So I got a ticket for parking last week and it seems really unfair:

So last Friday, I parked on a road in the city centre in a marked bay where parking is free after 8pm (it was 8.30pm). I came back to my car after an hour to discover a parking ticket (Penalty Charge Notice). Argh. When I (then) looked for signs indicating no parking, I could see that there were, indeed, signs that had been zip-tied to a nearby lamp-post. The trouble is that said lamppost was within a perimeter fence for a construction site. The metal fence was partially obscuring the parking sign which was bent around the lamppost – it looks really shoddy! The fence had the usual warning notice signs stuck on warning you it’s a building site, hard hats required, etc etc. Whilst the construction site signs weren’t directly obscuring the no parking signs, I think it’s mental that I’d have to look inside a building site / behind a fence to see a sign indicating that I can’t park somewhere.

(The other irritating thing is that the signs say there’s no parking from Oct 2019 until 2022. Surely that’s long enough that they should repaint the parking bays with double yellow lines?)

So whilst I’m pretty sure that this fine is bollocks, is it actually worth fighting? It’s the usual pay now and it’s £35, or contest it and be forced to pay £70. I’d like advice as to whether I should just pay the smaller amount (hrrmpph).

Hopefully this pic will work:

May be worth a punt as that is a bit crap.

It’s always worth contesting even if you are in wrong. I have done it twice successfully (1 x parked over line of marked bay and 1 x overstaying my welcome in a retail park). There are some good guides on moneysavingexpert forums which I used.

Good luck.

Definitely fight it; don’t use the word appeal as that is an immediate concession that you were in the wrong.
Is it private operator or Sheffield council?

I’d contest that. Always a worry and it can feel like more hassle that it is worth sometimes but you should have a good chance.

Is it private operator or Sheffield council?

Sheffield City Council. What difference does that make?

P.S. I never mentioned it was Sheffield. I’m guessing you knew by the picturesque vista?

I contested one recently and it got withdrawn. Parked near the end of a lane in Moulsham. Next to the road was a car wide gravel area then a low fence – a parking lay-by, you might call it. Parked there for a couple of hours and came back to find a ticket. Sure enough about 100 yds further along the road was a yellow sign with the restrictions on. The yellow line that should have been painted on the road was long gone. I took photos and contested it on the basis that there was no yellow line to alert me to the parking restrictions, so I had no cause to go and look for the sign to see what the restrictions were. Had there been a visible yellow line I’d have gone for a look. They withdrew it.

Yeah contest it.

Almost all temporary signage breaks the law and the tickets are difficult to enforce if they go to adjudication.

Have a google for “suspended parking bay”

Here is one example of what i found:

To whom it may concern

I wish to appeal against the penalty charge served upon me on the grounds that the council has failed in their statutory duty to sign the temporarily suspended bay in accordance with the law. The temporary suspension traffic sign used fails to comply with s.64 of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 as it is neither prescribed by regulations nor authorised by the Secretary of State.

The DfT under Annex D2 in its Operational Guidance to Local Authorities gives clear and precise instruction;

PCNs may not be valid if they are issued where traffic signs and road markings

are incorrect or in poor condition. Representations demonstrating this should be

accepted.

I have demonstrated that the temporary suspension sign is incorrect (unless the council can prove to the contrary) and therefore I require the council to acknowledge their signing error and that this penalty charge be cancelled forthwith.

Yours with love, hugs and kisses.

^^^ You forgot ‘Dear fascist bully boy’

I’m surprised they didn’t get you for that illegal number plate.

Worth a punt if it’s that unclear.

I’ve challenged two recently – got ANPR’ed going into a supermarket car park, but it didn’t catch me going out and coming back a day later, so said I’d been there 24 hours. The other was hospital – I’d rushed my son in, paid for 4 hours, but couldn’t leave the ward to put more in. Sure enough, got a ticket for going over 4 hours. Wrote to PALS and the contract parking company and they squashed it.

Those signs are poor.

don’t use the word appeal as that is an immediate concession that you were in the wrong.

What?

Thanks all. I hadn’t realised that the process of appeals* was quite straightforward AND that the clock stops on the 14 day window for a half price fine. It seems like a no-brainer. I’ve submitted my rebuttal / challenge / appeal / two finger salute so we shall see. Richmtb – that info was especially helpful – thanks!

*Appeal is the button on the Sheffield.gov website that you must click to submit your challenge. Perhaps that’s how they get you!

Pepipoo website is brilliant for helping with the right information.

Update!

They emailed me today to tell me that having reviewed my case, they will cancel the fine. Hooray! Thanks all.