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.

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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.

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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.

Check the right challenge process

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Check whether you need to make an informal challenge, formal representations or an independent tribunal appeal. Follow the route and deadline printed on your notice. London cases generally go to London Tribunals; relevant cases in England outside London and Wales go to the Traffic Penalty Tribunal. Other UK jurisdictions have different procedures.

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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.

Possible grounds depend on the ticket type, jurisdiction and evidence. For a council PCN, check the statutory grounds and the notice’s deadlines.

Point to check	How it may affect a council PCN
No contravention	Provide evidence that the restriction was not breached or a relevant exemption applied.
Signs and markings	Show why the applicable restriction was not adequately conveyed. Missing CCTV/ANPR warning signs alone do not automatically invalidate a PCN.
Payment difficulty	Keep evidence of faulty equipment and available alternatives. A broken machine does not automatically permit free parking.
Ownership or vehicle identity	For civil council PCNs, the owner is normally liable even if someone else drove. A genuine ownership change, vehicle taken without consent or qualifying hire arrangement may be relevant.
Disability or mitigating circumstances	Explain relevant disability needs and supporting evidence; reasonable-adjustment duties may apply. Having children does not itself create an automatic exemption.
Breakdown	Provide contemporaneous evidence and explain why the vehicle could not be moved; the legal exemption or discretion depends on the facts.
Grace period	In England, a 10-minute grace period applies after permitted parking ends in qualifying designated parking places. It does not apply to every restriction or unlawful parking. Private parking has different rules.

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.

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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.

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A paid service is optional. Gather your notice and evidence, check the deadline and decide whether you need professional advice about your circumstances.

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