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#Post#: 131243--------------------------------------------------
Car parked first, suspension came later – Westminster PCN 21R -
Clarendon Street - WE69926783
DIR By: joelondon
Date: September 22, 2026, 4:00 pm
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Hi all,
I tried to find the old pepipoo forum I've used in the past and
it seemed closed, So I had to try to resolve this myself, having
failed at that , I searched harder and found this forum. Wish I
had sooner!! I'd appreciate some advice on where to go from
here.
My car had been parked continuously in a residents' bay on
Clarendon Street for approximately three months. I have a valid
Westminster resident permit.
While the car was already there, Westminster suspended three
spaces from 7 September to 17 September 2026 for drainage
repairs. The car remained where it was and I wasn't aware that
the suspension had subsequently been put in place as I don't
pass it daily.
Westminster issued PCN WE69926783 at 10:16 on 9 September, code
21r, only 2 days after the suspension.
On 10 September Westminster phoned me asking me to move the car.
This was the first successful contact I had received regarding
the suspension. I was at work and couldn't get back to it, so
they relocated the car to another parking space and left a
relocation notice. Had they called me on, or before the 7th of
course it would have been helpful. I have several spam calls a
day and screen every call to my mobile, there were a couple of
calls around that time from random cell phones, which could have
been the workmen, or could have been my long lost uncle the
Nigerian billionaire, no message was left. The call on the 10th
passed through the call screener by answering the prompt.
I challenged the PCN on the basis that the car had been lawfully
parked there before the suspension was erected. I also asked
them to check/provide the sign records, photographs, records of
vehicles present when the signs were erected and any attempts to
contact me before issuing the PCN.
Westminster have now responded and denied my appeal. They
acknowledge that I said the vehicle was parked before the
suspension was erected and came into force, but their answer
seems to ramble thereafter and not address anything in
particular.
I had searched forHaving now found this forum, I thought it
sensible to stop doing this myself and ask for advice before
taking any further action.
I'll post the PCN, council photos, suspension sign, relocation
notice, my original challenge and Westminster's response :
HTML https://cdn.imgpile.com/f/44tvSCq_xl.jpg
HTML https://cdn.imgpile.com/f/IdERkKr_xl.webp
HTML https://cdn.imgpile.com/f/fqw7ERg_xl.webp
HTML https://cdn.imgpile.com/f/u6okFTn_xl.webp
HTML https://cdn.imgpile.com/f/8BoiKpn_xl.webp
HTML https://cdn.imgpile.com/f/Gv8xvIf_xl.webp
HTML https://cdn.imgpile.com/f/lbprBP5_xl.webp
Would appreciate your views.
#Post#: 131248--------------------------------------------------
Re: Car parked first, suspension came later – Westminster PCN
21R - Clarendon Street - WE69926783
DIR By: fraser.mitchell
Date: September 22, 2026, 6:22 pm
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OK, so it has been parked for 3 months, but this is London where
parking suspensions are very common. How often have you been
checking on your car over that period, (I'm assuming from your
narrative it has not been driven for that time) ? Their letter
rejecting your informal challenge is the usual Fob-Off letter in
reply to informal reps. They do this because they know most
people (like >95%), then just cough-up.
So is it worth taking them all the way to London Tribunals ?
Well, it may be, but if you just left the car parked without
checking it about every week, you're likely to lose but on the
other hand, frequent checks make an appeal stronger. Why is this
? Because one important aspect is the notice given of the
suspension. A week for planned work is reasonable, and the
smaller the period between the signs going up and the suspension
commencing the less robust is their case.
Taking them all the way means you must now wait for the Notice
to Owner; are you the owner, and if so is your V5C Registration
Certificate up-to-date for address ?
#Post#: 131305--------------------------------------------------
Re: Car parked first, suspension came later – Westminster PCN
21R - Clarendon Street - WE69926783
DIR By: joelondon
Date: September 23, 2026, 1:13 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
Thanks. Yes, I'm the registered keeper and the V5C address is
correct.
The car is very lightly used, about 800 miles in the last year,
and is parked in a side street rather than on the main street
outside my house, so it can sit in the same space for long
periods.
I don't make specific trips to inspect it, but depending on
which direction I'm travelling I'll pass Clarendon Street and
look down the street to make sure the car is still there. I'd
estimate that normally happens around 3 times a week, I'll
usually use it or at least pass right by the car on the weekend.
In this instance I'd been away for three weeks and returned on 2
September, so there was obviously a period when I hadn't seen
it. After returning I did look down the street and confirm it
was still there, but I didn't walk over to the car or inspect
the surrounding signage.
I've noticed the suspension notice says “Printed: 28/08/2026”,
but presumably that doesn't necessarily establish when it was
actually put up. That's why I asked Westminster for the
records/photos and records of vehicles present when the sign
went up, which they haven't provided.
Is there a way of establishing the actual date the sign was put
up now, or do I need to wait for the NTO?
#Post#: 131314--------------------------------------------------
Re: Car parked first, suspension came later – Westminster PCN
21R - Clarendon Street - WE69926783
DIR By: stamfordman
Date: September 23, 2026, 3:45 pm
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Councils usually have a log of vehicles in a bay when they put a
sign up.
But Westminster doesn't impound vehicles but may relocate as
here.
You must check signage every few ays especially in London as bay
suspensions are common.
Your challenge seems to concede the car had been sitting there
for 3 months so it's not unreasonable to issue a PCN.
Had you challenged on being away it may been accepted and you
may be able to fudge this in formal reps should you want to
pursue this.
#Post#: 131461--------------------------------------------------
Re: Car parked first, suspension came later – Westminster PCN
21R - Clarendon Street - WE69926783
DIR By: joelondon
Date: September 25, 2026, 1:23 pm
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Thank you.
I had specifically asked in my original challenge for the record
showing when the suspension sign was actually put up. That
remains the primary question for me, and Westminster didn't
address it in their response.
I went to use the car on Sunday 6 September, the day before the
suspension commenced, and genuinely don't recall seeing any
suspension signage. It's entirely possible I missed it, even
though it appears to have been directly above the car, and if
Westminster's records show it was already there then I'm happy
to concede that I should have been more diligent.
I get to the car to find the battery was completely flat from
standing unused for so long. I removed the battery, took it home
and ordered a charger on the 6th, which arrived on the 7th. I
have photos of the battaery removal and dated receipts for the
battery charger. The battery then charged over the following two
days. I didn't visit the car again until the 10th, by which time
it had been relocated.
When Westminster relocated the car on the 10th it was actually
left unlocked because, with the battery removed, there was no
electrical supply.
So the date the sign was actually put up is crucial. If it was
already there on the 6th, I may simply have missed it. If it was
put up later, that's a very different situation. The sign itself
says “Printed 28/08/2026”, but presumably that doesn't establish
when it was physically installed.
Is there a way of obtaining Westminster's suspension log /
photographs showing when the sign was put up now?
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