Parking and Bus Lane Management

Pay a PCNChallenge a PCNParking Restriction MapsRequest Enforcement

Introduction

Managing parking on roads throughout the county is important to help local residents, businesses, and visitors find parking easily. This is particularly true in busy towns where maximum stays, permit schemes and parking charges are all used where appropriate to help manage parking (view all parking restriction maps for Gloucestershire County Council parking restrictions, including Resident Parking Zones, Limited Waiting bays and double yellow lines: www.gloucestershiretraffweb.co.uk).

The work that we do is focused entirely on managing parking across the county, we do not plan to make a surplus from either enforcement activities or charging for parking. If a surplus is made all such income contributes to the costs incurred in maintaining and managing the counties Highways network.

If you are a resident or business owner, you can apply for a resident or carer permit, business parking permit or waivers. (You can check where you need a permit to park on our permit parking zone maps)

With your help, we are looking at making some more changes to how we park on the roads in Gloucestershire, like introducing more resident parking schemes and pay and display. To read more about the current parking reviews running in Gloucestershire, and to get involved, see our current and recent parking related consultations on our new parking schemes page.

If you park where you shouldn't park, or without the right permit or pay and display ticket, you will receive a parking fine, or Penalty Charge Notice (PCN). There is additional information about our parking policy in Residents parking policy.

Currently Gloucester, Cheltenham and Cirencester use Pay and Display (see tariffs table and information below) and you can also pay by phone:

Cashless parking in GloucestershireOpens new window

(Search for the location and view the parking tariffs and parking durations)

For further information about parking related issues see our Parking FAQs.

Pay & display tariffs - Cheltenham, Cirencester and Gloucester

On-street Pay & Display tariffs for Cheltenham

On-street Pay & Display tariffs for Cirencester and Gloucester

Variation of on street pay and display charges - Cheltenham, Cirencester and Gloucester

Following the Cabinet decision in December 2018 Gloucestershire County Council (GCC) proposes to amend charges for existing on-street parking, this includes pay and display charges.

Pay & Display charges for on-street parking can be varied by notice under the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984.

The primary reason for charging for parking is to manage the demand and support our transport policy objectives. The Council also needs to cover the costs of running the parking service. Some of the charges were set as long as 13 years ago, and as a result of an increase in costs for off street parking and also for public transport, the current level of charges for both pay and display has been reviewed.

The County Council’s policy for parking is set out in the Local Transport Plan. Effective management of on-street parking, in conjunction with provision of off-street parking is recognised as making a significant contribution to reducing congestion, whilst supporting access to residents, services and businesses. This approach aims to ensure that the balance between on and off-street charging is maintained.

Gloucester City Council increased their off street parking charges in October 2017. Cheltenham Borough Council amended their off street parking charges in March 2018, with some car park charges reducing and others being increased. Cotswold District Council increased their charges in 2014/15.

In all cases, tariffs for on-street parking need to be set at a level which facilitates local use and any off-street availability and charging regimes; that is at a level which will ensure the effective management of parking provision and use by prioritising access to the local community and promoting a sustainable and vibrant local economy.

For all of the above reasons, the current charges for Pay and Display parking are providing less of a disincentive to on-street parking than when they were set, thus impacting on our ability to deliver the objectives of the County’s policies. We envisage that the changes in tariffs will encourage people to look at alternatives to parking on street in town centres. We will provide additional “Travelsmart” information on the council’s website to further encourage sustainable methods of transport.

In addition, we are proposing to move to a “pay per minute” model, for parking up to 2 hours, which will allow more flexibility for motorists. This will streamline the charging structure allowing users greater flexibility and reducing the requirement for change (coins). Currently, charges vary from street to street, under the proposed charging structure there will be less variation, so there should be less driving around to look for the cheapest location.

Any surplus generated by the operation of the parking service is used firstly in investment in the management of parking and the parking asset, and then for other improvements in traffic management, highway improvements and subsidised and concessionary transport. This is in accordance with the current legislation, the Traffic Management Act 2004.

