Menu

Payments & Appeals

Parking

Pay Your Parking Charge

Appeal your PCN

You have the option to appeal against the parking charge notice (PCN) you have received. However, we would issue the following guidance should you wish to pursue this course. A parking charge notice (PCN) is issued if a vehicle is parked in contravention of the advertised conditions on property we own, lease or have been contracted to patrol. Please be aware that our signage meets or exceeds the requirements of the British Parking Associations Code of Practice.

Appeal PCN

Appeals FAQ

Why have I received a Parking Charge?

The car parks managed by Ocean Parking have clear terms and conditions, as detailed on the contractual warning signage in place within the car park. If you fail to comply with the car park terms and conditions, (for example, overstaying the free period or not paying for your parking), then a Parking Charge will be issued.

Why is car park management required?

Landowners have a right to manage their private land as they see fit and allow motorists to use their land for parking under certain terms and conditions. Maximum stay periods are commonly used to ensure spaces are available for genuine customers, and to ensure there is a regular turnover of spaces. This is often the case at paid parking sites too, and car park management is required to ensure motorists are making payment in full for parking at that location.

Car park abuse is detrimental to landowners, and Ocean Parking ensures that the car park terms and conditions are adhered to and that parking spaces are used correctly.

I have paid the Parking Charge Notice. Can I still appeal?

You should choose whether to pay or appeal, you cannot do both. There is no requirement for us to consider an appeal that has been paid in full.

How do I appeal the Parking Charge?

All appeals must be submitted in writing, via our website, a letter, or an email. Details regarding our appeals process can be found on the reverse of the Parking Charge. We are unable to accept verbal evidence, and therefore an appeal cannot be submitted over the telephone.

If I ignore the Parking Charge Notice what will happen?

If the Parking Charge is ignored and no payment is received, then further action could be taken, which may include the charge being passed to a debt recovery agent, and court proceedings against you, all of which will incur additional costs.

I am a Blue Badge Holder; I’m therefore exempt from private parking rules?

The Department for Transport’s Blue Badge Scheme allows blue badge holders to park in certain restricted areas for up to three hours. However, this concession applies to the public highway only, and doesn’t apply on private land. Whilst some landholders provide disabled parking bays, these bays are generally subject to the same terms and conditions found elsewhere in the car park, including any parking tariffs and/or any maximum stay period allowed. You should therefore always check the terms and conditions displayed on the contractual warning signage on site.

Do you allow a grace period?

We are members of the British Parking Association (BPA) and all parking charge notices are issued in line with the BPA AOS Code of Practice.

It states in Section 13.1 of the BPA Code of Practice ‘The driver must have the chance to consider the Terms and Conditions before entering into the ‘parking contract’ with you. If, having had that opportunity, the driver decides not to park but chooses to leave the car park, you must provide them with a reasonable consideration period to leave before the driver can be bound by your parking contract. The amount of time in these instances will vary dependant on site size and type but it must be a minimum of 5 minutes.’ On sites where we have ANPR cameras, there is grace period in place for all events captured of vehicles entering and exiting the site.

It also states in Section 13.3 of the BPA Code of Practice ‘Where a parking location is one where a limited period of parking is permitted, or where drivers contract to park for a defined period and pay for that service in advance (Pay & Display), this would be considered as a parking event and a Grace Period of at least 10 minutes must be added to the end of a parking event before you issue a PCN.’ Iin these instances, a parking charge notice will not be issued unless you have exceeded the grace period in place. Please note, there is no grace period, on the grace period.

I attempted to pay for parking and did not receive a Pay & Display ticket?

If you did not receive a Pay & Display ticket from the parking machine, it may be your transaction was not completed correctly and as a result, your payment may not have been successful.

Do I have to enter my vehicle registration correctly into the payment machine, at a Pay & Display car park?

Several of our car parks are monitored by Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras, and our systems link your transaction from the payment machine to your vehicle registration.

You should therefore always ensure you enter your full and correct vehicle registration into the payment machine when purchasing a ticket.

I entered my vehicle registration incorrectly when purchasing a Pay & Display ticket.

We recognise genuine mistakes can occur, which may result in a parking charge being issued even when a motorist can demonstrate they have paid for their parking. In line with the British Parking Association Code of Practice, a minor keying error is categorised as one letter or number incorrect or letters and numbers in the wrong order.

A major keying in error is one that has multiple number and letter keying errors, the first three digits only have been recorded or a completely incorrect registration number is used.

If you believe a minor or major keying error has occurred, we advise you follow our appeals process, and provide evidence of the ticket purchased.

I was not the driver, so I will not be paying the Parking Charge.

The Protection of Freedoms Act 2012 allows operators to pursue the keeper of the vehicle if no serviceable name and address is given for the driver of the vehicle.

We would therefore advise providing details of the driver of your vehicle at the time the parking ticket was issued, or you may still be liable for the Parking Charge.

I have submitted an appeal and have not heard back. How long does it take for my appeal to be answered?

All appeals are acknowledged within 14 days of being received. If you have not received an appeal acknowledgment, we may not have received your appeal.

Once we have received your appeal, the charge will be placed on hold, and remain at the charge amount and stage it was at when the appeal was received, until an appeal outcome is issued. Appeals are answered within 35 days of the appeal being received.

Please note, all appeals are answered by the means in which they are received. For example, if you email an appeal, your response will be sent by email, to the address from which it was received.

What is POPLA?

Parking on Private Land Appeals (POPLA) is an independent appeals service. The assessors at POPLA determine appeals from those who have been issued with a Parking Charge when parked on private land.

o submit an appeal to POPLA, motorists must first submit an appeal to the operator who issued the Parking Charge, and will be provided with a POPLA Verification Code, upon their appeal being rejected.

Will the Parking Charge increase if I lose my appeal with POPLA?

If you lodge an appeal with POPLA, then you will have already lost your right to the early payment discount offered. Should your appeal then be refused by POPLA, to avoid any further action being taken, you should pay the outstanding parking charge amount within 28 days of POPLA’s decision.