How to appeal a Brent PCN
Updated 20 September 2026 · By the AppealGo team
Short answer
Brent PCNs follow the London levels in force since 7 April 2025: £160 or £140 (higher level) and £110 or £90 (lower level) for parking, depending on the charging band, and £160 for bus lane and moving traffic contraventions, all halved if paid within the discount period. Challenge a windscreen PCN informally within 14 days to keep the discount, make formal representations within 28 days of the Notice to Owner or of a posted camera PCN, and appeal free to London Tribunals within 28 days of a rejection. Around Wembley Stadium a wide event-day zone applies only when the entry signs show it is in force that day, so photographs of those signs on the day are the decisive evidence.
| Parking PCN | £160 or £140 (higher level) or £110 or £90 (lower level), depending on the charging band, since 7 April 2025 |
|---|---|
| Bus lane and moving traffic PCN | £160 |
| Discount | 50% if paid within 14 days (21 days for most PCNs sent by post from camera evidence) |
| Informal challenge | Within 14 days of a windscreen or hand-served PCN keeps the discount if it is rejected |
| Formal representations | Within 28 days of the Notice to Owner, or of a posted camera PCN |
| Independent appeal | London Tribunals, within 28 days of a rejection; free |
Brent's enforcement is shaped by Wembley Stadium: on event days a wide area becomes a controlled parking zone with restricted hours that catch visitors unaware, and the borough also runs bus lane and moving traffic cameras and controlled parking zones across Willesden, Harlesden, Kilburn and Kingsbury. Brent PCNs are £160 or £140 (higher level) and £110 or £90 (lower level) for parking, depending on the charging band, and £160 for bus lane and moving traffic contraventions, halved if paid within the discount period. Appeals go to London Tribunals.
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Check my noticeWhere Brent PCNs go wrong
- Event-day restrictions around Wembley, where the signs must clearly show that the restriction is in force on the day in question. Photographs of the zone entry signs on the day are decisive.
- Controlled parking zones with inconsistent hours between entry signs and bay plates.
- Bus lanes on the North Circular approaches and Harrow Road with contested signage.
- Yellow boxes at major junctions where traffic stopped unexpectedly.
- Pay-by-phone and permit errors.
The Brent PCN process
- PCN served. On the windscreen or by hand for parking, or by post for camera-enforced contraventions. 28 days to pay or challenge; 50% discount for the first 14 days (21 for postal notices).
- Informal challenge (windscreen and hand-served PCNs only). Write to Brent through its online portal or by post. If rejected within the discount period, the discount is normally re-offered for 14 days.
- Notice to Owner after 28 days, then 28 days to make formal representations on the statutory grounds.
- Appeal to London Tribunals within 28 days of a Notice of Rejection. It is free, independent, and can be dealt with online, by phone or in person.
- If ignored: Charge Certificate (+50%), registration at the Traffic Enforcement Centre, then enforcement agents. A TE9 witness statement can reset the process if you never received the notices.
Your PCN number and registration let you view any camera footage or officer photographs on the council's website. Always look at those before deciding how to respond.
Common questions
Will Brent re-offer the 50% discount if my challenge is rejected?
For an informal challenge made within the discount period, Brent, like most councils, re-offers the discount for 14 days from the rejection. After a Notice to Owner the discount has usually gone, though the council retains discretion and the tribunal can direct it to re-offer the discount in some circumstances.
Can I see the evidence Brent has against me?
Yes. Enter the PCN number and registration on the council's PCN portal to see the civil enforcement officer's photographs or the camera footage. If the evidence does not show a contravention, say so in your representations and describe exactly what it does show.
I parked near Wembley on a match day without realising. Can I appeal?
Yes. The event-day restriction only applies if the signs at the zone entry made it clear that it was in force that day. If the day was not properly signed, or the signs were obscured, that is a full defence. Go back and photograph the entry signs and any event-day plates.
Sources
- London Councils: parking and traffic PCN levels from 7 April 2025
- Traffic Management Act 2004, Part 6 (civil enforcement)
- Civil Enforcement of Road Traffic Contraventions (Representations and Appeals) (England) Regulations 2022, SI 2022/576
- SI 2022/71 regulation 5: the 10-minute grace period
- London Tribunals (Environment and Traffic Adjudicators)
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This guide is general information about UK motoring penalties, not legal advice. Deadlines, amounts and procedures are set by the issuer and the regulations in force, and the notice you were sent is always the authoritative source for your own dates. See our disclaimer.