For information on changes to permit and waiver charges please click here. Please select ‘Resident permits and visitor vouchers’ and see ‘Resident permit prices’.

Parking penalties & appeals

Pay or Challenge

View our discretionary cancellation policy

What you should do if the bailiff/enforcement officer contacts you

Please note, if you do not make the payment, we will register the Penalty Charge debt, and pass the debt onto our debt collection agents.

If you have received a letter from the Enforcement Agent please contact them direct as it is now too late for us to intervene. Alternatively you can contact the Traffic Enforcement Centre to make a Witness statement - tel: 0300 123 1059

How to pay or challenge a Penalty Charge Notice (PCN)

How to pay a PCN

We offer a discounted rate for prompt payment of PCNs.

You can pay online:

Cotswold District Council (PCNs with Prefix ZD)
Forest of Dean District Council (PCNs with Prefix FE)
Gloucestershire County Council (PCNs with Prefix GD)
Tewkesbury Borough Council (PCNs with Prefix TU)

You can pay by phone with a credit or debit card on 0345 319 9631

How to challenge a PCN

We do not deal with challenges over the telephone or in person; you must appeal in writing:

Full details are given on the back of your PCN.

Five step guide to challenging a PCN:

Make an informal challenge to APCOA online:

APCOA consider all informal challenges on our behalf. If this is done within 14 days of the issue of the ticket, then if we reject your challenge we will extend the period of the prompt payment discount.

If your informal challenge is rejected, and no payment is received by APCOA, you will be sent a Notice to Owner (NTO) which officially orders the charge to be paid. You then have 28 days from receipt of the NTO to either pay (see above) or lodge a formal Representation. Details how to do this are given with the NTO. Your formal Representation is sent to our administrative agent, APCOA, and they give all of the relevant information to the County Council parking team to consider.
If you are successful, we will send you confirmation that the NTO is cancelled. If your appeal is unsuccessful, we will send you a Notice of Rejection of Representation, and also a Notice of Appeal form, so that you can either pay (see above) or proceed to the third stage of appeal which is adjudication.
You have 28 days from receipt of the Notice of Rejection of Representation to make an appeal to the adjudicators. The Notice of Appeal form contains the contact details for the adjudicators, and also information about how to present your appeal. You can choose to have either a postal, telephone or personal hearing. For Gloucestershire, the adjudicator is the Traffic Penalty Tribunal (TPT)
If you have asked for a postal decision for your adjudication, you will be notified of the week in which your appeal is to be decided. If you have asked for a personal or telephone, you will usually receive at least 21 days notice of the date, time and location.

We try to make the whole process as clear and straightforward as possible. There is additional information in the Residents parking policy (PDF, 71.6 KB) .

The Traffic Penalty Tribunal consider appeals against penalties issued for parking, bus lane and moving traffic contraventions. For further information, please visit the Traffic Penalty Tribunal web site.

Bus lane penalties and appeals

Pay or Challenge

A bus lane is a traffic lane reserved for buses, and often other authorised vehicles such as pedal cycles, taxis and private hire vehicles (where indicated by local signs).

Bus Lanes are created by Traffic Regulation Orders using powers under the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984.

The Gloucestershire County Council Bus Lane Order 2017 sets out:

The location of all bus lanes in Gloucestershire;
The times of day the bus lane applies; and
The vehicles permitted to use each bus lane

Gloucestershire County Council is an approved local authority under The Bus Lane Contraventions (Approved Local Authorities) (England) Order 2005 for the purposes of S.144 of the Transport Act 2000, and can therefore issue civil penalties for bus lane contraventions. Some bus lanes are enforced using cameras - the cameras and recording system used have been approved under The Bus Lanes (Approved Devices) (England) Order 2005.

