Parking enforcement and vehicle removal
Following a determination by the London Councils Transport and Environment Committee, the Mayor of London and the Secretary of State for Transport have approved an increase of £30 in penalty charges to take effect in the London boroughs from 7 April 2025.
On and off street parking and moving traffic penalties at the higher rate will increase from £130 to £160 and parking penalties at the lower rate will increase from £80 to £110.
A discount of 50 per cent will apply to the above charges if the charge is paid within the 14-day period set out in legislation.
The fees for vehicle removal, clamp, storage and disposal will also increase to: £280 to release from the pound; £55 storage (per day), release from clamp £100, disposal fee £100.
Illegal parking
If you are parked illegally in the borough we could:
- issue a parking ticket or a Penalty Charge Notice (PCN)
- remove your vehicle
- illegally parked cars can be reported on: 01285 238956, line open 24 hours, 7 days a week
Penalty charges
The penalty for parking illegally is:
- £160 for a serious contravention
- £110 for a less serious contravention
If you pay this within 14 days you will qualify for a 50 per cent reduction.
- Read more about parking penalty charges
- Find out how to challenge a parking ticket
If you ignore our notice or an adjudicator’s decision to uphold a PCN, the charge will continue to increase if you do not pay it. Your PCN could become a debt and we could pass it onto enforcement agents who will charge additional fees.
Removed cars
If a local authority in London has removed your car and you need to locate it:
- phone TRACE on 0300 077 0100*
- the SMS TRACE service has been discontinued, alternatively please visit TRACE website.
You could be charged for your call or text.
To release your vehicle you must provide:
- valid driving licence or passport
- V5 vehicle registration certificate
- vehicle insurance documents
- proof of address such as a utility or council tax bill, or a bank statement
Vehicles removed by the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea to the Lots Road Vehicle Pound will be released under these conditions:
| Removed in line with the: | Release fees |
|---|---|
| Traffic Management Act 2004 |
Release fee: £280 Storage cost: £55 per day will apply if you do not pay for the release of your vehicle |
| London Local Authorities and Transport for London Act 2008 | Contact the Vehicle Pound in Lots Road to confirm the outstanding amount to be paid. |
If your vehicle was not removed by your local authority, contact the police for more information.
Clamped cars
We do not wheel clamp vehicles under the Traffic Management Act 2004. Enforcement agents or other agencies may apply clamps to vehicles parked in this borough for the recovery of unpaid Penalty Charge Notices or other debts.
Please call the phone number shown on the Immobilisation Notice placed on your vehicle.
Licensed taxis
The Council may share personal information about taxi and private hire licenses with other council departments, to support specific on-street compliance and enforcement activities.
The Council may also enter into formal information sharing arrangements with partner organisations such as TfL and contracted suppliers for the same purposes.
Any information sharing is managed fully in accordance with the Data Protection Act 1998.
Report an issue with a licensed taxi.
How to pay
PCN prices and removals are set by London councils in consultation with the Mayor of London.
You can pay your penalty charge:
By phone
- PCN payment line: telephone 020 7361 4380
Online
- Customer Service Centre
You can pay using our self-service payment kiosks at:
Town Hall
Hornton Street
Kensington
W8 7NX
Monday to Friday, 9am and 5pm
- Lots Road Car Pound (by the entrance to Chelsea Harbour)
63 Lots Road
London
SW10 0RN
Monday to Saturday, 7am to midnight
Sunday, 8am to 6pm
By post (cheque or postal order payments only):
Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea
PO Box 4294
Worthing
BN13 1WW
Last updated: 7 April 2025