Parking fines going up by £10 from 15th April

Not good news, but we thought it worth passing on the news that parking tickets are going up on the 15th April - by £10 to £130 for the "more serious" (actually most common) offences, including being in a residents CPZ bay. London Councils, which brings together all the councils, decides on these charges once every four years at a London level. Of course the actual way in which the boroughs organise residents and P&D parking is up to them, but the charges are agreed centrally to get some consistency. It is btw worth adding that overall parking tickets have fallen by 11% across London in the last year.

Below is the London Councils press release which you can also see the link here:


"Penalties for motorists who park illegally or carry out dangerous manoeuvres which put other road users at risk are set to increase.

Following a public consultation carried out by London Councils and Transport for London (TfL), drivers who commit the most serious parking and traffic contraventions, such as parking on a double yellow or red line, will pay higher penalties from 15 April. There will be no change in penalties for less serious contraventions, such as overstaying at a parking meter.

London has two levels of contraventions. This means the more serious contraventions on London borough roads and all contraventions on TfL roads incur a higher penalty than other contraventions.

The current levels of penalties are £120 for serious contraventions in central London, including bus lane and moving traffic contraventions and London Lorry Control Scheme contraventions for drivers.

Lesser contraventions incur an £80 penalty. In outer London the penalties are generally £100 and £60, although in some particularly busy areas, such as town centres or around major venues, the higher level penalties may apply.

From 15 April, the two higher level penalty levels will each be increased by £10 - from £120 to £130 in central London and from £100 to £110 in outer London. The lower level penalties will remain the same.


Chair of London Councils’ Transport and Environment Committee, Councillor Catherine West said: “Parking penalties have not gone up for four years during which time inflation has made them less of a deterrent.

“Penalties must be set at the right level to deter motorists from disrupting the flow of traffic by parking illegally or putting the safety of other road users at risk by carrying out dangerous manoeuvres.

“The lower level of penalties remains the same to reflect the views in the consultation that more serious offences should receive more severe penalties.”

TfL’s Interim Director of Congestion Charging and Traffic Enforcement, Nick Fairholme, said: “We enforce traffic regulations to keep the Capital’s busiest roads moving safely for the benefit of all road users, not to raise revenue. Following the public consultation, we have taken the difficult but nonetheless important decision to increase the level of penalty charge. This will ensure that penalty charges remain an effective deterrent.”


Notes to editors:

London Councils and Transport for London held a three month public consultation between 1 July and 30 September 2010. The changes were agreed by the Mayor of London.

The level of penalty charges reviewed every four years. The last consultation, carried out in 2006, resulted in the introduction of the two tier parking system in July 2007.

Any money collected by the boroughs and Transport for London, after the cost of running enforcement is taken into account, must be spent on transport, and the case of the boroughs, environmental improvements.

London Councils’ Transport and Environment Committee voted to scrap an agreement with the former Mayor of London whereby people who illegally park in a residents’ bay incur a lower penalty rather than a higher penalty if they can prove they were visiting a resident.

Penalties and charges for London Lorry Control Scheme contraventions for operators, release from wheel clamp, release from car pound, storage charge and disposal fee remain the same.

Schedule of parking penalties and related charges in London

The levels of Penalty Charge Notices in London are set out below. These are valid from 15 April 2011.

Levels of Penalty Charge Notice: Higher: £130; lower: £80


Higher level penalties apply to contraventions which are considered more serious, such as parking on yellow lines or where an obstruction is caused. Lower level penalties apply generally where parking is permitted but the regulations are contravened, such as overstaying on a pay and display bay.

Bus lane and minor moving traffic contraventions

Bus lane contraventions £130

Minor moving traffic contraventions £130

London Lorry Control Scheme contraventions

For drivers £130

For operators £550

Discount for early payment: Payment within 14 days 50%

Other charges

Release from wheel clamp £70

Release from car pound £200

Storage charge £40 per day

Disposal fee £70