This is an HTML version of an attachment to the Freedom of Information request 'Background to S.I . 2007/3482'.

Note on The Civil Enforcement of Parking Contraventions (England) 
Representations & Appeals Regulations 2007 (“The Representation and 
Appeals Regulations”) 

 
BACKGROUND ON PARKING 
 
The current situation 

1.  At present, 221 English local authorities have taken over from the police 
service the enforcement of parking restrictions using the powers in the Road 
Traffic Act 1991. This frees up police time to concentrate on their core 
priorities.  
2.  Parking attendants employed directly or indirectly by the local authority patrol 
the streets and issue Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs) to the owners of vehicles 
they believe to be parked in contravention of traffic regulations. 
 
Representations against a PCN can be made to the issuing authority and if 
this is rejected there is a right of appeal to an independent adjudicator. The 
enforcement as well as representations and appeals procedures are funded by 
income from parking charges and penalty charges rather than the local or. 
Rationale for government intervention and what the new parking 
regulations will bring 
 
3. The 
existing 
legislative framework and supporting guidance has successfully 
helped authorities enforce their traffic restrictions more effectively. 
Nevertheless, experience so far has shown that there is scope for improving 
the public’s understanding of and confidence in the system and that there are 
some areas where it would be beneficial to amend the existing legislative 
framework. There is also a need to improve consistency as at present London 
has some additional powers.    
4.  The Traffic Management Act 2004 gives Ministers the power to make 
regulations to do this. One of the six statutory instruments, that have been 
drafted and consulted on - the Representation and Appeals Regulations  - is 
subject to affirmative resolution in Parliament. This requirement was 
introduced during the passage of the Bill. The other instruments are subject to 
negative resolution.   
5.  The package of regulations will   
 Improve national  consistency by giving new powers to authorities 
outside London currently only held by those in London. These include 
enforcing dropped footways and double parking and sending PCNs by 
post with camera evidence or when CEO is prevented from serving it at 
the time by violence or driving away. 

 Increased discount period for PCNs sent by post using camera 
evidence.  
  Higher parking penalties for more serious contraventions and lower 
penalties for more minor ones.   
  Quicker clamping and removal times for persistent evaders and 
guidance on tackling persistent evaders. We have dropped provisions to 
recoup earlier unpaid PCNs of persistent evaders outside London in 
response to the 2nd London Local Authorities and Transport for London 
Bill (see annex B for more details of the persistent evader issue).  
Specific to the Representation and Appeals Regulations are: 
  Adjudicators will have the power to allow appeals where procedural 
irregularity has taken place - for example where a charge certificate 
has been issued before an appeal has been decided or the 
enforcement authority has failed to comply with some other procedural 
requirement in the Regulations.  
  Adjudicators will have the power to refer back to LA cases where a 
contravention has taken place but in mitigating circumstances
 
THE INSTRUMENTS 
 
6.  The six Instruments are:   
  The Civil Enforcement of Parking Contraventions (England) 
Representations and Appeals Regulations 2007 (“the Representations 
and Appeals Regulations”). 
  The Civil Enforcement of Parking Contraventions (England) General 
Regulations 2007. 
  The Removal and Disposal of Vehicles (Amendment) (England) 
Regulations 2007.   
  The Civil Enforcement of Parking Contraventions (Approved Devices) 
(England) Order 2007.  
  The Civil Enforcement Officers (Wearing of Uniforms) (England) 
Regulations 2007. 
  The Civil Enforcement of Parking Contraventions (Guidelines on 
Levels of Charges (England) Order 2007.  
 
7.  Once the Representations and Appeals Regulations have been approved by 
both Houses the whole set of instruments can be made and the statutory 
guidance published. The instruments will come into force on 31st March 2008 
to give local authorities time to adjust to the changes. The draft regulations 
have been sent to all LAs and stakeholders.  

8.  The Representations and Appeals Regulations are made by the Lord 
Chancellor but have been prepared in this Department, as have the Civil 
Enforcement of Parking Contraventions (England) General Regulations which 
are to be made by the Lord Chancellor and the Secretary of State. The other 
Instruments all fall to be made by the Secretary of State alone. 
9. The 
Representations and Appeals Regulations will be debated in the House of 
Lords on 23rd October and in the House of Commons on 19th November.  
10.  The Regulations are implementing policy agreed when the TMA was a Bill and 
there are no new issues.   The Regulations and associated documents have 
been discussed and agreed with interested other Government Departments 
(Ministry of Justice, Home Office, Communities and Local Government) and by 
DA Committee.