Sheffield PCN – Pay or Appeal?
This blog answers the question “Sheffield PCN – Pay or Appeal?” The maximum (full) PCN fine charge in Sheffield Council is £70, so you should pay your Sheffield PCN as soon as you can. Sheffield Council is working on 4 new controlled parking zones to restrict parking spaces in these areas to nearby residents and businesses (who need them the most).
Sheffield PCN – Pay or Appeal?
Your Parking, Bus Lane or moving traffic Penalty Charge Notice should be paid to Sheffield Council as soon as possible to avoid further penalties. The current response times of Sheffield Council to PCN appeals range between 4 to 18 weeks, so you might have to wait for upto 4 months (with your PCN fine on hold) to know the results.
If you have been handed a lower level Parking PCN, you just have to pay £25 within 21 days. Paying a higher level Parking PCN or Bus Lane CCTV PCN early instead of challenging it will save you £35 as well as the time and effort to track a PCN appeal and respond to Sheffield Council’s decision.
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.
What is a Penalty Charge Notice?
A Penalty Charge Notice is a fine or monetary penalty for driving violations. A PCN can be issued in response to any traffic contravention such as a parking contravention, a moving traffic contravention or a bus lane violation.
A PCN may be issued by a Civil Enforcement Officer or by CCTV. You will be given 28 days to respond to a PCN. If you don’t pay the PCN within 28 days you will be issued a charge certificate.
A charge certificate will increase the PCN penalty amount by 50% of its original value.
How much is the PCN fine for a PCN in Sheffield Council?
The PCN fine for a higher level Sheffield Council Parking PCN is set at £70 and a lower level Parking PCN fine is £50. A Bus Lane CCTV PCN fine is £70 and a moving traffic PCN fine is also £70.
If you pay a higher level parking PCN within 14 days, there is a 50% discount applicable on your payment, you just have to pay £35. For the lower level parking PCN the fine is reduced to £25 if you pay the PCN within 21 days.Similarly for the Bus lane PCN and the moving traffic the 50% discount brings down the fine to £35 if you make your payment by the 13th day.
There is a 50% discount applicable if you pay the higher level Parking PCN within 14 days as well.
How can I pay my Sheffield PCN?
You can pay your Sheffield PCN online by entering your PCN number, vehicle registration number and payment card details.
PCN fine payments can also be made through the Sheffield Council automated payments hotline. For this, you need to call on : 0114 273 5249. On the call, you need to enter your payment card details along with the billing address for the card. You will also be required to provide your PCN number and vehicle registration number to complete the payment.
You can also pay your Sheffield PCN by cash using Paypoint. To pay you will have to search for your nearest PayPoint location here. A letter containing your unique Paypoint barcode is required to access the payments system.
Your nearest paypoint outlet might be Paypoint 91 – Stadbroke Dr.
Stradbroke PO and Conv Store,
91 Stradbroke Dr,
Sheffield 813 8SE
Or Pay Point Stannington:
646 Stannington Road,
Stannington,
Sheffield S6 6AE
If you want to pay by post you will have to attach a check or postal order payable to “Sheffield City Council” and send it to:
Parking Services,
PO Box 3830
Sheffield S1 9AQ,
You also have to mention your Sheffield PCN number and vehicle registration number by on the back of your check or postal order
Which Parking Permit Zones exist in Sheffield Council?
The following parking permit zones exist in Sheffield Council:
- City Centre
- Beaufort Road and Severn Zone
- Botanical parking Zone
- Broomhall and the Groves Zone
- Broomhill parking Zone
- Chandos Street parking Zone
- College Street parking Zone
- Crookesmoor parking Zone
- Drake house parking Zone
- Edward Street Flats Car Park
- Endcliffe parking Zone
- Falding parking Zone
- Fawcett Street parking Zone
- Grange parking Zone
- Highfield parking Zone
- Hillsborough parking Zone
- Holme Lane Zone
- Lansdowne Flats Car Park Zone
- Lansdowne parking Zone
- Loxley New parking Road
- Meadow Street parking Zone
- Napier parking Zone
- Netherthorpe parking Zone
- Porterbrook parking Zone
- Shallow Vale parking centre zone
- St George’s parking zone
- Stalker Lee’s parking zone
- Vaughton Hill parking zone
What is the procedure for challenging a Sheffield PCN?
The first stage of challenging a Sheffield PCN is an informal appeal. The reply to your informal appeal will be sent by Sheffield Council through email from No_Reply_Sheffield@tarantoportal.com.
After this informal appeal Sheffield Council will send you a “Notice To Owner” and you will have 28 days in which to make your formal appeal. If the Council denies you the chance of a formal representation you will be given a “Notice of Rejection to Representation”
You can appeal your Sheffield PCN online here You will be required to enter your PCN number and contravention code number.
Another method of sending in your appeal is by postal service. You can compose a PCN appeal to Sheffield Council mentioning your PCN number and vehicle registration number. The reasons for appealing against the PCN charges also need to be clearly stated and supported with necessary evidence documents.
This PCN appeal needs to be sent to the following address:
Parking Services,
PO Box 3830,
Sheffield S1 9AQ
The appeal against your Sheffield Council PCN must be made within 28 days of getting the Notice to Owner.
Which are the 4 new parking zones planned for Sheffield Council and how do they work?
