Enforcement activity
Due to the impact and challenges of Covid-19, various operational adjustments to pre-pandemic operations were necessary, including:
- focussing enforcement regimes on main thoroughfares and congested areas,
- reducing the number of active enforcement patrols going into the service provider’s operational base in keeping with social distancing guidelines, and
- operating with a reduced number of Civil Enforcement Officers (CEOs) on duty due to self-isolation after contracting coronavirus or in accordance with Government guidelines
Unsurprisingly, Covid-19 has impacted on the number of Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs) issued for all types of traffic and parking contraventions.
The 'Enforcement Activity 2020 to 2021' table is a reformatted version of the original table produced by London Councils. The original table is published on the London Councils website.
In comparison to other London Local Authorities, the London Borough of Bromley issued the third lowest number of total PCNs across London. This demonstrates the borough’s continued commitment to the provision of a firm but fair approach to civil traffic and parking enforcement and a balance between effective enforcement of parking controls together with a reasonable and considerate approach to motorists’ requirements.
| Enforcement Activity 2020 to 2021 | |||||
| Enforcing authority | Higher level parking PCNs | Lower level parking PCNs | Total parking PCNs | Bus lane PCNs | Total PCNs |
| Bromley | 32,592 | 16,313 | 48,905 | 8,401 | 57,306 |
The following table shows the number of parking PCNs issued at the higher/lower level and the number of bus lane PCNs issued since 01/04/14 for comparison purposes. The total PCNs column represents the total number of parking and bus lane PCNs.
| Bromley | Higher level parking PCNs | Lower level parking PCNs | Total parking PCNs | Bus lane PCNs | Total PCNs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01/04/14 to 31/03/15 | 58,540 | 26,848 | 85,388 | 4,539 | 89,927 |
| 01/04/15 to 31/03/16 | 46,736 | 26,736 | 73,472 | 12,071 | 85,543 |
| 01/04/16 to 31/03/17 | 45,378 | 25,739 | 71,117 | 18,068 | 89,185 |
| 01/04/17 to 31/03/18 | 39,966 | 21,265 | 61,231 | 19,264 | 80,495 |
| 01/04/18 to 31/03/19 | 34,381 | 22,079 | 56,460 | 17,673 | 74,133 |
| 01/04/19 to 31/03/20 | 40,828 | 24,018 | 64,846 | 13,589 | 78,435 |
| 01/04/20 to 31/03/21 | 32,592 | 16,313 | 48,905 | 8,401 | 57,306 |
Penalty Charge Notice bands
| Penalty Charge Notice bands | Higher/more serious | Lower/less serious |
|---|---|---|
| Band A (penalty charges issued within Bromley Town Centre Controlled Parking Zone) | £130.00 reduced to £65.00 if paid within reduced payment period | £80.00 reduced to £40.00 if paid within reduced payment period |
| Band B (penalty charges issued outside of the Bromley Controlled Parking Zone) | £110.00 reduced to £55.00 if paid within reduced payment period | £60.00 reduced to £30.00 if paid within reduced payment period |
| Bus lane Contraventions | £130.00 reduced to £65.00 if paid within reduced payment period | N/A |
| Off Street/Car Park penalty charges | £110.00 reduced to £55.00 if paid within reduced payment period | £60.00 reduced to £30.00 if paid within reduced payment period |
PCN statistics
The following table shows the number of PCNs issued for on-street, off-street and bus lanes between 01/04/20 to 31/03/21. This data demonstrates that the main focus of council resources for enforcement purposes is to improve motorist compliance with on-street parking controls, as anti-social parking and driving behaviour causes problems for all road users and impacts on the community.
| PCN type | Number of PCNs issued |
|---|---|
| On Street | 43,351 |
| Off Street | 5,554 |
| Bus Lanes | 8,401 |
PCNs resolved and cancelled
The figures in the following table are based on those identified within the issue period, for example, 13,168 of the total number of PCNs issued between 01/04/20 and 31/03/21 were resolved/cancelled.
| Resolved | A PCN is resolved when we are unable to pursue the penalty and close the case without accepting payment. For example, when the DVLA has no information about the registered keeper or after our enforcement agent companies have attempted to collect the debt without success. A PCN is also resolved when we accept a challenge or representation made on statutory grounds or mitigating circumstances. For example, a vehicle parked in a loading bay and a delivery note provided proving loading/unloading was taking place. | 11,385 |
|---|---|---|
| Cancelled | A PCN is cancelled when we consider that it has been issued in error and close the case without accepting payment. | 1,783 |
| Total | Resolved and cancelled | 13,168 |
The figures in the following table are based on those identified within the issue period, for example, 39,865 of the total number of PCNs issued between 01/04/20 and 31/03/21 were paid.
| PCNs issued | PCNs resolved and cancelled |
|---|---|
| Number of PCNs paid (On and off-street) within discount period | 28,242 |
| Number of PCNs paid against off-street contraventions | 5,554 |
| Number of PCNs paid against on-street contraventions | 51,956 |
There were approximately 39 separate civil parking contravention codes in use within the London Borough of Bromley in 2020/21.
