Barnet PCN – Should you Pay or Appeal? 

Received a Barnet Council parking fine and unsure whether to act on it? You’re in the right spot for advice. Over 130,000 people visit this site every month for help understanding fines and parking tickets.

This article will guide you through:

• The meaning of a Barnet Penalty Charge Notice (PCN).
• If you must settle Barnet parking fines.
• How to appeal against a Barnet PCN.
• Where parking restrictions are in Barnet.
• The consequences of not paying the fine.

In 2021, Churchill Motor Insurance reported an 8% increase in penalty charge notices in Britain, with over 5.2 million issued.¹ So it’s quite common to feel concerned about PCNs.

But rest assured, we have lots of useful tips and examples ready to help you.

What is it?

A Barnet Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) is a fine from Barnet Council for parking contraventions or some traffic offences, such as using a bus lane when not allowed.

The council will serve you with the London Borough of Barnet Penalty Charge Notice by leaving it on your vehicle.

Or by sending it in the post if you were caught on camera.

A Penalty Charge Notice is not the same as a private parking fine and should be dealt with differently.

If you’ve received a private parking fine in Barnet or anywhere else, I suggest you read my dedicated guide on dealing with private parking tickets. 

» TAKE ACTION NOW: Get legal support from JustAnswer

How much is a fine?

A Barnet Council Penalty Charge Notice is a fine of either £80 or £130.

You will pay the lower or higher amount depending on the seriousness of the parking contravention. 

However, anybody who pays the Penalty Charge Notice within the first 14 days will receive a 50% fine reduction.

So you might only have to pay £40 or £65 to clear your Barnet Council parking fine. 

How long do you get to pay it?

You must pay the Barnet Council parking fine within 28 days.

If you don’t pay or appeal against the parking fine within the first 28 days, your fine will increase by 50% and you won’t be allowed to appeal anymore. 

How do you pay?

You can pay a Penalty Charge Notice to Barnet Council over the phone or via their website.

To pay by phone you need to call their automated payment line on 020 8359 2336, which is open 24 hours per day.

Alternatively, click here to pay on their official website. 

Whichever way you pay, you’ll need:

• vehicle registration number
• Unique PCN reference number

Your PCN number is found at the top of your parking ticket. If you can’t find this or have lost your ticket, you’ll need to get in contact with Barnet Council. 

Can you challenge it?

Anybody who receives a Barnet penalty notice can challenge the fine if they think it’s not fair.

You must make your appeal within 28 days of being served the PCN. If you miss this deadline the council doesn’t have to accept your appeal.

Common Defences

Familiarizing yourself with common defenses can improve your chances of successfully appealing the PCN.

There are a few common PCN defences that you can use if you decide to appeal your ticket.

Common PCN Defence	Explanation
You were parked correctly	By law, your ticket should be cancelled if you haven’t broken any parking laws.
Unclear, incorrect, or missing signage	It is a legal requirement that all parking areas or roads with parking restrictions have clear road markings or signage. You also have a good defence if your ticket was sent in the post, but there were no signs warning of CCTV or ANPR systems when you parked.
You had no way to pay	You can appeal your ticket if you can prove that the only available ticket machine was broken or damaged. You also won’t win your appeal if there is a sign telling you not to park if there is no way of paying.
It wasn’t you who committed the parking infraction	The ticket should be cancelled if you didn’t commit the parking infraction as someone else was driving your car.
You couldn’t get back to your car	People with some disabilities or small children are protected from discrimination by the 2010 Equality Act. Struggling to get back to your car could be legitimate grounds for appeal.
Your car had broken down	If you got a ticket whilst waiting for your car to be towed or fixed, you have strong grounds for appeal. The ticket issuer should have understood that you physically couldn’t move it.
You were only just out of time	Late by just 5 or 10 minutes? You can appeal as you are entitled to a ‘grace period’ after your parking time runs out.

Challenge rejected!

You might be disappointed to hear your Barnet Penalty Charge challenge was rejected by the council.

It feels a bit unfair that the council get to decide if their own parking fine should stand.

But it doesn’t have to be this way. You can escalate a rejected representation to an independent tribunal to make the last and final decision.

To do this, you’ll need to send your appeal to London Tribunals. 

Where are parking restrictions in place?

I’ve listed the parking restrictions that are in place in Barnet here:

• yellow-lined waiting and loading restrictions
• parking bays e.g. resident, business, disabled and doctor parking bays
• council-run public car parks
• London-wide prohibition on parking on footways, verges, etc.
• Overnight commercial vehicle waiting restriction
• mandatory school keep clear markings
• pedestrian crossing zigzags
• motorcycle parking areas
• loading places
• restricted bus stops
• parking in a car park when it is closed
• re-parking in the same parking bay within an hour of leaving
• parking adjacent to a dropped kerb
• parking more than 50 cm from the edge of the carriageway if not in a designated parking space
• using a vehicle in a car park or on the street to sell or advertise the sale of goods

This motorist got a penalty charge for parking on a single yellow line.

Source: Moneysavingexpert

Barnet Council PCN contact

Barnet Council PCN contact number:	020 8359 2000
Pay by phone:	020 8359 2336
Website:	https://www.barnet.gov.uk/

Note the difference between the Barnet PCN phone number to speak to someone and to pay the fine.

References

1. Direct Line Group — Parking Fines Statistics