The 4 new parking zones planned for Sheffield Council are Kelham and Neepsend parking zone, Parking Hill parking zone, St Vincent’s parking zone and Effingham road parking scheme.
The Kelham and Neepsend parking zone will encompass the area between the Inner Ring Road , Rutland Road and the railway line on the north of Neepsend. The land excluded from this parking zone is Pitsmoor Road, Chatham Street and Swinton Street.The Kelham and Neepsend parking zone will also include Bardwell Street, Boyland Lane, Manners Street and the section of Neepsend lane outside the Cutlery Works.
Park Hill parking zone will encompass the area between tram tracks, Granville Road including Castle Croft Drive, City Road, Skye Edge Fields, the Manor Oak Estate and Hyde Park. The Park Hill parking zone will also include Donnington Road, Holdings Road, Essex Road, Norfolk Park Road and Park Grange Croft. A section of Park Grange Road will also be included in the parking zone.
St. Vincent’s parking zone will encompass the area between Hoyle Street, Netherthorpe Road, Broad Lane, Tenter Street, Gibraltar Street and Penistone Road. Another portion of St Vincent’s parking zone will include the St. Georges and Edward Street Flats parking schemes.
The Effingham Road parking scheme will encompass Bernard Road, Blast Lane, Cadman Street, Canal Street, Effingham Lane, Effingham Street and Effingham Road. The Effingham Road parking scheme will also include Foley Street, Furnival Road, Leveson Street, North Quay Drive Sussex Street Sussex Road and Wharf Street.
The reason for introducing these 4 new parking zones in Sheffield Council is that streets around the city centre have become a parking hub for commuters. This use of these areas as free parking spaces by long distance commuters has deprived nearby residents and businesses of valuable parking land.
By restricting parking around the Sheffield City Centre to drivers with pay and display tickets and paid parking permits, these parking zones will also provide nearby residents and businesses with their entitled parking spaces.
What if I fail to pay my Sheffield PCN within 28 days?
If you fail to pay your PCN within 28 days you will be sent a charge certificate from the Traffic Penalty Tribunal. A charge certificate will increase your PCN amount by 50% of its original value. You should pay the charge certificate within 14 days as it cannot be appealed and ignoring the charge certificate may result in the filing of a court order for recovery of debts against you.
If the charge certificate remains unpaid after 14 days, you will receive a “Notice of Debt Registration” and a witness certificate from the Traffic Penalty Tribunal. The unpaid amount will be treated as debt with your local Traffic Enforcement Centre. The amount of the charge certificate automatically increases by £9, which represents the expense of registering the court order (for recovery of debts).
A court order enforces that the charge certificate amount must be paid within 21 days or the court will be forced to sanction the use of additional powers to recover the money from you.
At this stage you can compose a legal declaration by using the witness certificate sent along with the “Notice of Debt Registration”. You may be able to do this if your bus lane PCN fine has already been paid (in full).
You may also fill in the witness certificate testifying that you still have not received a “Notice of Rejection of Representations” from Sheffield Council (after having your appeal dismissed) even by the end of the 14 days of getting your charge certificate from TfL.
Another situation which can be declared on the witness certificate can be that you made an appeal to the Traffic Penalty Tribunal alongwith your Notice of Rejection from Sheffield Council (within 28 days) and didn’t receive any response from them. You can also confess to your local Traffic Enforcement Centre that your council didn’t communicate the “Notice to Owner” or Penalty Charge Notice to the registered keeper of the vehicle.
Can I Dispute a Sheffield Council PCN with the Traffic Penalty Tribunal if the Council dismisses my appeal?
Yes, you can dispute a Sheffield PCN with the Traffic Penalty Tribunal if the Council dismisses your appeal. The decision to disregard your appeal is formalised in the “Notice of Rejection of Representations” sent by Sheffield Council. To register your appeal with the Traffic Penalty Tribunal you need to visit their website
On the Traffic Penalty Tribunal’s online service you will need to enter your PCN number, the reference number from your “Notice of Rejection” letter and your Vehicle Registration Number. The challenge to Sheffield Council’s rejection of your appeal can only be submitted online. You will require a valid email address to create an account on the Traffic Penalty Tribunal’s appeals service.
You have to attach a copy of your “Notice of Rejection of Representations” from Sheffield Council to your case by using the tribunals’ online appeals system. This system also permits you to challenge multiple “Notices of Rejection” for PCNs at the same time.
You can use the Traffic Penalty Tribunal’s online appeals management system to attach videos and photos of the scene directly from your smartphone. You can also choose to attach video evidence from your vehicle’s parking camera to your online case file. The evidence must be supported with a well composed rebuttal of the charges levelled by your council in the PCN.
You will be able to contact the traffic penalty tribunal adjudicator for help during the registration of your appeal. The result of your appeal should be communicated to you within 14-28 days of submission. If the adjudicator at the Traffic Penalty Tribunal decides the case in your favour, the PCN will be cancelled by Sheffield Council.
Conclusion
This blog post addressed the question “Sheffield PCN – Pay or Appeal?” It is better to pay your Sheffield PCN fine within 14 days rather than deciding to appeal the PCN. A lower level Parking PCN fine will only be £25 (when paid within 21 days) and other PCNs will require payment of £35 when paid within their discount period.