Horizon Parking parking tickets

About Horizon Parking

Horizon Parking Ltd is one of the UK’s fastest growing private parking management companies, managing over 3,700 car parks across the country with more than 750,000 parking spaces used by over 1.5 million people every day. They operate across a wide range of sectors including retail, hospitality, leisure, residential, education, transport and healthcare. Horizon Parking are a member of the British Parking Association (BPA), the main trade body that regulates private parking operators in the UK.

Like all private parking operators, Horizon Parking issues Parking Charge Notices (PCNs) that are not fines in the legal sense. They are contractual invoices based on civil law — and that distinction is very important when it comes to challenging them.

How Horizon Parking Enforcement Works

Horizon Parking uses a combination of ANPR (Automatic Number Plate Recognition) cameras and parking attendants depending on the site. Their enforcement process typically works as follows:

1. ANPR cameras photograph your number plate on entry and exit, or an attendant observes your vehicle on site
2. If you have breached the parking conditions — for example by overstaying, parking without payment, or parking in a restricted bay — a PCN is issued
3. For ANPR-issued tickets, Horizon request registered keeper details from the DVLA
4. A Notice to Keeper is posted to the registered keeper — this must arrive within 14 days of the parking event for ANPR tickets
5. The notice requests payment — typically £100, often reduced to around £60 if paid within 14 days
6. If unpaid, further letters follow, and in some cases a county court claim may be issued

Note: Horizon Parking do not send text messages to motorists in relation to parking charges — their own FAQ confirms this. If you receive a text claiming to be from Horizon, treat it with suspicion.

Is Horizon Parking a BPA or IPC Member?

Horizon Parking Ltd is a member of the British Parking Association (BPA). This means:

• They must follow the BPA Code of Practice
• If they reject your initial appeal, you have the right to escalate to POPLA (Parking on Private Land Appeals) for a free independent review
• POPLA decisions are binding on Horizon Parking

Can You Ignore a Horizon Parking Charge?

Technically, Horizon Parking cannot force you to pay without taking you to court. However, ignoring a charge carries real risks:

• The charge will escalate — from the discounted rate to the full amount
• Further letters will follow, potentially including debt collection correspondence
• In some cases a County Court Judgment (CCJ) may be sought, which if unpaid can affect your credit record for six years

Our recommendation: don’t ignore it — appeal it. A well-constructed appeal is free and could get the charge cancelled entirely.

Step-by-Step: How to Appeal a Horizon Parking PCN

Step 1: Check Your PCN Carefully

Before doing anything, read your Parking Charge Notice carefully. Horizon Parking PCN references typically begin with “HP” or “HZ” — you’ll need this reference to submit an appeal. Check for errors including:

• Wrong vehicle registration number
• Wrong date or time
• The Notice to Keeper arrived more than 14 days after the alleged parking event (a breach of the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012)
• Missing mandatory wording required under PoFA 2012
• Incorrect site address

Step 2: Consider Approaching the Landowner First

If you were a genuine customer at the site — a shopper, hotel guest, or visitor — contact the landowner or site manager directly and ask them to cancel the charge. Many landowners have the authority to do this and will do so for legitimate customers. This can be the quickest route to cancellation and bypasses Horizon entirely.

Step 3: Submit Your Formal Appeal to Horizon Parking

You have 28 days from the date of the PCN to appeal. Appeals can be submitted via Horizon Parking’s online portal at horizonparking.co.uk — look for the “Appeal a Parking Charge” section. Include your HP/HZ reference number, vehicle registration, full name and address, your grounds for appeal, and any supporting evidence.

Grounds for Appeal: What Actually Works

1. PoFA Non-Compliance

If the Notice to Keeper was not sent within 14 days of the parking event, or if it is missing required statutory wording under the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012, the keeper cannot lawfully be held liable. This is one of the strongest arguments available.

2. Inadequate or Unclear Signage

For a parking contract to be valid, the terms must be clearly communicated at the point of entry. If signs were absent, obscured, damaged, poorly lit, or positioned after the entrance, there is a strong argument that no contract was formed. Photograph any signage issues as evidence.

3. Grace Periods Not Applied

Under the BPA Code of Practice, operators must allow a minimum 10-minute grace period at the end of the permitted parking time. If you overstayed by 10 minutes or less, this is a clear breach of the code and strong grounds for cancellation.

4. Keeper Liability Not Properly Established

Horizon must follow a strict procedural process under PoFA 2012 to pursue the registered keeper. Any failure — incorrect dates, missing information, late service — can invalidate the claim against the keeper.

5. Valid Permit or Right to Park

If you held a valid permit, were a resident, or were visiting premises where parking was included, state this clearly and include supporting evidence such as a permit, receipt, or booking confirmation.

6. No Landowner Authority

Horizon must have a valid contract with the landowner authorising them to issue charges. Request a copy of this contract as part of your appeal — if it cannot be produced, or contains deficiencies, this can be a strong ground for cancellation.

7. Genuine Emergency or Mitigating Circumstances

Medical emergencies, breakdowns, or other unavoidable situations may justify cancellation. Provide supporting evidence such as a doctor’s letter, hospital record, or breakdown recovery receipt.

Step 4: If Your Appeal Is Rejected — Escalate to POPLA

If Horizon Parking rejects your appeal, they must provide a POPLA verification code. You then have 28 days to submit a free independent appeal at popla.co.uk. POPLA assessors are independent and their decisions are binding on Horizon Parking.

What If Horizon Parking Takes Me to Court?

If you receive a genuine, stamped county court claim form, respond — do not ignore it. See our further help page for links to specialist forums and advice. Check whether the claimant’s representative has a proper right of audience — if not, the case may be struck out before it begins.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Horizon Parking send text messages about charges?

No. Horizon Parking’s own FAQ confirms they do not send texts to motorists in relation to parking charges. Notices are always issued by post or fixed to the vehicle. Any text claiming to be from Horizon should be treated with caution — it may be a scam.

Does Horizon Parking use CCTV?

Horizon Parking do not operate CCTV in the car parks they manage — their FAQ confirms this. If you need CCTV footage, you would need to approach the landowner or site occupier directly.

Do I have to tell Horizon who was driving?

No. You are not legally required to name the driver. If you choose not to, Horizon must pursue the registered keeper under PoFA 2012 — and must meet strict procedural requirements to do so.

Will a Horizon Parking PCN affect my credit score?

No — a PCN itself does not affect your credit rating. Only an unpaid County Court Judgment (CCJ) could affect your credit file.

Summary: Your Action Plan

1. Check your PCN for errors — registration, date, 14-day PoFA rule, HP/HZ reference
2. Try the landowner first if you were a genuine customer
3. Submit a formal appeal to Horizon Parking within 28 days
4. If rejected, request your POPLA code and appeal within 28 days
5. If court papers arrive, respond — do not ignore them

How can Parking Cowboys help?

1. Understand what private parking tickets are
2. Find out about appeals and the POPLA service
3. Our essential fightback guide

If you’ve received a court claim:

1. Understand how claims are enforced in county court
2. Learn about County Court Judgements and your credit file
3. Consider our legal advice partner JustAnswer — click here for a no-obligation enquiry

Best of luck — we’ll help you through this!

Horizon Parking Contact Details