Reduce costs and streamline your operation! 1 in 3 UK Councils are now saving hours in admin time when issuing PCNs and FPNs with just a single system.

Councils have been left frustrated by software with limited functionality, hard coded systems that require expensive changes – often with no additional features to help streamline their operations, and just not making life easier. Many local authorities have also had to replace disjointed, legacy paper-based processes, in order to enable them to operate more efficiently, reduce overhead costs, and provide a more transparent experience for motorists.

 

What if PCN admin starts to cost more than the fines?

Admin time can be a major hidden cost – to log, identify a driver and gather evidence and draft an appeal for a PCN can take 20 to 40 minutes.

PCN costs keep rising – the combination of fines plus missed deadlines and rising wages can make every notice more expensive than it should be.

Tracking driver evidence sets can be complicated – collecting evidence from drivers, transferring that data and making deductions, plus tracking who paid can be hard to get right.

Manually responding to appeals takes too long – correct appeals responses need to factor in the exact details for each specific PCN, including meeting the latest industry legislation. Writing them bespoke to each ticket wastes far too many admin hours.

 

 

Process your PCNs or FPNs at speed with Unity5’s Zatpark enforcement software

Here are the key features available for PCN & FPN issuance and processing within the Zatpark platform:

Centralised Enforcement Hub & Integration

• Third-Party Integration: Zatpark acts as a central hub, integrating seamlessly with key external databases and services. This includes automated lookups with the DVLA to quickly retrieve registered keeper details, as well as connections to leading cashless parking and digital permit providers.

• Data Lifecycle Control: The software provides complete control over the full lifecycle of enforcement data, from the initial issuance of the PCN on the street right through to final debt recovery.

 

Automated PCN Processing Workflows

• You set the rules for automatic and manual workflows: Zatpark allows councils to build and manage both automatic and manual workflows. This rules-based engine dictates how a PCN progresses through various statutory stages without requiring constant manual intervention.

• Evidence Pack Manager: This advanced automated feature streamlines the preparation of evidence. If a PCN is appealed to an independent adjudicator (like the Traffic Penalty Tribunal), the system automatically collates the required photographs, CEO notes, and system logs into a structured, compliant format.

 

Review Performance with Clear and Intuitive Reporting and Analytics

• Operational Management: The platform includes an extensive range of management reports covering all facets of parking operations.

• Performance Tracking: Administrators can track ticket issuance rates, monitor PCN revenue collection, analyse site-specific enforcement analytics, and review the activity and performance of individual Civil Enforcement Officers (CEOs).

 

 

 

User-Friendly Interface

• Enhanced Ticket View: The platform features specialised dashboard views that give back-office staff a clear, consolidated picture of a specific ticket’s status, making it easier to handle exceptions or review complex cases efficiently.

 

How can you unify your PCN and FPN processing in one place?

Unity5 provides highly effective enforcement software for UK local authorities because it completely unifies civil parking enforcement (PCNs) and criminal environmental enforcement (FPNs). We offer market leading dual functionality – using the Zatmobile app, a single Civil Enforcement Officer (CEO) can issue a civil Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) for an illegal turn or parking violation, and then immediately switch to issuing a criminal Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN) for littering or fly-tipping.

Here is a guide to the many benefits and features of the Zatpark mobile app:

• A CEO can issue a PCN or FPN via the “Add a ticket” screen. Multiple types of tickets can be issued.
• There is a traffic light system, which is a handy guide for a CEO on correct issuance. Any ‘blockers’ can be seen at the top of the screen and it tells the user exactly why they can’t process a ticket.
• These options here are configurable, so admins can select what options or what information the council would like to collect when issuing PCNs or FPNs.
• Once a CEO selects the type of FPN they’d like to issue, the price of the respective fine will change depending on the type of FPN that they choose to issue.

 

 

15 Ways Zatpark enforcement software makes life easier for your enforcement team on the street

1. The software seamlessly connects with localised tech like pay-and-display machines, cashless parking apps, and local bailiff services to automate debt recovery.

2. Address Verification Lookups – Once a CEO enters the address details supplied by an individual suspected of committing a violation, they have got the option to do a personal lookup. The software links directly with the DVLA to pull vehicle keeper details, as well as background checking with Experian, Companies House, and live municipal allow-lists.

3. Auto complete suggestion for VRMs on the Patrol Page – This is a massive time saver for CEOs as they only have to type in the last 3 characters and several VRM close matches will appear.

 

 

4. Map Pin Drop for the exact location of the contravention – when the CEO hits ‘confirm’, they will then proceed to fill out the location of the person committing the offence. As well as having all of the local council sites configured that a particular offence can be added to, there is also the option to open up the map view. The CEO can drop a pin exactly where the offence was committed.

