Parking suspensions

Parking spaces can be suspended in designated Residents’ Parking Zone and On-Street Parking Bays (Permit Holders Only or Pay and Display parking bays).  Although not an exhaustive list, some examples of when a parking suspension can be requested are:

• Removal van for a house or an office move
• Building works
• Events
• Road works
• Skip

Please Note: when leaving items on the highway, (such as a skip, builder’s compound, building materials etc.) you must apply for a licence/permit as well as applying for a parking suspension. Please use the following information to apply for a licence/permit.

We will not suspend a parking area in order to provide parking for private or commercial motor vehicles unless it is necessary to work from that vehicle in the suspended area. For example: an asbestos removal vehicle, window replacement vehicle or scaffold delivery vehicle.

Only those authorised by the Parking Section of Portsmouth City Council may park in a suspended area. Anyone parking in a suspended area without authorisation may be issued with a Penalty Charge Notice and the vehicle could be removed.

A parking suspension is in place only for the reason, and the period of time, stated on the signs.

For suspension of parking in City Council car parks, please email us for more details.

For suspension of parking for a large-scale project, or special event, please email us for more details.

Civil Enforcement Officers can attend the suspended area at any point throughout the duration of the suspension if required to do so.

Any unauthorised vehicle parked within a suspended area may be issued with a Penalty Charge Notice. This includes vehicles displaying a Blue Badge.

For audit purposes, all suspension requests must be received by email. Please email the details of your request to parkingsuspensions@portsmouthcc.gov.uk

The information required is:

• Name and telephone number
• Purpose of the suspension
• Full address of where you would like the suspension
• The length of section of road area required (in metres)
• The start date, and the number of days, the suspension is required for

We will reply in writing, confirming whether the suspension has been approved and, we will provide you with the total cost.

Minimum Notice Period

In order to enable us time to process your request, please provide us with a minimum of seven working days’ notice prior to the suspension start date.

Extensions to a parking suspension will be considered, please provide us with at least four working days’ notice prior to the completion date of the existing parking suspension.

Applications received with less than seven working days’ notice prior to the start of the suspension are not guaranteed to be accepted and, if accepted, will incur a short-notice fee as detailed below.

Extension applications received with less than four working days’ notice prior to the completion of the existing parking suspension are not guaranteed to be accepted and, if accepted, will incur a short-notice fee as detailed below.

Suspensions Fees

For our current parking suspension fees, please see the attached Frequently Asked Questions.

Short-notice parking suspensions are arranged at our discretion. If able to arrange a short-notice parking suspension, short notice charges, (standard rate plus 50%), will apply and will be subject to a minimum charge. Please see Frequently Asked Questions

If you do not need the suspension for the full amount of time booked, please confirm the revised end date in writing. If the remaining value is in excess of £50.00, we will reduce the original charge accordingly (subject to the minimum charge being met).

We will only grant a full refund if you cancel your request with a minimum of four working days’ notice prior to the start date.

No refund will be given due to unauthorised vehicles parked in the suspended area.

Amendments to a Parking Suspension

If the dates of your parking suspension alter, please notify us in writing at the earliest opportunity and a minimum of four working days’ notice prior to the start date of the parking suspension.

You can apply to extend a suspension in a similar way to the original request. Charges for extensions are detailed in the attached Frequently Asked Questions.

If you do not apply for an extension, the suspension will be terminated on the end date of the original application.

You will be charged at the daily short-notice fee if you continue to occupy the suspended area once the end date has expired.

• All parking suspension quotations must be confirmed in writing.
• Where a suspension is granted, it must only be used for the purpose specified.
• If a suspended area is not being used for the purpose specified in the application, it may be withdrawn. A Penalty Charge Notice may also be issued to vehicles within that area.
• The suspended area must be used in a manner that does not obstruct the adjacent parking area, or the highway.
• You must move the vehicle if directed to do so by a Police Officer or a Civil Enforcement Officer.
• Only authorised vehicles included in your application may use the suspended parking area.
• Unless a parking suspension extension has been confirmed, normal parking restrictions will resume at the end of the suspension period.
• We cannot guarantee that the space will be clear.  We will assist, but we cannot remove vehicles.
• Where unauthorised vehicles are parked within a suspended area, we are unable to offer any refund.

A parking suspension enables a member of the public, or a business, within a Resident Parking Zone and On-Street marked bays to reserve a parking space on the road for a specific purpose.

Please email the Parking Suspension Team on parkingsuspensions@portsmouthcc.gov.uk

Please tell us why you require a parking suspension. The address you require the parking suspension at. The dates you require it for – from and until. The length of the section of road required (in metres). Please include your name and a contact phone number in your email to us.

We require seven working days’ notice to implement a parking suspension. If you are unable to provide us with seven working days’ notice, we may be able to implement a short-notice parking suspension. This will be at our discretion and short-notice charges will apply.

Our working days/hours are Monday to Friday 8am-4pm excluding UK Bank Holidays.

Our current standard rates are £1.00 per metre, per day subject to a minimum charge of £38.00.

If we are able to implement a short-notice parking suspension, our short-notice rates will be £1.50 per metre, per day, subject to a minimum charge of £57.00.

If you make changes to a parking suspension at less than four workings days’ notice we may implement an amendment fee of £20.00.

If you cancel a parking suspension at less than four working days’ notice we may implement a cancellation fee of £20.00

We will allocate a parking suspension as close to your requirements as possible however there may be reasons why we cannot implement a parking suspension exactly to your requirements.  If this is the case, we will explain why an alternative location has been suggested.

We can implement a parking suspension for less than one day however, our minimum charge will still apply.

Parking suspensions can be no longer than 6 months in duration.

The minimum amount of parking suspension is 5m in length.

The maximum length is 30m however there are situations where a parking suspension could exceed 30m.

Suspended parking areas will be indicated by Department for Transport approved yellow notices placed on the nearest street furniture, on occasion temporary street furniture may be used. Information posted on the signs will indicate the suspended location and the date of the suspension.

Providing you are able to give us at least four working days’ notice, we will amend the date of the parking suspension at no charge. If the change of date request is less than four working days’ notice, we may implement an amendment fee. Please contact us for more details.

Providing you are able to give us at least four working days’ notice prior to the start date of the suspension, we will cancel the parking suspension and refund the charge. If the cancellation is less than four working days’ notice, we may implement a cancellation fee. Please contact us for more details.

If it is possible, we will apply a parking suspension extension. We require four working days’ notice to extend a parking suspension. Where we are given four working days’ notice, our current standard rates will apply to the extension. If we are able to apply a parking suspension extension but less than four working days’ notice is given, short-notice rates will apply to the extension.

We aim to respond to you within three working days, if you have not had a reply by that time, or if your request is urgent, then please call us during our normal business house on 02392 606253 to ensure that we have received your email.

We cannot guarantee that the space will be clear, we can however, enforce the suspension and issue a Penalty Charge Notice to offending vehicles. If any vehicles are parked within the suspended area during the dates of the parking suspension, please call our Traffic Management Centre on 023 9268 8290 and they will despatch Civil Enforcement Officers to the area to assist.

Road users cannot park within a suspended area, this includes Blue Badge Holders.

No, we are only able to suspend parking where they are parking restrictions in place

If you have any other questions, please feel free to email the Parking Suspension Team at parkingsuspensions@portsmouthcc.gov.uk or phone us on 023 9260 6253 8am-4pm, Monday-Friday.