Why do we have bus lanes and bus only roads

Bus lanes are separate to other lanes for general traffic on the highway, so their boundaries are marked with a solid white line and the words 'bus lane', which appear on the ground along each lane. Signs are in place prior to the start of the bus lane to warn motorists on their approach and enable them to change lanes as appropriate.

A bus only street or road is just that, i.e. a street or road which only buses (and other authorised vehicles) are permitted to use. They are clearly marked on the ground at the entrance to the street or the road, along with signs showing permitted vehicles (and times of operation if applicable).

Regulations for signing of bus only streets are detailed in the Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions (TSRGD).

The benefits of bus lanes are that they increase bus service reliability and therefore improve bus passenger journey times; encourage use of public transport - this supports an on-going commitment to increase the use of public transport and reduce traffic pollution and congestion.

Location of bus lanes

Plans showing the location and extent of the bus lanes are available here: Bus Lane Order 2017 Sealed plans (updated Jun 2019)
The location of bus lanes are listed below:

A40 Gloucester Road	Cheltenham
A40 Lansdown Road (eastbound)	Cheltenham
A40 Lansdown Road (westbound)	Cheltenham
A40 Near Whittington Road	Cheltenham
Albion Street	Cheltenham
Bristol Road (Podsmead)	Gloucester
Bristol Road (Quedgeley)	Gloucester
Brunswick Road	Gloucester
Cheltenham Road	Gloucester
Clarence Street	Gloucester
Guan Road (Typhoon Way)	Brockworth
High Street	Cheltenham
Llanthony Road	Gloucester
Lower Northgate Street	Gloucester
Market Parade	Gloucester
Middle Mead	Cirencester
Portland Street	Cheltenham
Valley Gardens (A38 Bridge)	Gloucester
Valley Gardens (School)	Gloucester
Woodvale	Gloucester

Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) and appeals information

If there is a record of your vehicle driving in a bus lane, you can expect to receive a Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) addressed to the registered keeper of the vehicle concerned. It will contain details of the alleged contravention, details of the vehicle and photographs that in the Authority's opinion establish the contravention. The PCN is also referred to as a Notice to Owner (NTO).

How much is payable

Although the Penalty Charge is £60, payable by no later than 28 days beginning with the Date of Service of the notice, Gloucestershire County Council will accept a reduced sum of £30 if it receives payment within 14 days beginning with the Date of Service. Details of how to pay are shown on the front of the Notice (NTO). Payment of the entire applicable charge amount must be received in the stated time frame, to avoid the case status escalating or an increase in the charge balance.

How to pay or dispute a bus lane PCN

See the Parking penalties & appeals section above.

Electric vehicle charging

Gloucestershire County Council provides a number of electric vehicle charging bays across Cheltenham and Gloucester urban areas in order to help reduce carbon emissions and improve air quality.

Data Protection Information

Personal data has been collected in order to serve this Penalty Charge Notice and enforce the parking terms and conditions. The personal data may be processed in order to carry out the performance of a public task and fulfil our legal obligations in the following ways:

To request details of the registered keeper of the vehicle from the DVLA in order to pursue a Penalty Charge Notice.
Shared with third parties for appeals and enforcement.
Shared with the police or security organisations to prevent or detect crime.

Your Data Rights

You have the right to have access to or rectify your information. You also have the right to object to or restrict our processing of your data.

Contact and Further Information

If you would like more information about how we use your data, please read our Privacy Policy: www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/privacy-notices/

APCOA PARKING UK & Ireland: Privacy Policy.

If you would like more information about how the district councils (off-street car parking) use your data, please read their Privacy Policies:

Gloucester City Council Data Protection

Cotswold District Council Parking - Privacy Notice

Forest of Dean District Council Parking Services - Privacy Notice

Tewkesbury Borough Council Parking Privacy Data

You have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office at www.ICO.org.uk.

Pay or challenge parking penalties

Email Gloucestershire County Council Parking Services: parking@gloucestershire.gov.uk

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