 

 

5. A list of possible contraventions is configurable – to multiple types, so can be set and charges automatically appear as assigned to that offence. The council have also got the option to lower and higher amounts depending on how quickly or how slowly the offender pays the charge.

6. Issuance Recommendations are displayed – on the app to remind a CEO of any outstanding items such as a signature, photographic evidence etc.

7. The app asks CEOs to “Add note” – this is a free text box, so they can add any text notes that they need to. Predefined notes can also be configured by council admins, so if there is a particular note field or a particular bit of information that needs to be collected across all of the FPNs or PCNs, those custom predefined notes can be set up, and then it’s just as easy as, “Yes, I’ve checked all the signage”. Hit confirm, and then I’ll go through and issue that one.

8. Configurable fines –  Payment amounts are configured per  type of FPN. So, once I select the type of FPN, it’s automatically pulling through the charges that are set against that type of, of ticket. Absolutely. So, if we just go back on and add a different type of ticket… add an FPN… If I select my trade bins, you can see there that the charge is set at £250. However, that fly-tipping, that set at £300 and £400. If I go to my dog fouling FPN as well, you can see that the charge is set as a flat £200 rate, so that’s completely configurable by the council.

9. No loss of data –  if the device carried by the CEO loses internet connection, the app automatically caches (temporarily stores) all of the information during the time that the signal isn’t stable or connected. A CEO can then check those cached tickets and files at the end of their shift, when they are back in the office. Any data items that haven’t come through (for example photos of vehicles), are shown as ‘pending’, queued to be sent. Once the CEO or admin has got a stable Wifi connection, those pending items will be updated onto the ticket.

10. Easy Drag & Drop functionality – in the back office system body-worn camera footage or any other evidence files that need to be uploaded into a FPN can be dragged and dropped straight into the attached case. And as soon as they’re dragged and dropped or uploaded, they’re then available in the case for anyone to review, provided they have the correct roles and permissions.

11. PCN information auto saved as a PDF file – This functionality removes hours of manual admin work by automatically making the PCN PDF available in Evidence Pack Manager for tickets that have reached a POPLA, IAS, or equivalent appeal status. In addition, users can continue to generate or export a PCN PDF directly when required.

12. Dual printing from the same handheld device – Unity5’s Zatpark mobile app connects with Bluetooth printers. PCNs and FPNs can be printed. Both types of tickets conform to different legislative requirements but print seamlessly from the same handheld mobile printer. The the app can integrate with a 2-inch or a 3-inch ticket roll on the same printer so that a CEO can print off those PCNs and FPNs on the curb side and issue them straight away. 

13. Bulk uploads are available – Zatpark allows for the fast set up of PCN information and evidence packs via hand held devices, and sends notices by email. Bulk uploads are supported.

14. AI-powered Intelligent Appeal responses – our software drafts wording tailored to a specific PCN’s contravention, with context and is automatically shaped by the latest legislation.

15. Automated Court Filing: if an FPN goes unpaid and requires criminal prosecution, the system’s Evidence Pack Manager (EPM) compiles the 12-page legal bundles automatically. This saves hours of manual paperwork for council legal teams and secures higher conviction rates (as seen in Bromley Council’s 100% court success rate with the software).

 

 

How does Automation save time for your team and community?

Back-Office Lifecycle & Legal Workflows

• Rule-Based Case Progression: Our software automatically moves notices through their respective statutory stages – initiating automated DVLA registered keeper requests for PCNs or issuing compliance notices for unpaid FPNs.

• Evidence Pack Manager (EPM): Automatically aggregates photos, officer logs, and system audit trails to generate compliant Court Packs for FPN prosecutions or tribunal evidence bundles for PCN appeals.

• Automated Notice Dispatch: Integrates with back-office printing and communication workflows to auto-generate statutory letters, reminders, and notifications based on fixed timeframe triggers.

Payment & Resolution Automation

• Citizen Self-Service Portals: Allows offenders to instantly view photographic evidence online and pay via integrated payment solutions (including Apple Pay and Google Pay).

• Instant Ledger Reconciliation: Online or on-the-spot payments trigger instant back-office status updates and automatically close cases across both penalty types without manual admin intervention.

 

Why is Unity5’s software a market leader?

 

Save your vital revenue for community projects, not change requests

Unity5 offers total independence from costly IT Change Requests:

 

 

In Summary: the leading benefits to your council when using Unity5 software

• Increased Revenue Collection: Catch more violations and improve payment compliance rates.
• Lower Operational Costs: Reduce staffing requirements and administrative overhead.
• Comprehensive Analytics: Detailed reporting on violation patterns, hotspots, and enforcement effectiveness supports data led decisions.

 

Click here to contact us and set up a free discovery call and we can see how we might help

Read case studies here about our work with local authorities
Click here to discover more about our Zatpark mobile app for CEOs
Learn more about Zatpark software