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Mairead Kavanagh [mailto: ] / Parking Enforcement Management Unit
Room 2-4A
Clarence Court
10-18 Adelaide Street
BELFAST
BT2 8GB
Being dealt with by: M Vaughan
Direct line: 028 90540400
Our ref: DRD/2015-0139
Your ref:
Date: 19 June 2015

Dear Ms Kavanagh

Thank you for your e-mail dated 23 may 2015 requesting information under the Freedom of Information Act (FOI) 2000.

In considering your request on behalf of the department I have determined that the information requested falls under the Environmental Information Regulations 2004, as opposed to the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

A leaflet explaining the Environmental Information Regulations can be found at: http://archive.defra.gov.uk/corporate/policy/opengov/eir/pdf/publicity/leaflet-publicauthorities.pdf.

Please see Appendix A below for information relating to your request for information on Challenges/Appeals against issue of Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs) in the last five years.

In respect of your request for information on specific reasons for the success of a Challenge/Appeal, the Parking Enforcement system does not categorise Challenges to this level of detail. In processing all Challenges/Appeals the circumstances presented by the individual vehicle driver are taken into consideration by Parking Enforcement Processing Unit (PEPU).

The Departments Parking Enforcement Protocol contains information on parking restrictions and the processes in place to allow drivers to challenge the issue of PCNs, this can be viewed through the NI Direct website:

http://www.nidirect.gov.uk/index/information-and-services/travel-transport-and-roads/parking-and-parking-enforcement/paying-a-parking-ticket-penalty-charge-notice.htm

If you are dissatisfied with the handling of your request, you have the right to ask for an internal review. Internal review requests should be submitted within two months of

the date of receipt of the response to your original letter and should be addressed to:

Olive Smith

Departmental Information Manager

Room 4.16

Clarence Court

Adelaide Street

Belfast BT2 8GB

Please remember to quote the reference number above in any future communications.

If you are not content with the outcome of the internal review, you have the right to apply directly to the Information Commissioner for a decision. The Information Commissioner can be contacted at: Information Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF.

The supply of information under the Environmental Information Regulations does not give the recipient or organisation that receives it the automatic right to reuse it in any way that would infringe copyright. Information supplied continues to be protected by copyright. You are free to use it for your own purposes, including for private study and non-commercial research, and for any other purpose authorised by an exception in current copyright law. Documents (except photographs) can also be used in the UK without requiring permission for the purposes of news reporting. Any other re-use, for example commercial publication, would require the permission of the copyright holder.

Most documents provided by a government department or agency [the Department for Regional Development’s Roads Service] will be protected by Crown Copyright. Most Crown Copyright information can be re-used under the Open Government Licence (http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/). For information about the OGL and about re-using Crown Copyright information, please see The National Archives website: http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/information-management/uk-gov-licensing-framework.htm.

Copyright in other documents may rest with a third party. For information about obtaining permission from a third party please see the Intellectual Property Office’s website: www.ipo.gov.uk.

I hope this helps explain the situation.

Yours sincerely,

Malachy Vaughan

Parking Enforcement Management Unit

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Appendix A

District Council / 2010/2011 / 2011/2012 / 2012/2013 / 2013/2014 / 2014/2015
Penalty Charge Notices (PCN) Issued / 118,463 / 124,995 / 108,502 / 110,059 / 107,885
Challenges Received / 15,290 / 16,584 / 17,685 / 20,713 / 21,091
Challenges Accepted / 9,035 / 9,785 / 9,295 / 12,201 / 12,483
Appeals Received / 281 / 289 / 284 / 316 / 304
Appeals Accepted / 74 / 70 / 62 / 72 / 98