Premier Park Parking Charge: Payment and Appeals

Quick answer

Check the notice and the parking terms before deciding what to do. A valid private parking charge can be owed before a court case. If you dispute the charge, use Premier Park’s appeal process and support your explanation with evidence.

Check payment and discount terms before deciding. Paying can close the ordinary appeal route; an independent appeal can mean losing the early-payment discount.

Before you write your appeal

Your notice: charge reference, registration, location and response deadline.
Payment or permission: parking ticket, payment confirmation, permit or customer validation.
The disputed issue: relevant sign photographs, timings or records of what happened.
Your explanation: which part of the charge you dispute and how each item of evidence supports it.

Premier Park’s official appeal portal. Check the deadline and submission instructions on your notice.

Need a starting point? MoneyNerd’s free editable template helps you organise your charge details, explanation and evidence.

Prepare my Premier Park appeal

Answer a few questions to request the template by email. Add your own facts and evidence, then submit your appeal yourself. A template does not guarantee cancellation.

Already rejected? If your appeal has already been rejected, use the independent appeal service, code and deadline given in the rejection. The POPLA guide is for notices that specify POPLA.

What is a Premier Park Parking Charge Notice?

As part of their enforcement services, Premier Park can issue parking tickets to drivers who use their clients’ car parks but don’t pay or who overstay.

These parking tickets are known as Parking Charge Notices and are one type of parking tickets in the UK. The Parking Charge Notice could be left on the vehicle, but more often they are sent in the post.

Premier Park uses specialist cameras that track vehicles using their number plates.

When a driver is identified as committing a parking contravention on camera, they can use the number plate to retrieve their address from the DVLA – or specifically, the registered vehicle keeper’s home address.

They can only do this because they are a member of an ATA, namely the British Parking Association (BPA).

Have a Letter of Claim or court papers?

Keep the documents and get advice promptly. Follow the response instructions and deadlines. An ordinary parking appeal template does not replace a court response.

Read the official guidance on responding to a money claim in England and Wales.

Can You ignore them?

You shouldn’t ignore Premier Park because you could end up being taken to court, which will incur additional costs.

You might read stories online of people ignoring private car park fines and getting away with it, but this isn’t guaranteed and it’s risky. Check out the message posted by one motorist on a popular online forum.

Source: Moneysavingexpert

Can they enforce a Parking Charge Notice?

Parking Charge Notices aren’t considered official fines.

They are instead seen as invoices received from a company for a service provided. You agree to this service by entering and using the car park.

The invoice can only be enforced if Premier Parking takes you to court and win.

A private Parking Charge Notice is a civil claim based on the parking terms. A valid charge can be owed before any court case. If you dispute it, use Premier Park’s appeal process and explain your reasons with evidence. If the dispute reaches court, the court decides the claim. Do not ignore a formal Letter of Claim or court papers.

What to include in your parking appeal

The form asks for contact details to deliver your free MoneyNerd template.

Include the notice reference, your reasons, supporting evidence and the action you want the issuer to take.

The correct process depends on the notice and where it was issued.

Get the free template

General information, not legal advice. Follow your notice’s instructions and deadlines; adapt the wording to your circumstances. No outcome is guaranteed.

This forum user describes their experience after not paying Premier Parking:

“We had a letter off PremierPark dated 9th July 2019, stating as you have failed to pay so this has now been sent to our legal team BW legal. Same dated letter off BW legal, pay up within 14 days or we will start legal proceedings. […].”

John306 (Money Saving Expert Forum)

BW Legal is actually a debt collection agency that also offers legal services.

They could help Premier Parking take you to court and recover the debt, but they aren’t bailiffs.

So this is evidence that Premier Parking are willing to go to court over unpaid parking fines.

How to appeal their parking ticket

Janine, our financial expert, advises to formally appeal a parking ticket within 28 days of receipt, providing evidence such as a photo of your car’s registration number if the PCN is incorrect.

Your appeal must state why you wish the ticket cancelled and you should provide evidence.

Where an applicable grace or consideration period was not allowed, explain why and include relevant timing evidence. A short stay or overstay does not automatically cancel a charge.

Make sure you follow the parking fine appeals process in the UK the operator sets out.

Read other parking ticket appeal excuses here.

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Appeal Process Steps

POPLA is working hard to address issues that cause unfair parking fees. Main issues are often with technology and third party ticket issuers.

So if you believe the ticket was unfairly issued, you have the option to appeal. Here’s a detailed breakdown of the appeal process. If you’d like to learn more about the actions involved, make sure to read our specialized guide.

This process is for a private Parking Charge Notice. Check the issuer and the instructions on your notice before choosing an appeal route.

Your stage	What to do
You have received the charge	Check the vehicle, location, dates, alleged breach and payment or appeal deadlines. Keep the notice and gather relevant receipts, photographs and other records.
You want to dispute it	Appeal to the parking operator using the route and deadline on the notice. Explain what happened, include supporting evidence and save a copy and submission confirmation.
The operator rejects your appeal	Read the rejection for the independent appeal service, any verification code and the deadline. Use the service specified for your charge; POPLA and the IAS have different procedures.
You receive the independent decision	Read the outcome and any next steps. If the charge is cancelled, keep confirmation. If it is upheld and you still dispute it, seek advice about your position rather than ignoring further correspondence.
You receive a Letter of Claim or court papers	This is a separate stage. Get advice promptly and respond by the applicable deadline. Sending an appeal or a complaint does not replace a court response.

Check the operator’s terms before paying or appealing: payment can close the ordinary appeal route, and an independent appeal can mean losing the early-payment discount.

Official guidance: POPLA appeals; IAS appeals; responding to a court claim in England and Wales.

Free parking appeal letter template

The form asks for contact details to deliver your free MoneyNerd template.

Explain what happened, why you dispute the charge and include relevant evidence.

Get the free template

General information, not legal advice. Follow your notice’s instructions and deadlines; adapt the wording to your circumstances. No outcome is guaranteed.

What if your appeal gets rejected?

As Premier Park is a member of the British Parking Association, rejected appeals can be escalated to a free independent service which will judge your appeal one last time and make a decision.

This service is called Parking on Private Land Appeals (POPLA).

Premier Park Ltd will inform you of how to lodge POPLA appeals at the time of rejecting your initial appeal with them.

How much is the fine?

Premier Park is restricted on how much they can fine drivers for a parking contravention.

Currently, the cap on a Premier Park Parking ticket fine is set at £100 but this could change.

New laws are due to come into effect at some time in 2023 or later which will reduce these fines to a maximum of £50. As well as these caps, private parking operators must offer the individual a reduced fine if they accept guilt and pay within 14 days.

They usually reduce the fine by 40%-60% if you pay this quickly. It will state on the ticket how much you can save.

How can you contact Premier Parking?

We have listed the Premier Park Ltd contact information in the table below.

General enquiries:	0800 145 5171
PCN appeals:	http://appeals.premierpark.co.uk/
Pay PCN online:	http://www.pcnpayments.com/
Pay by phone:	01302 513232

Discover more useful information and tips to deal with private parking fines in our Parking Charge Notice guide where you’ll get answers to other frequently asked questions and much more!

Prepare your parking appeal

The form asks for contact details to deliver your free MoneyNerd template.

Replace the examples with your own facts and check the recipient before sending.

Get the free template

General information, not legal advice. Follow your notice’s instructions and deadlines; adapt the wording to your circumstances. No outcome is guaranteed.

References

RAC Foundation – Parking Tickets Statistics