban road other than a carriageway (footway parking)
99 - stopped on a pedestrian crossing and/or crossing area marked by zig-zags
Off - street
81 - parked in a restricted area in a car park
85 - parked in a permit bay without clearly displaying a valid permit
87 - parked in a designated disabled person's parking place without clearly displaying a valid disabled person's badge
91 - parked in a car park or area not designated for that class of vehicle
92 - parked causing an obstruction
Paying a PCN
Please note that by paying your PCN, you will forfeit your right to appeal so do not pay if you want to launch an appeal. The Local Government ombudsman is unlikely to consider the case if the formal appeal process has not been followed.
Please allow 24 hours before paying your PCN charges are reduced by 50% if you pay within 14 days. You can also pay:
- by phone on 03300 882927
- by post - your cheque or crossed postal order must be made payable to Milton Keynes Council and sent to:
Milton Keynes Council
PO Box 1549
Northampton
NN1 9JF
Objecting to a PCN
Milton Keynes operates a decriminalised parking scheme, under the Traffic Management Act 2004. This means that certain non-endorsable parking contraventions can be enforced by the council, or by the agents working on the council’s behalf.
If you receive a PCN for parking in breach of the regulations, you cannot appeal through the courts. However, there is a special tribunal set up to adjudicate over PCN disputes called the Traffic Penalty Tribunal. You can only appeal to the Traffic Penalty Tribunal after you have made formal representations in writing.
When you appeal your PCN, please explain why you think the PCN was incorrectly or unfairly issued and include:
- your penalty charge notice number, your vehicle registration number, and your full address including postcode
- as much detail as possible to support your challenge
- any evidence including photos that support your challenge
You can also appeal by post to Milton Keynes Council, PO Box 1549, Northampton, NN1 9JF
You will be notified of the decision and, if your appeal is successful the charge will be cancelled. If we receive your appeal within 14 calendar days from the date of PCN issue, and decide not to cancel it, we will extend the discount payment period for a further 14 days from the date of our response.
If you are not happy with our decision, you do have further rights of appeal at later stages. You can also take your case to the Traffic Penalty Tribunal, an independent tribunal.
We will not cancel your PCN if:
- you were delayed on your return to your car because you were held up in a queue or your meeting overran
- you did not realise that you had to pay for parking on a Sunday
- you did not realise that you had to pay to park in that location
- you did not realise that you were parked in a restricted bay such as a disabled bay or resident permit holder bay
- you were only parked for a few minutes
- you have been parking in the same place for years and have not previously received a PCN
- you do not have enough money to pay the charge
- other vehicles were parked in the same manner and did not receive a PCN
- there was nowhere else to park
- the signs are too small - all signing on the public highway must adhere to the government's statutory directive, called 'Traffic Signs, Regulations and General Directions 2016' which specifies the size, shape, wording, location, etc. of signing.
We do allow the following ‘grace’ periods:
- 5 minutes to pay and display - this gives you time to get a ticket from machine, not to get change or to pay by phone
- 10 minutes overstay on a pay and display ticket
- 2 minute observation period to look for loading/unloading activity
Legal Information
Formal appeals
If the penalty has not been paid within the 28 day payment period, a letter will be issued to the vehicles registered owner (Notice to Owner). The Notice to Owner explains the grounds for challenging the PCN. If your formal appeal is unsuccessful you may need to pay the charge in full. The council will send you a 'Notice of Rejection', explaining the reasons that your challenges have been rejected.
This letter will include details of how you can formally appeal online to Traffic Penalty Tribunal.
Appeals to Traffic Penalty Tribunal
You can only appeal once you have received your 'Notice of Rejection'.
Please refer to the Traffic Penalty Tribunal for further information on how to appeal and the grounds of appeal on which an adjudicator can cancel a PCN. The adjudicator will examine your case and their decision is legally binding on both parties. Most adjudicator decisions are made online and are called e-decisions. You can also choose to have a phone hearing.
The Traffic Penalty Tribunal have the authority to over-ride the council's decision and they can instruct the council to cancel a PCN if the appeal falls within one of the following eight statutory grounds:
- the alleged parking contravention did not occur
- when the vehicle was parked it had been taken without my consent
- I was not the owner at the time the alleged parking contravention occurred
- there has been a procedural impropriety on the part of the local authority
- we are a vehicle hire firm and have provided the name and address of the hirer
- the penalty exceeded the relevant amount - for example, the sum printed on the PCN document differed from the sum stated in the Traffic Regulation Order
- the relevant Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) was invalid (only applicable if the TRO has been found to be defective by the High Court)
- there has been compelling reasons why, in the particular circumstances of the case, the local authority should cancel the PCN
What happens if you do not pay
If you ignore the Notice to Owner, or appeal and your appeal is rejected and you still do not make payment, the council will send a Charge Certificate (red letter) to the registered keeper of the vehicle with DVLA. At this stage, a 50% surcharge is added.
Payment must be made within 14 days from the service of the Charge Certificate or the outstanding amount is registered as a debt with the Traffic Enforcement Centre (TEC) - a special County Court that deals with parking and traffic fines. Registration at TEC is an electronic process, an open hearing does not take place whereby you are able to attend and represent yourself.
The council notifies the registered keeper after the case has been registered at TEC. The keeper then has 28 days to make payment of the charge plus court costs. Failure to do this results in the 'debt' being passed to the council's certificated bailiffs, who are able to seize and sell goods to recover the charge, and their own costs, which can be quite significant.
Temporarily suspending parking restrictions
S278 Suspensions (Developer Only)
For section S278 suspensions please e-mail mkparking@milton-keynes.gov.uk or telephone 01908 252309.
Suspension of bays
You can apply to have a parking bay(s) temporarily suspended. Signs will also be erected advising other motorists that they cannot park in that bay(s). If other motorists do park in the bay, we can issue a parking fine. We will not suspend disabled parking bays unless absolutely necessary. The charge for a suspension of bay(s) is £15 per bay per day.
To apply for a suspension you will need to register for an account and complete the application.
When submitting an application for a suspension please supply the exact details of the location required with a map or plan of the area and allow 10 days' notice - the more notice you allow, the higher the chance of the suspension being permitted.
Dispensation of Restriction
You can apply for a dispensation of restrictions. This will allow you to park in a place where you would otherwise not be permitted, e.g. on yellow lines or for longer than allowed in a time limited area. The charge for a dispensation is £15 per day.
There must be a valid reason for the suspension or dispensation such as:
- building, industrial or demolition purposes
- maintenance, improvement or reconstruction of the parking place or highway
- removal of furniture
- weddings and funerals
- special occasions
To apply for a suspension or dispensation, you will need to register for an account and complete the application. For queries please email miltonkeynespermits@imperial.co.uk or call 01604 625608.