Issuing of Penalty Charge Notices
There are currently 75 full time equivalent Civil Enforcement Officers (CEO’s) patrolling the city, checking for parking contraventions. On street enforcement includes all roads with parking restrictions. Off street enforcement refers to the five barrier car parks, five surface car parks and three Parks across the city.
Table: The number of Penalty Charge Notices (PCN’s) issued in the last 3 financial years, divided according to higher and lower fee banding
| Total of Penalty Charge Notices issued | 2021 to 2022 | 2022 to 2023 | 2023 to 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| On -street - Number of higher level penalty charge notices issued | 109,653 | 111,254 | 118,226 |
| On-street - Number of lower level penalty charge notices issued | 28,333 | 29,565 | 27,006 |
| Off-street - Number of higher level penalty charge notices issued | 277 | 554 | 313 |
| Off-street - Number of lower level penalty charge notices issued | 4,057 | 4,807 | 4,576 |
| Total | 142,320 | 146,180 | 150,121 |
Table: Penalty Charge Notices paid and paid at discount
| Penalty Charge Notices paid bus lane and TMA | 2021 to 2022 | 2022 to 2023 | 2023 to 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Number of TMA and bus lane penalty charge notices paid | 213,549 | 170,641 | 170,310 |
| Percentage of penalty chargenotices paid | 76% | 72% | 73% |
| Number of TMA and Bus Lane penalty chargenotices paid at a discount rate | 184,774 | 143,303 | 141,755 |
| Percentage of penalty chargenotices paid at a discount rate | 66% | 61% | 61% |
Civil Enforcement Officers (CEOs) in the community
Civil Enforcement Officers play a pivotal role in the fabric of our communities, often going beyond their day job to ensure the wellbeing of the public.
Below are some examples that highlight their invaluable service to the city:
- CEO 1035 saved the day for a cyclist when he was able to put his chain back on his bicycle
- CEOs 968 and 1204 helped a man whose sugar levels were low by supplying a cup of sugared water to help revitalise him
- CEO 1182 assisted a disabled woman who felt unwell, escorting her to a taxi rank thereby securing her wellbeing and security
- Senior CEO 153 helped an elderly man by putting his hood up to shield him from the cold, this simple human kindness made the man’s day
Monitoring Verbal Abuse Against Civil Enforcement Officers
Every September, NSL conduct a survey regarding CEO abuse. This gives the Parking Contracts Team an indication as to whether verbal abuse at all levels is reducing or increasing. NSL asks the CEOs to log any instances of abuse on their Hand-Held Computers as follows:
- Green – Low level name calling - low level means non swearing, low level of aggression, aimed at the role rather than the person, for example 'jobsworth'
- Amber – Verbal attack - profanity, aggressive in nature, hateful or getting personal such as wishing the person or their family harm
- Red – Physical attack - any form of intentional physical contact
The level of abuse logs measured has fallen slightly to 143 cases in by March 2024. The top 10 locations logged were all in zone Z, in the central part of the city.
Graph: The levels of Civil Enforcement office since 2022
Graph showing the levels of Civil Enforcement office since 2022.
School enforcement
During the school year four schools are visited each day across the city by Civil Enforcement Officers at drop off and pick up times. This is to ensure all parking restrictions such as school keep clear signs are enforced.
Parking Services collaborates with head teachers, the School Streets Team, the Road Safety Team, and Sussex Police to address parking enforcement issues at schools throughout the school year. PCN’s issued for 2022 to 2023 totalled 74, compared to 2023 to 2024 when 42 PCNs was issued.
These figures indicate that enforcement outside schools has been effective and necessary to ensure school street safety.
Bus Route Enforcement
NSL have a dedicated Civil Enforcement Officer that enforces all bus routes across the city, ensuring bus lanes and bus stops are kept clear to enable the city’s buses to keep scheduling and ensure residents and visitors can more around the city efficiently.
Graph: The PCN’s issued, the number of PCN’s issued and observed in 2023 to 2024
Graph showing the PCN’s issued, the number of PCN’s issued and observed in 2023 to 2024.