Westminster PCN – Should you Pay or Appeal? 

Just received a Westminster Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) and aren’t sure what to do next? This is the best place for clear and simple guidance. Every month, over 130,000 people come here to understand more about fines and parking tickets.

In this article, we’ll explain:

• What a Westminster PCN is.
• If you have to pay Westminster fines.
• How to make an appeal against a Westminster PCN.
• What might happen if you don’t pay the PCN.
• Ways to avoid getting a parking ticket in Westminster.

In 2021, Churchill Motor Insurance reported an 8% increase in penalty charge notices (PCNs) in Britain, with over 5.2 million issued.¹ So you’re not alone.

Don’t worry; we have lots of helpful tips and examples to guide you through this. Whether you’re thinking about paying or appealing your Westminster PCN, this article will help you make the right choice.

Let’s dive in.

What is a Penalty Charge Notice?

A Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) is a type of fine issued by local councils, such as Westminster City Council. 

These fines are most often served for parking offences on council land, as opposed to private parking fines in Westminster. But they can also be issued for driving offences and missing road toll deadlines. The latter is more likely to be issued by a transport group than a council. 

Therefore, a Westminster PCN is a fine that has been left on your car or sent to you in the post by Westminster City Council. You can’t do a Westminster pcn check online beforehand; you just have to wait until it comes in the post or not.

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PCN discount

You can get a discount on your Penalty Charge Notice if you make the payment required within 14 days of receiving the fine on your vehicle, or within 21 days of receiving the fine in the post. 

The discount is 50% off the standard Westminster PCN amount. Most PCN fines range from £80 to £130, so you can save between £40 and £65 by paying quicker. 

But before you reach for your wallet…

How do I pay a fine?

You can pay a Westminster City Council parking ticket by cheque, over the phone by calling 020 7361 4380 or even by visiting a Westminster post office. But the easiest way to pay a Westminster PCN is online. 

The Westminster City Council website allows you to pay your parking fine directly on their website. You’ll need your Westminster PCN number, which can be found at the top of your PCN. Click here to pay your City of Westminster PCN online.

But first, how much is a PCN in Westminster? Read on to find out the latest Westimster PCN cost…

Can you challenge it?

As mentioned, you are in your right to make a City of Westminster PCN challenge when you think the fine should not have been issued. You must appeal the Westminster Council parking fine within 28 days of receiving it. After this period, you can no longer lodge an appeal. 

Unlike other local authorities, this council even lets you submit an appeal over email. The Westminster pcn appeal email address is [email protected].

Appeal Process Steps

To guide you through the appeal process, I’ve created this table that explains each stage you should take. If you want to learn more about your PCN, be sure to check out our specialized guide.

Process:	Steps you should take:
When you receive the ticket…	You should gather as much evidence as you can to support your appeal claim and prove that the ticket was unfairly issued.
If you were given the ticket in person/attached to your car…	You must make an informal appeal (sent to the local authority/council that issued the PCN) within 14 days. This should be a letter with the evidence proving why the ticket was incorrectly given.
If it was posted to you…	You will be given 21 days to submit an informal appeal (from the day you received the letter). Your informal appeal should be a letter with the evidence proving why the ticket was incorrectly given.
If the informal appeal is rejected…	You will receive a Notice to Owner and will have 28 days to respond to this with a formal appeal. You can conduct the formal appeal online or via paper form. The Traffic Penalty Tribunal can send you one of these forms.
If the formal appeal is rejected…	You will receive a Notice of Rejection. From here, you are free to challenge the council’s verdict at an independent tribunal.
If the independent tribunal disagrees with your appeal…	You should pay the ticket within 28 days of the tribunal rejecting your appeal. If you don’t, the fine will be increased by 50%. If you don’t have the money to pay the fine, you should contact Citizens Advice or another debt charity.

What happens if you don’t pay?

If you don’t pay or challenge a Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) within 28 days of it being served, your fine will increase by 50%, and you’ll lose the right to appeal in the future.

The council will send a charge certificate that increases your fine, which needs to be paid within 14 days. 

But what happens if you still don’t pay the PCN City of Westminster? The local council can ask for a court order that makes you legally obligated to pay.

If you want to pay but are struggling, contact the council to discuss your options. Because if you ignore a court order the council could employ bailiffs to recover the debt, and you’ll have to pay bailiff fees during the process. 

Challenge rejected – next steps! 

Sometimes the council will reject your Westminster parking PCN challenge even though you’re adamant that the ticket should not have been issued.

In these cases, you don’t have to accept the council’s decision, and you can escalate your PCN appeal. 

This time you’ll get to make the same argument to an independent tribunal not connected to the local authority. All escalated City of Westminster PCN appeals are sent to London Tribunals. 

Is there free parking today?

Parking in Westminster is free in lots of areas after 6.30 pm and on Sundays. Always check the road or street you’re parking on in case you have to pay. Or you could end up with a Westminster PCN. 

Westminster PCN Contact Number

Phone:	020 7823 4567
Post:	City of Westminster’ to Parking Services, City of Westminster, PO Box 733, Redhill RH1 9FN
Website:	https://www.westminster.gov.uk/

The City of Westminster PCN contact number above is to speak to someone at the council. To pay over the phone you should call 020 7361 4380 instead.

References

1. Direct Line Group — Parking Fines Statistics