LGW · London

Appeal a Gatwick Airport drop-off charge

Gatwick charges for drop-off at both the North and South terminal forecourts. A charge for stopping is a private invoice, not a fine, and it stands or falls on whether the terms were properly communicated before you committed to the route.

Charge type: Private Parking Charge Notice
Deadline: Usually 28 days from the notice
If rejected: POPLA or the IAS, free of charge
Free alternative: Most drivers could have used the Long Stay car parks, which offer a free period and a shuttle to the terminals

Check who issued it

The notice will name a parking operator rather than the airport itself. That company’s trade association membership decides whether your appeal escalates to POPLA or the Independent Appeals Service.

Write my Gatwick appeal — free

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Grounds that work at an airport

The signage did not give timely notice

A driver approaching Gatwick is navigating an unfamiliar layout, following overhead directions and watching for pedestrians. Pricing information presented in those conditions is frequently not adequate notice of contractual terms. Ask for dated photographs of every sign as a driver sees it while moving, together with the distance at which each becomes legible.

The layout left no realistic alternative

Terminal approach roads often commit a driver to the charged zone well before any decision point. If there was no practical opportunity to turn away, that goes directly to whether a contract was freely entered into.

The free alternative was not signposted

Most airports provide a free or cheaper option. If the Long Stay car parks, which offer a free period and a shuttle to the terminals was not clearly signposted in time to use it, the driver was given a choice that existed only in theory.

The camera may have merged two visits

Dropping off and returning to collect on the same day is routine. Entry and exit cameras with no mid-site detection can record that as one long stay. Ask for every timestamped image from the date, not a selected pair.

Keeper liability timing

If you were not the driver and no ticket was left on the vehicle, the Notice to Keeper had to arrive within 14 days of the alleged contravention under Schedule 4 of the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012.

Evidence to attach

Photographs of the terminal approach as a driver sees it, not standing still at the sign
A photograph showing where the free alternative is signposted, or that it is not
Your boarding pass or flight details showing the date and time
The envelope the notice arrived in, if you were not the driver

Common questions

Can I appeal a Gatwick Airport drop-off charge?

Yes. A drop-off charge is a private Parking Charge Notice, which is an invoice for an alleged breach of contract rather than a fine. It depends entirely on whether the terms were adequately communicated to you before you committed to the route. Challenging costs nothing.

Why is airport signage so often arguable?

A terminal approach gives a driver very little opportunity to read, understand and act on pricing information while navigating an unfamiliar layout, following directions, watching for pedestrians and managing passengers. Signs that would be perfectly adequate in a supermarket car park frequently are not adequate at an airport forecourt.

What if I did not use the Gatwick drop-off zone deliberately?

Terminal road layouts often funnel traffic into the charged zone with no realistic opportunity to turn away once committed. If the route left you no practical alternative, say so and ask for photographs of the approach showing what warning a driver actually receives.

What happens if they reject my appeal?

You can escalate free of charge to POPLA or the Independent Appeals Service, depending on which trade association the operator belongs to. They must give you a verification code when they reject you.

Write your Gatwick appeal now

Answer a few questions and Voidly assembles the right grounds, with a checklist of what to attach.

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Voidly produces a draft letter to help you appeal. It is not legal advice. Charges, free periods and layouts change, so check the notice and the airport’s own information before sending.