Do I Have To Pay Council Parking Fine In Blackpool?
Council parking fines are a mandatory payment. Through this blog post, we aim to learn more about whether you have to pay a council parking fine in Blackpool. We will also explore the methods of payment in such cases; as well as the possibility of filing an appeal with the authoroites and the steps involved in the appeal process.
Do I Have To Pay Council Parking Fine In Blackpool?
Yes, you have to pay a Blackpool council parking fine unless you have evidence to prove that you are not liable for the penalty or that you have been charged in error by the council authorities.
According to the Traffic Management Act 2004, a vehicle’s registered owner is bound to pay the Penalty Charge Notice or parking fine issued by the local council in the case of a parking or traffic contravention.
If you are in Blackpool Council, this payment can be made online by accessing the council’s portal and adding one’s Vehicle Registration Number and parking fine number. You can also make this payment by calling the automated telephone line of the council.
However, if you believe that you’ve been fined in error and should not be held liable to pay the fine, you can challenge the parking fine by appealing against the fine. This can also be done online; however, if one intends to challenge a parking fine, they should not pay the fine until the appeal process is complete and a decision is made against their appeal.
If you avoid paying a parking fine and do not challenge it as well, you may have to deal with legal action as part of the response taken by the council authorities for an unpaid parking fine.
In many cases, PCNs are not enforceable and you may be able to win your case and avoid having to pay your fine.
You could begin the process by speaking to an online solicitor for as little as £5.
How Do You Appeal Against A Blackpool Parking Fine?
You can appeal and re-appeal against a parking fine at different stages of the parking fine process and until you pay the fine.
In the first stage when the parking fine is handed over to the driver or posted on the car windscreen, you have 14 days to avail a 50% discount if you pay the parking fine and 28 days to pay the fine in full. You can make an “informal challenge” against the parking fine by not paying the fine and contacting the council office that issued the parking fine. This contact should ideally be made after 24 hours of being issued a parking fine and within the 28-day limit for payment of the fine. You may be required to provide evidence in support of your challenge.
If the council accepts your claim, the parking fine will be waived off and you will not have to make any payment. However, if the council rejects your challenge, a new parking fine will be issued with another 14-day discount offered. This time, you will be issued a “notice to owner” (NTO). If you wish to pursue your appeal, you can do so by issuing a “formal representation” in response to the NTO.
If the formal representation is rejected by the council, the NTO recipient will be informed to appear before an independent adjudicator at the Traffic Penalty Tribunal as the process goes into the next stage.
You can appeal to the independent adjudicator as a last attempt to challenge the parking fine. If your appeal is accepted, the parking fine is waived off and the matter is dismissed. However, if your appeal is rejected, there is no more room to appeal and you will have to make the payment within the next 28 days.
How Do You Write A Penalty Appeal Letter?
Your penalty appeal letter should mainly contain your (the vehicle owner’) full name, the registration number of your car and your parking fine number.
It should mention the case in point, the reason why you were charged and why you believe that the charge is in error. You must include relevant evidence to support your claim in the letter.
What Happens If You Don’t Pay A Parking Fine?
If you do not pay your parking fine within 28 days, you will be issued a charge certificate after which you will have 14 days to clear your dues. If you fail to do so, an additional amount of 50 per cent will be added to your parking fine charges.
How a parking fine payment works is that once a penalty charge notice is issued by council authorities, you will have 28 days to make the payment. In case the amount is paid within 14 days, you may even get a 50 per cent discount on the fine.
If your parking fine is more than 60 days old, you have been issued an ‘Order for Recovery of Unpaid Penalty Charge Notice’ more than 21 days ago or you’ve been issued a bailiff’s letter, you will not be able to make an online payment to clear your parking fine charges. In this case, you may have to pay through cheque, postal order or in person at the council post office.
How Much Is A Penalty Charge In Blackpool?
Depending on the nature of the penalty charge, you may be fined £50 or £70 in Blackpool. However, if you pay the parking fine within 14 days of being issued a notice, the charges will reduce by 50% to £25 and £35 respectively.
Some low-level contraventions are:
- If a vehicle is parked without paying charges.
- If a vehicle is parked for a longer time than it is permitted.
- If a vehicle is parked after the expiry of paid time.
- If a vehicle is not parked correctly within the specified markings of a bay or space.
- If a vehicle is parked in a car park when it is closed.
High-level contraventions include the following situations:
- If a vehicle is parked in a restricted street during prescribed hours.
- If a vehicle is either parked, loading or unloading in a restricted street where waiting, loading or unloading restrictions are applied.
- If a vehicle is parked in a residents’ or shared use parking place without the display of a permit.
- If a vehicle is parked in an electric vehicle’s charging place during restricted hours.
- If a vehicle is parked in a permit space without displaying a valid permit.
How Do You Pay A Parking Fine In Blackpool?
You can pay your Parking Charge Notice or Parking Fine in one of the following ways:
- cash
- cheque
- credit card
- debit card
- postal order
In case of payment through cheque, you are advised to write your parking fine number on the reverse side of the cheque. In the case of postal orders, cash should not be sent through the post.
In case you choose to make an online payment through the council’s portal. You will need to use a debit card or credit card to make the payment.
Conclusion:
The discussion in this article indicates that it is mandatory to pay a parking fine and the only way to avoid it is when someone has been fined in error and they can provide proof of not being liable for the ticket. According to an estimate, local authorities in Blackpool issued nearly 23,000 parking fines in 2021 at an average of 63 tickets per day.
FAQs: Do I Have To Pay Council Parking Fine In Blackpool?
Can you park on the streets in Blackpool?
Yes, you can park on the streets in Blackpool; whether you are a resident or a visitor.
Is parking free after 6 pm in Blackpool?
Parking in Talbot Road, Clifton Street and York Street in Blackpool is free after 6 pm.
Are ParkingEye charges enforceable?
Yes, ParkingEye charges are enforceable in cases where motorists have contravened the rules of their proprty.
How much is 24-hour parking in Blackpool?
Cars can be parked in Blackpool for around $14 for around 24 hours.
Is parking free for blue badge holders in Blackpool?
Blue badge holders in Blackpool can get free use of parking meters as well as exemption from limits on parking times.
References:
Parking tickets | Penalty charge notice | PCN
Blackpool Council | Contact us
Blackpool Council made £506,359 in car parking fines last year