Bristol PCN - Should I Pay or Appeal It?

Just received a Bristol Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) and are unsure what to do next? This is the place for clear guidance. Each month, over 130,000 people visit our site for advice on parking fines and tickets.

In this article, we’ll provide simple explanations on:

What a Bristol PCN is.
If you must pay Bristol PCNs.
How to make a Bristol PCN appeal.
Common mistakes that lead to Bristol PCNs.
What might happen if you ignore a Bristol PCN.

Churchill Motor Insurance reports that in 2022, UK councils issued an average of 19,631 daily parking fines, a 12% increase from the previous year.¹ So you’re definitely not alone.

Don’t worry; we’re here to help. We have lots of useful tips and examples to assist you.

64% of Appeals Succeed

In some circumstances, you might have a legitimate reason not to pay your fine.

It’s a bit sneaky, but the last time I needed legal advice, I paid £5 for a trial to chat with an online solicitor called JustAnswer.

Not only did I save £50 on solicitor feeds, I also won my case and didn’t have to pay my £271 fine.

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*Around 35,000 people dispute their tickets each year with the Traffic Penalty Tribunal, and a striking 64% of those appeals are successful. In partnership with Just Answer.

Should You Pay or Appeal Bristol PCN?

The decision on whether to pay or appeal is up to you.

You have the option of paying the fine within 14 days and saving yourself half the cost.This is an option taken by those who can pay and don’t wish to appeal the fine.

If you’re unable to pay within the 14 days, you have an additional 14-day period to pay the entire cost of the fine once a Charge Certificate is issued.

After the time limit, the fine is increased, and further action may be taken if the fine remains unpaid.

Appeal if you disagree with the fine. It’s important to have evidence such as invoices, letters, statements, and photographs to support your appeal.

Common reasons to appeal include

Broken down vehicle
Damaged parking ticket machines
An emergency made it impossible to return to the vehicle on time
Signage or road markings weren’t visible

All appeals will be evaluated on their merits. The more evidence you must support your appeal the better.

The council could be experiencing delays and you may not hear anything for 28 working days or more. During that time, you won’t have to make a payment, simply wait for their response before making your next step.

PCN Common Defences

Understanding various defences can help you prevent unfair treatment.

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.

How to Make Bristol City Council PCN Appeal

You have the right to appeal if you disagree with the fine. Appealing can result in the fine being cancelled.

I suggest you should have a good reason and evidence to support the claims you’re making.

Bristol City Council can take over 28 days to give a response to all appeals for parking and bus lane appeals.

Your fine is frozen until the council makes their response.

Successful Appeal Case Study

Situation

Initial Fine	£100
Additional Fees	£171
Total Fine	£271

The Appeal Process

Scott used JustAnswer, online legal service to enhance his appeal. The trial of this cost him just £5.

Total Fine	£271
Cost of legal advice	£5

JustAnswer helped Scott craft the best appeal possible and he was able to win his case.

Scott’s fine was cancelled and he only paid £5 for the legal help.

Get started

In partnership with Just Answer.

Appeal Online

You can only appeal one Bristol PCN at a time.

If you have multiple parking tickets, you must make separate appeals for each one. You can appeal using the online system.

Enter the PCN number along with your vehicle registration number.

Appeal By Post

You can make your appeal by post if you prefer. The address to send your appeal letter to is:

Parking Services (PCN Appeals),

PO Box 3399,

Bristol City Council,

Bristol,

BS1 9NE.

Please refer to the free PCN appeal letter template I created.

This is a useful template that will ensure you include all the information necessary to help your appeal.

There are a couple of ways to make a Bristol City Council PCN appeal.

The first is by filing a Statutory Declaration
The second option is to file a Witness Statement

The Witness Statement is only available for PCNs issued from 31 May 2022.

Check out what happened to one motorist who forgot pay to park.

Source: Moneysavingexpert

» TAKE ACTION NOW: Get legal support from JustAnswer

How to Get Your Bristol PCN Reduced

Everyone can have their parking fine reduced by 50%.

This is achievable if you pay the fine within the time frame that’s shown on the Penalty Notice Charge you received.

You have 14 days from the issue date of the PCN to get the reduced rate.

There’s no need to claim the reduced rate, you pay 50% less automatically if you can pay within 14 days. Paying early is a great option if you have the money available and if you don’t wish to appeal.

What to Do After a PCN Appeal is Rejected

If your appeal is rejected, you will be asked to pay the parking fine in full.

However, you can send your appeal over to London Tribunals. The London Tribunals will look at the case and their decision will be final.

What is the role of London Tribunals?

You can escalate your appeal to London Tribunals when the council rejects your appeal.

London Tribunals is an independent body that assesses whether to uphold or reject your request to have the council’s decision reversed.

They will assess your appeal and decide whether to uphold or reject it.

The case is put on hold during this time.

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Making a Bristol PCN Payment

If you agree with the parking ticket and you wish to pay you can do so using the following methods.

Pay Online

To pay online you need to have the Penalty Charge Notice information and your debit or credit card.

Automated telephone

Automated telephone service is available by calling 0870 707 776.

The number operates 24/7 and does have a cost of 2p per minute and any access charges applied by your phone provider.

Details on how to use the automated services are available on the Bristol.Gov website.

Pay by cheque

You can pay by cheque if you prefer. Make the cheque payable to Bristol City Council and send it to the following address:

Payment Processing (Parking PCN),

PO Box 3399,

Bristol City Council,

Bristol,

BS1 9NE.

The Bristol City Council PCN has a 10-digit number that starts with either BS or OB.

If you can’t find the Penalty Notice Charge or have any other parking ticket problems, contact the council’s parking services by filling in an online form.