School Street signs were wrong or missing
A School Street restriction uses a 'no motor vehicles' sign together with an extra plate showing when the restriction applies and who is allowed in. For a penalty charge to be valid, every sign must use the correct official design, be clearly visible as you approach, and match what the legal order actually says. These schemes are relatively new, and sign errors are common.
Legal basis
Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions 2016 (SI 2016/362), Schedule 3 and Schedule 14; Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 s.85; Herron v Sunderland City Council [2011] EWHC 2188 (Admin)
How to identify this in your case
Photograph every sign on approaches. Check: prescribed diagram or Sec-of-State authorised? Plate legible and accurate? Not obscured? Advance warning?
Sample appeal wording
Dear Sir/Madam, Re: PCN [NUMBER] — School Streets — [DATE] I challenge this PCN on defective signage. Under s.85 RTRA 1984 and TSRGD 2016, restrictions must be communicated by prescribed signs clearly visible to a reasonable approaching motorist. At [STREET] on [DATE]: - [Defect 1: e.g. 'Main no-motor-vehicles sign obscured by parked HGV'] - [Defect 2: e.g. 'Supplementary plate stating operating hours illegible due to faded vinyl'] - [Defect 3: e.g. 'No advance warning sign at previous junction'] Photographs taken on [DATE] attached. Applying Herron v Sunderland City Council [2011] EWHC 2188 (Admin), defective signage prevents the contravention being enforceable. Please cancel the PCN. Yours faithfully, [NAME]
Replace [PARKING DATE], [NtK DATE] etc. with your own dates before sending.
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