Pay a parking fine
When a penalty charge notice (PCN) is issued the amount payable will be either £70 or £50 (the amount will be stated on the PCN). The notice is payable within 28 days of being issued.
If payment is received within 14 days of the issue date, we will accept a discounted payment of 50 per cent as full and final settlement.
Please note, your Penalty Charge Notice details may not appear on the system for up to 48 hours after being issued. If you are going to pay a PCN, either by the online system or using the automated phone service please leave it 48 hours after the issue date before paying.
Payments for your penalty charge can be made:
Online
Pay using our online payment service
By phone
You can pay over the telephone using the automated system which is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Please call (01432) 260200 and have your debit card and Penalty Charge Notice number to hand as you will need to quote the Penalty Charge Notice number (found on the front of the Notice starting with a HE) to make the payment.
In person at any Post Office or shop displaying the PayPoint sign
You may pay at any Post Office or shop displaying the PayPoint sign. You must have the penalty notice with you when making the payment as the bar code has to be scanned.
Instalment payments for penalty charge notices (PCNs)
We do not allow payment of Penalty Charge Notices by instalment for the following reasons:
- The timescales for full payment of penalty charge notices is set by the law which governs parking enforcement (Traffic Management Act 2004)
- The period within which payment must be made is not long enough to make it practical or viable for the council to set up and manage instalment payments
These timescales are set out below.
- The full amount stated on the PCN must be paid within 28 days of the issue date
- If paid within 14 days of the issue date, 50 percent of the full amount stated on the PCN will be accepted as full and final settlement
The law states that in order to close a case, full payment of a PCN must be made within these statutory timescales.
- If the PCN is unpaid after 28 days of the service of a Notice to Owner, a Charge Certificate is issued and then the legal debt registration process starts
If you are struggling with debt and are finding the payment difficult, please visit Citizen's Advice debt and money page for advice.
In exceptional circumstances we can consider a short extension of the statutory time limits (up to 21 days) after the issue of a Charge Certificate (and not before). This will allow you more time to pay before we start the debt registration process (where bailiffs are instructed).
You must contact us before the end of the period of 21 days following the issue of the Charge Certificate.
Due to the legal process in registering the debt any case that has been sent for enforcement action to our bailiffs must be handled by the bailiffs.
Do not ignore your PCN or documentation sent by post.