Have your say on the Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) Banding Review

Purpose

The London Borough of Lambeth are proposing to change the charging bands of PCNs in the borough and want your views. 

The London Borough of Lambeth has both Band A and Band B PCN tariffs (see rates below).  The southern part of the borough is subject to the (lower) Band B tariff, this is southwards of the South Circular Road, whilst northwards of the South Circular Road is subject to the (higher) Band A tariff.  

This means that different penalty fees are charged for the same offence depending upon where the offence is committed within the borough. These tariffs were last reviewed in 2011. Please see current and proposed bands in the table below.

This consultation proposes bringing the whole of the borough under a uniform Band A tariff. The re-banding will affect On-Street and Off-Street PCNs issued in the part of the borough currently subject to the Band B tariff. 

The aim of this proposal is to have a uniform band across the borough, bringing Lambeth in line with similar councils like London Boroughs of Merton, Brent, Ealing and Hounslow which have also implemented a single PCN Band.  

We are recommending changing the PCN Band in the current Band B areas of the borough to Band A, to discourage drivers from parking illegally, to better protect kerb space for residents and positively contribute to traffic management within the borough.  

This review takes into account the principles set out in Lambeth’s Kerbside Strategy published in January 2023. This strategy will impact the number of parking spaces available in the borough, ultimately reducing them to ensure that the kerbside is for all, not just the minority who own cars in Lambeth. In the short term this could lead to a limited supply of parking spaces and increased competition for such places both of which will require sufficient deterrence be put in place to discourage illegal parking. 

Proposed Prices for PCNs from 2025

*Higher and lower contraventions charges are associated to the type of contravention which has occurred. 

The map below shows that the vast majority of the 33 boroughs in London have a single banding (Band A).  Most inner-city boroughs like Lambeth issue only PCN Band A. Lambeth is one of very few boroughs that still has dual bands. The banding was last reviewed and implemented London-wide in 2011. 

The map below shows the current banding levels across London:

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Details about the decision to consult can be found in the consultation proposal.

After the consultation

The outcome of the consultation will be included in a separate report and considered by the Assistant Director for Parking, Street Management and Commercial, before a decision is reached on whether or not to proceed with making an application to the London Council’s Transport and Environment Committee for approval to have the Band A tariff apply to all penalty charge notices issued in the borough.