Penalty charge notices
Civil parking enforcement is in operation throughout North Yorkshire. This means the local highway authority can enforce on-street parking restrictions, such as yellow lines and parking bays. These restrictions are enforced on our behalf by the former Harrogate and Scarborough Borough Councils.
Parking fines may also be referred to as parking tickets or penalty charge notices (often abbreviated to PCN).
Under the Traffic Management Act 2004 the vehicle's registered owner/keeper, not the driver, is liable for payment of the penalty charge.
There are two levels of penalty charge notice.
A higher level contravention incurs a charge of £70 (£35 if paid within 14 days).
Examples include parking on yellow lines, parking in a disabled bay without displaying a valid disabled badge, or parking in a loading bay.
A lower level contravention incurs a charge of £50 (£25 if paid within 14 days).
Examples include parking in a pay and display zone without displaying a valid pay and display ticket, or parking in a disc zone without displaying a permit.
Both charges are reduced if paid within the first 14 days.
Find out how to pay a parking fine
Reporting a parking infringement
North Yorkshire Police are responsible for certain non-restriction offences on the roads such as dangerous parking, obstruction and all moving traffic offences. You can call 101 or contact the Police online by visiting the North Yorkshire Police website.
Contact us to report a parking infringement on a road.
In the Scarborough area
You can report an on-street parking violation in the Scarborough area to us using our online form. The police are still responsible for non-restriction offences as above.
Further information
Appeal a penalty charge notice
Parking guidelines
Parking restrictions have been introduced over the years to help solve local parking problems and improve traffic flow and road safety. Parking guidelines and procedures are continually reviewed and, if necessary, amended to reflect the changing demands of residents, businesses and visitors.
Parking policy
Our policy aims to:
- manage and develop the parking service to complement local transport plan policy, while minimising the negative impact of parking on people and the environment
- allow the free and safe movement of vehicles, cycles and pedestrians through traffic management measures and effective enforcement of parking restrictions
- provide convenient and safe parking places, including the provision of disabled bays and loading bays
- consider the needs of all road users. Special attention will be given to parking restrictions close to schools
- recognise the need to support the local economy by favouring short stay parking where appropriate
- ensure that staff receive the right training so that they can carry out their duties effectively, competently and professionally
- have guidelines and procedures in place to help staff deal with objections to penalty charge notices fairly
View the Parking Guidance for the former Harrogate authority (pdf / 8 MB).
Civil parking enforcement
We operate civil parking enforcement as part of the Traffic Management Act (2004), which aims to keeping traffic moving. It includes higher penalty charges for more serious contraventions, such as parking on double yellow lines, and lower charges for others, such as displaying an expired pay and display ticket. This means that most non-endorsable parking offences become “decriminalised”.
Civil parking enforcement revenue information
Local Government Transparency Code 2014
| Information required for publication | Information recommended for publication | |
| Parking revenues |
Annual publication
|
Local authorities should publish a breakdown of how they spend or use revenue from parking charges and enforcement activities |
| Controlled parking spaces | Annual publication Publish the number of marked out controlled on and off-street parking spaces within their area, or an estimate of the number of spaces where controlled parking space is not marked out in individual parking bays or spaces |
Local authorities should publish the number of free parking spaces available in its area which are provided directly by the local authority or an estimate of the number of spaces where free parking space is not marked out in individual parking bays or spaces |
Introduction
The figures provided in the tables below therefore only relate to on-street parking activity.
Parking revenues
2015/16 on-street Civil Parking Enforcement income and expenditure:
| District | Income (£) | Expenditure (£) | District balance (£) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Craven | 26,514 | 39,920 | -13,406 |
| Selby | 31.025 | 36,516 | -5,491 |
| Hambleton | 333,285 | 71,975 | 261,310 |
| Richmondshire | 78,752 | 67,153 | 11,599 |
| Ryedale | 49,297 | 64,201 | -14,904 |
| Scarborough | 1,926,129 | 877,323 | 1,048,806 |
| Harrogate | 2,479,290 | 753,812 | 1,725,478 |
| Total | 4,924,292 | 1,910,900 | 3,013,392 |
Use of surplus
Section 55 (as amended) of the Road Traffic Regulation Act (1984) sets out the permitted uses for any surplus funding arising from civil parking enforcement. In accordance with this legislation the 2015/16 surplus was spent on the following:
- contribution towards the requirement on the council to fund concessionary bus travel
- contribution towards the operating costs of the Scarborough and Whitby Park and Ride sites
- access to CCTV to monitor the highway network
- maintenance of parking road signs and lines
- contribution to Leeds – Harrogate – York rail line improvement scheme
- highway maintenance
- replacement of pay and display machines / machine maintenance
- The Department for Transport stipulated that off-street car parks needed to be included in the countywide civil parking enforcement designation order. This had financial repercussions for some of the district councils as they lost the discretion to set the fee for Penalty Charge Notices. In recognition of this issue the we resolved to underwrite any losses experienced by the district councils. The agreement with the district councils is for 3 years until May 2016, but includes a requirement to extend for a further 2 years should the district councils still be able to evidence a loss.
Penalty Charge Notices issued
2015/16 on-street Penalty Charge Notices issued
| District | Penalty Charge Notices |
|---|---|
| Craven | 872 |
| Hambleton | 3,611 |
| Harrogate | 17,717 |
| Richmondshire | 2,571 |
| Ryedale | 1,457 |
| Scarborough | 21,713 |
| Selby | 832 |
| Total | 48,773 |
Controlled parking spaces
| District | Controlled parking spaces | Free parking spaces |
|---|---|---|
| Craven | 230 | 230 |
| Hambleton | 1,206 | 595 |
| Harrogate | 5,118 | 4,114 |
| Richmondshire | 450 | 450 |
| Ryedale | 490 | 490 |
| Scarborough | 7,387 | 5,429 |
| Selby | 117 | 117 |
| Total | 14,452 | 11,971 |