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| Civil Parking
Enforcement Statistics 2009/10 -
Released Jan 2011 |
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The key findings from civil parking enforcement statistics 2009/10 include:
• The estimated number of PCNs issued in England during 2009/10 was 7.14 million
for on-street offences and 1.80 million for off-street offences, compared
to 7.42 million and 1.67 million respectively in 2008/09.
• In 2009/10, the total number of Penalty Charges paid (on and off-street combined)
was 6.21 million, compared to 6.18 million in 2008/09. Of the 2009/10 total,
1.34 million were paid at full rate and 4.87 million at discount rate.
• The number of PCNs challenged in 2009/10 was 1.84 million (on-street)
and 0.50 million (off-street), compared to 1.86 million and 0.45 million
respectively in 2008/09.
• As a result of these challenges, 0.86 million on-street PCNs were cancelled
in 2009/10 compared to 0.87 million in 2008/09, and 0.30 million off-street PCNs
were cancelled as compared to 0.26 million in 2008/09.
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This publication presents statistics on the use of Civil Parking Enforcement (CPE)
powers by local authorities in England. These powers allow local authorities to
enforce parking regulations without recourse to criminal court proceedings.
The data are derived from the department’s annual survey of relevant local authorities
in England and Wales. The statistics relate to Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs) issued,
challenged and cancelled, and the number of Penalty Charges paid.
The number of authorities with CPE powers in England (outside London) has increased
from 28 in 2000 to 236 in 2009/10. This means that simple trend analysis will
not tend to give a true ‘like for like’ comparison over time, as the number of
drivers and vehicles potentially subject to CPE activity will have increased substantially
over the last decade.
Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs) issued and Penalty Charges paid in 2009/10
• The estimated number of PCNs issued on-street in England in 2009/10 was 7.14
million compared to 7.41 million in 2008/09, a 4 per cent decrease. The region
with the most PCNs issued outside London was the South East (0.80 million) with
the fewest in the North East (0.13 million).
• Of the 2009/10 total PCNs issued on-street in England, the Penalty Charge was
paid in 5.01 million cases (70 per cent). Of these, 1.13 million (23 per cent)
were paid at the full rate and 3.88 million (77 per cent) were paid at the discounted
rate.
• The estimated number of PCNs issued off-street in England was 1.80 million in
2009/10, compared to 1.67 million in 2008/09, an 8 per cent increase. The region
with the most PCNs issued outside London was the South East (0.30 million), with
the fewest in the North East (0.04 million).
• Of the 2009/10 total PCNs issued off-street in England, the Penalty Charge was
paid in 1.20 million cases (67 per cent). Of these, 0.21 million (17 per cent)
were paid at the full rate and 0.99 million (83 per cent) at the discounted rate.
Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs) cancelled in 2009/10
Figures for PCNs challenged and cancelled are not directly comparable to those
figures given in Section 1 for PCNs issued, as cancelled PCNs may have been issued
in a previous year. The figures include PCNs challenged both before and after
a Notice to Owner (NTO) has been served. A NTO can be sent to the owner of a vehicle
which has received a PCN, and where a 28-day period has elapsed without the Penalty
Charge being either paid or challenged.
• The number of on-street PCNs challenged in 2009/10 was 1.84 million, compared
to 1.86 million in 2008/09.
• The total number of on-street PCNs cancelled or waived following a challenge
in 2009/10 was 0.86 million (47 per cent of all PCNs challenged)
• The number of off-street PCNs challenged in 2009/10 was 0.51 million, compared
to 0.45 million in 2008/09. • The total number of off-street PCNs cancelled or
waived following a challenge in 2009/10 was 0.30 million (59 per cent of all PCNs
challenged).
Local data on Civil Parking Enforcement (CPE) powers
• There were 236 local authorities in England (outside London) with CPE powers
by the end of the 2009/10 financial year. This is a lower figure than at the end
of 2008/09, a decrease that reflects mergers and other structural changes to local
government in some areas of the country in April 2009, rather than an actual decline
in the usage of CPE powers by local authorities.
• We are publishing local-level data for all relevant authorities in England and
Wales who responded to our survey on their use of CPE powers. The local-authority
level data for 2007/08, 2008/09 and 2009/10 (which sits outside the scope of National
Statistics) is available in table CPE0401, within the civil parking enforcement
tables.
Strengths and weaknesses of the data
Data about civil parking enforcement are collected from all local authorities
in England and Wales who have the relevant CPE powers. In 2009/10, 85 per cent
of authorities with CPE powers provided a full or partial response.
Data are collected for the last two years of CPE activity. The earlier of the
two years (2008/09) is included in order to obtain an improved retrospective picture
of challenges and cancellations of PCNs issued during that year. However, both
years’ figures (2008/09 and 2009/10) are labelled as ‘provisional’ as there remains
some risk that late or amended returns from local authorities could alter the
underlying data.
Data provided by local authorities can vary in quality between authorities and
from year to year. Local authorities use different systems to record these data,
and follow different procedures and practices. This means that some authorities
are unable to provide responses for all of the questions in the survey. Data at
local authority level is being published, but has been placed outside the scope
of National Statistics for the above reasons.
Where no data are available for an authority, or where some individual items of
data are not available, data are imputed (i.e. estimated) to produce aggregate
totals for key variables at area type or regional level. Imputation uses figures
provided in previous or future years, partial data supplied by an authority in
the current year. Where local authorities are not able to provide splits between
on and off-street activity, these are imputed as a percentage of the total for
the question. The percentage used is based on the type of authority and year.
On occasion, imputations for earlier years can be improved using directly-reported
data for later years. Minor revisions to back-data can occur as a result, although
substantive trends are rarely affected. Data may also be received from authorities
after publication, and be incorporated into back-data retrospectively.
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