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Parking fines

Penalty Charge Notice (PCN)

The parking services section is committed to enforcing parking regulations fairly and consistently, in order to manage traffic, improve road safety, and to provide safe and accessible parking facilities for all users.

Our aim is to manage both on-street and off-street parking through effective enforcement, therefore reducing the dangers posed by inconsiderate, dangerous and illegal parking. The successful use of enforcement improves access for the emergency services and buses, as well as reducing congestion and associated airborne pollution.

Parking services (and its partners) aim to deal with all telephone enquiries and written correspondence in a timely, courteous and helpful manner.

For all enquiries regarding PCN’s please telephone 0844 800 8540.

PCN Challenges and Representations unfortunately cannot be dealt with other than by written correspondence:

Email np.warrington@apcoa.com
Write to Warrington Borough Council, Enquiries & Payments Office, Level 6, Market Multi Storey Car Park, Academy Way, Warrington, WA1 2HN.

Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) Levels

There are two PCN levels, the higher penalty charge is £70, and the lower penalty charge is £50. However, if the penalty charge is paid within 14 days of issue, this will be reduced by a discount of 50% to either £35 or £25 respectively.

Please view the list of contravention codes to see if your offence falls within the higher penalty charge or lower penalty charge rate:

PCN Contravention Codes.doc

What to do if you receive a Penalty Charge Notice (PCN)

Please do not ignore your PCN.

Once a PCN has been issued, the notice can either be paid or challenged.

To pay the PCN please use the link below:

https://www.e-paycobalt.com/warrington

You only have to pay 50% of the full penalty charge if you pay within 14 days, taking day one as the date on the PCN.

After 14 days the penalty charge increases to the full amount. Full payment then needs to be made within 28 days, taking day one as the date on the penalty charge notice.

If you pay, we will consider the matter closed. Closure of the case would mean that further appeals against the PCN are not possible.

To challenge a PCN:-

The Registered Keeper of the vehicle (which has been issued with a PCN) can informally challenge the PCN if they believe it should not have been issued.

Your Informal Challenge must be returned to us within 28 days, taking day one as the date on the PCN.

To challenge, follow the instructions on the reverse of the PCN and submit your challenge in writing:

Email np.warrington@apcoa.com
Write to Warrington Borough Council, Enquiries & Payments Office, Level 6, Market Multi Storey Car Park, Academy Way, Warrington, WA1 2HN.

In all correspondence please quote the PCN Number, the vehicle registration number and your full name and postal address.

All challenges will be considered on their individual / mitigating circumstances.

There is no charge for challenging the issue of a PCN.

What happens after an Informal Challenge has been submitted

We will respond in writing once a decision has been made.

If your Informal Challenge is accepted you won’t have to pay anything, your penalty charge will be cancelled and no further action will be taken.

If your Informal Challenge is rejected we will send you an Informal Rejection, and will provide a reason as to why we have rejected your challenge. We will also usually extend the 14 day discount period if your challenge was received before the end of the original discount period.

At this stage you may follow one of two possible courses of action:

You may pay the Penalty Charge Notice in full. This payment will close the case and you will receive no further correspondence on the matter. Closure of the case would mean that further appeals against the penalty charge notice are not possible.
You may wait for a Notice to Owner to be sent to the Registered Owner of the vehicle.

To pay the PCN please use the link below:

https://www.e-paycobalt.com/warrington

What happens if an Informal Challenge or payment has not been received within the 28 day period

A Notice to Owner will be sent to the owner of the vehicle involved in the alleged contravention. Even if the owner was not the driver of the vehicle at the time, they are still liable for the penalty.

If you are not the owner of the vehicle but have received the notice to owner you will still need to follow the Notice to Owner process detailing this.

The penalty charge will now be set at either £50 or £70 (depending on the contravention), and is payable by the owner of the vehicle within 28 days, taking day one as two working days after the Notice to Owner was posted.

To pay the PCN please use the link below:

https://www.e-paycobalt.com/warrington

If you decide not to pay the penalty charge because you believe that you have grounds to make a formal representation, your Representations must be returned to us within 28 days, taking day one as two working days after the Notice to Owner was posted.

The Notice to Owner explains the grounds for representations. Submit your Representations in writing:

Warrington Borough Council, Enquiries & Payments Office, Level 6, Market Multi Storey Car Park, Academy Way, Warrington, WA1 2HN.

What happens after a Formal Representation has been submitted

If your representation is accepted, you won’t have to pay anything, your penalty charge will be cancelled and no further action will be taken.

If your Representation is rejected, we will send you a Notice of Rejection of Representations within 56 days of receipt of your representations, and will provide a reason as to why we have rejected your representations.