Top 10 parking contraventions
The following table highlights the top 10 most contravened parking controls (excluding bus lane contraventions).
| Parking Contravention description | Number of penalty charges issued |
|---|---|
|
01: Parked in a restricted street during prescribed hours |
10,599 |
|
12: Parked in residents or shared use parking place |
8,443 |
| 06: Without clearly displaying a pay and display ticket | 4,950 |
|
73: Parked without payment of the parking charge |
3,907 |
| 62: Parked with wheels not on carriageway | 3,882 |
|
11: Parked without payment of the parking charge |
3,725 |
|
25: In loading place in restricted hours no loading |
2,796 |
|
02: Parked loading or unloading in restricted street |
1,887 |
|
40: In disabled bay without clearly displaying a valid badge |
1,423 |
|
05: Parked after the expiry of paid for time |
1,250 |
Number of permits issued in each CPZ
| Area | Controlled parking zone | Residential permits | Business permits |
Visitor scratch cards |
| Barnmead Road | BAR | 59 | 0 | 12 |
| Beckenham | BEC | 98 | 0 | 36 |
| Beckenham | F | 51 | 0 | 43 |
| Beckenham Lane | BB | 0 | 12 | 0 |
| Bromley North | B | 1,570 | 82 | 447 |
| Bromley South | C | 2,577 | 176 | 574 |
| Bromley Town Centre | A and B | 233 | 0 | 3 |
| Bromley Town Centre | A and C | 173 | 0 | 6 |
| Burnt Ash Lane | G | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Burnt Ash Lane (North) | J | 51 | 0 | 10 |
| Camden Grove | N | 26 | 0 | 12 |
| Chatterton Village | W | 508 | 46 | 114 |
| Chelsfield | CH | 18 | 0 | 0 |
| Clockhouse | Z1 | 212 | 0 | 100 |
| Z2/3/4 | 947 | 0 | 284 | |
| Z5 | 0 | 8 | 0 | |
| Copers Cope | R | 109 | 0 | 8 |
| Elms Estate | ELM | 57 | 0 | 7 |
| Farnborough | FV | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Farnborough | WR | 31 | 6 | 17 |
| Linden Grove | LIN | 16 | 0 | 5 |
| Locksbottom | E | 17 | 0 | 1 |
| Locksbottom | LB | 0 | 10 | 0 |
| Ledrington Road | D | 9 | 0 | 0 |
| Maple Road | MAP | 10 | 0 | 0 |
| Orpington | H | 44 | 0 | 14 |
| I | 31 | 4 | 11 | |
| K | 32 | 0 | 0 | |
| M | 25 | 0 | 1 | |
| Penge | PGE | 353 | 23 | 117 |
| Petts Wood | S | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| Pleydell Avenue | PLD | 61 | 0 | 15 |
| Walnuts Estate | WAL | 35 | 0 | 11 |
| Westmoreland Road | WMR | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 7,370 | 367 | 1,848 | |
Financial information
Section 87 of the Traffic Management Act 2004 provides for guidance to be supplied by the Secretary of State in relation to civil parking enforcement and as set down in Sections 113 through to 117 of the “Secretary of State’s guidance to Local Authorities on the Civil Enforcement of Parking Contraventions”.
Section 55 of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 sets out the financial provisions relating to designation orders and specifies how any surplus must be spent, for example, in the provision or maintenance of off-street parking, highway improvements, etc.
Further details on Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984.
The following table is an extract of the council’s parking account for 2020/2021 (on-street only).
| Income | £'000 |
|---|---|
| On-street parking | 1,873 |
| Penalty charge notices | 1,205 |
| Permits | 540 |
| Disabled permits | 36 |
| Total Income | 3,654 |
| Expenditure | £'000 |
|---|---|
| Operational costs | 486 |
| Enforcement | 1,391 |
| Admin, appeals debt recovery | 584 |
| Central support recharges | 145 |
| Total Expenditure | 2,606 |
| Net Surplus after costs | 1,048 |
|
Defrayed expenditure The surplus on "on-street parking" in 2020/21 is Cr £1,048k. The following expenditure is therefore offset against this surplus: |
Cr £1,048k |
| £'000 | |
| Traffic Management schemes | 6 |
| Maintenance of car parks | 230 |
| Improvement schemes | 299 |
| Proportion of concessionary fares | 513 |
| 1,048 |
| Memorandum item for parking | £ |
|---|---|
| 2020/21 Off Street parking fees | - 1,503,117 |
| Miscellaneous income | - 11,458 |