Peterborough named as one of the toughest councils for upholding parking fines

But Peterborough City Council has been named as one of the toughest councils in the UK, upholding 85% of parking fines challenged.

On average just over a third (38%) of initial driver challenges to on-street parking fines made to local authorities in England between January and October 2016 were successful, according to figures obtained by the Press Association through Freedom of Information requests.

But there was huge variation between councils, with Runnymede, Surrey, accepting just 9% of appeals while Basingstoke and Deane, Hampshire - just 30 miles away - approved 95%.

Guy Anker, managing editor at MoneySavingExpert.com, said: “If the councils accepting the fewest challenges are wrongly rejecting claims it’s an absolute disgrace.”

The figures show that out of the 4,832 challenges made to Peterborough City Council relating to on-street parking fines between January and October 2016, only 410 challenges were accepted.

Mr Anker said: “We hear so many stories from motorists who are victims of overzealous parking wardens.

“Often the real problem is really poor, terrible signing. People are often completely bamboozled, can I park here or can I not?”

Mr Anker said that after having a challenge rejected by the council, around 50% of drivers who make a further appeal to the independent Traffic Penalty Tribunal are successful.

He said: “I would encourage everyone who feels they are being harshly treated by their council to make an appeal to the independent arbitrator.”

The PA asked councils for the number of initial challenges to on-street parking fines they received from drivers between January and October 2016, and how many of those the council had deemed successful.

To ensure a fair comparison, the survey only covered the first challenge made by the driver, and not any further action that was taken.

The 98 councils who responded to the request with sufficient data referred to this in different ways, for example as an “informal challenge” or “initial appeal”.

The five councils which accepted the fewest challenges were:

:: Runnymede - 93 challenges out of 1,011 (9.2%)

:: Staffordshire - 478 challenges out of 4,606 (10.4%)

:: Sefton - 650 challenges out of 4,832 (13.5%)

:: Peterborough - 410 challenges out of 2,784 (14.7%)

:: Greenwich - 1,018 challenges out of 5,909 (17.2%)

The five councils which accepted the most challenges were:

:: Basingstoke and Deane - 540 challenges out of 566 (95.4%)

:: Waveney - 164 challenges out of 226 (72.6%)

:: South Tyneside - 1,474 challenges out of 2,074 (71.1%)

:: Swale - 3,342 challenges out of 4,721 (70.8%)

:: Mole Valley - 144 out of 224 challenges (64.3%)