To pay the PCN please use the link below:-

https://www.e-paycobalt.com/warrington

If you still decide not to pay the penalty charge because you believe that you have grounds to make a Formal Appeal, you can appeal to the Traffic Penalty Tribunal. Follow the instructions on the Traffic Penalty Tribunal Appeal Form (which we will supply with your Notice of Rejection of Representations), and submit the completed form to the Traffic Penalty Tribunal (not the council) at:-

The Traffic Penalty Tribunal, Barlow House, Minshull Street, Manchester, M1 3DZ.

The Traffic Penalty Tribunal must receive their form within 28 days, taking day one as two working days after the Notice of Rejection of Representations was posted.

Once the Traffic Penalty Tribunal has received their Appeal Form, they will make some basic checks, and if everything is in order it will be registered as a Formal Appeal. The owner of the vehicle will then be sent a formal acknowledgement that their appeal has been received and registered, and will be notified when the appeal is due to be Adjudicated. We will also be notified that an appeal has been lodged and will be given 21 days to submit our evidence to the Adjudicator and the owner of the vehicle.

There is no cost for pursuing an appeal via the Traffic Penalty Tribunal. Although the Adjudicator has powers to award costs against either party, costs are not normally awarded, but may be if in the opinion of the Adjudicator either party has behaved in a frivolous, vexatious or wholly unreasonable fashion.

If your Formal Appeal is accepted you won’t have to pay anything, your penalty charge will be cancelled and no further action will be taken.

If your Formal Appeal is rejected the Traffic Penalty Tribunal Adjudicator will provide a reason as to why they have rejected your appeal. The penalty charge will now be set at either £50 or £70 (depending on the contravention), and is payable by the owner of the vehicle within 28 days, taking day one as two working days after the Traffic Penalty Tribunal Rejection was posted.

To pay the PCN please use the link below:-

https://www.e-paycobalt.com/warrington

What happens if a Representation or payment has not been received within the 28 day period

A Charge Certificate will be sent to the owner of the vehicle, which will increase the amount of the penalty charge by 50%.

The penalty charge will now be set at either £75 or £105 (depending on the contravention), and is payable by the owner of the vehicle within 14 days, taking day one as two working days after the Charge Certificate was posted.

To pay the PCN please use the link below:

https://www.e-paycobalt.com/warrington

Please note that it is not possible to challenge a Charge Certificate.

What happens if the payment has not been received within the 14 day payment period

A Pre Debt Registration will be sent to the owner of the vehicle, the penalty charge will now be set at either £75 or £105 (depending on the contravention), and is payable by the owner of the vehicle within seven days, taking day one as two working days after the Pre Debt Registration was posted.

To pay the PCN please use the link below:

https://www.e-paycobalt.com/warrington

Please note that it is not possible to challenge a Pre Debt Registration.

What happens if the payment has not been received within the seven day payment period

An Order for Recovery will be sent to the owner of the vehicle, which will increase the amount of the penalty charge by £7, and the debt will be registered at Northampton County Court – Traffic Enforcement Centre.

The penalty charge will now be set at either £82 or £112 (depending on the contravention), and is payable by the owner of the vehicle within 21 days, taking day one as two working days after the Order for Recovery was posted.

To pay the PCN please use the link below:

https://www.e-paycobalt.com/warrington

At this stage, it is possible to file a Witness Statement challenging the court order on one of four grounds explained within the Order for Recovery documents. Follow the instructions on the Order for Recovery and submit the completed form to the Traffic Enforcement Centre (not the council) at:

The Traffic Enforcement Centre, Northampton County Court Bulk Centre, St Katherine’s House, 21 – 27 St Katherine’s Street, Northampton, NN1 2LH
Telephone 0845 704 5007.

Or visit the webpage www.hmcourts-service.gov.uk/cms/1043.htm

Proceedings for contempt of court may be brought against you if you make or cause to be made a false statement in an application verified by a statement of truth without an honest belief in its truth.

What happens if a Witness Statement has not been filed, or the payment has not been received within the 21 day period

We will seek authorisation from the County Court to raise a Warrant of Execution which will be sent to the owner of the vehicle, and Bailiffs will be instructed to recover the penalty charge, either £82 or £112, and the Bailiff charges (which are laid down in statute) will also become payable.

To pay the PCN:-

You must pay the Bailiffs.

You can contact Jacobs Certificated Bailiffs:

Telephone 0845 6012692.
Or visit the webpage www.jacobsbailiffs.co.uk

At this stage, it is possible to make an Out of Time Application as to why the debt has not been paid or any witness statement filed. To discuss the Out of Time Application you must contact the Traffic Enforcement Centre (not the council) on: