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Who Uses PO Box 221 Twickenham TW1 3TL and Why Is Mail Sent?

September 30, 2025

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Last Updated on 21.09.2026

PO Box 221 Twickenham TW1 3TL is an official postal address used by the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames Parking Services. It is primarily used for Penalty Charge Notice enquiries, postal PCN payments, informal challenges, formal representations and certain parking complaints.

It should not be confused with the address used for parking permits and suspensions, which is PO Box 466, Twickenham TW1 9JT.

If you have received a letter connected with PO Box 221 Twickenham TW1 3TL, first check the PCN number, vehicle registration, issuing authority, deadline and stage of enforcement before paying or submitting a challenge.

Who Uses PO Box 221 Twickenham TW1 3TL?

The address is officially listed for Parking Services at the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames.

The current postal address is:

Parking Services
PO Box 221
Twickenham
TW1 3TL

Richmond Council lists this address for general parking enquiries and Penalty Charge Notice correspondence. It is also the postal address to which written informal challenges and formal representations can be sent.

This means it is a council parking address rather than the registered office of a private company.

Why Might You Receive a Letter From PO Box 221 Twickenham?

Reasons for receiving a Richmond parking letter

A letter connected with PO Box 221 will usually concern a parking or traffic enforcement matter administered by Richmond Parking Services.

Possible correspondence may relate to:

A Penalty Charge Notice
A Notice to Owner
A Bus Lane PCN
A Formal Representation
A Rejected Challenge
An Outstanding Penalty
A Request for Supporting Information
A Parking Services Complaint

The exact action required depends on the heading and contents of the document.

Businesses operating company cars, vans or fleet vehicles should also check who was using the vehicle on the date shown, whether the vehicle was leased and whether any parking permit, delivery record or other evidence is available.

What Should You Do After Receiving A Letter?

Do not respond based only on the PO Box printed on the envelope.

Check:

The Issuing Authority: Confirm that the document identifies Richmond Council.
The PCN Number: Richmond PCN references generally use a format beginning with RT.
The Vehicle Registration: Make sure it relates to the correct vehicle.
The Contravention: Check the location, date, time and alleged parking or traffic breach.
The Document Stage: Identify whether it is a PCN, Notice to Owner, Charge Certificate or another document.
The Deadline: Different stages have different payment and challenge rights.
The Evidence: Richmond advises motorists to view the available PCN evidence before contacting Parking Services.

Do not ignore a genuine notice simply because you disagree with it. Use the appropriate challenge or representation procedure within the applicable deadline.

Is A Text Message About A Richmond PCN Genuine?

Be particularly careful if the supposed parking notice arrived by text message. Richmond Council currently warns that scammers are sending messages asking people to pay PCNs and states that it does not request PCN payments by text.

If an unexpected text claims that you owe a Richmond parking penalty:

Do Not Click The Link
Do Not Enter Card Details
Do Not Pay Through An Unverified Website
Check The PCN Independently
Use Official Council Contact Details

A real postal address can also be copied into fraudulent communications, so the presence of PO Box 221 alone does not prove that a message, website or payment request is genuine.

How Can You Pay A Richmond PCN?

Richmond currently provides online, telephone and postal payment options.

Online Payment

Online PCN payment is available 24 hours a day.

For a recently issued PCN, Richmond advises waiting until the next working day before using the normal online service. You will need the PCN number and a valid payment card. Diners Club and American Express are not accepted.

Telephone Payment

The automated PCN payment service is available 24 hours a day on:

020 8045 1171

This is a payment number rather than the main Parking Services enquiry line.

Postal Payment

People without internet access can send payment to:

Parking Services
PO Box 221
Twickenham
Middlesex
TW1 3TL

For postal payments:

Make Crossed Cheques Or Postal Orders Payable To “LBRuT”
Write The PCN Number And Your Address On The Back
Include The Payment Slip
Never Send Cash Or Banknotes
Include A Stamped Self-Addressed Envelope If You Need A Receipt

Richmond gives the example PCN reference format RTnnnnnnnn. Importantly, Richmond says not to pay the PCN if you intend to appeal, because payment closes the case on the basis that liability has been accepted.

How Does The Richmond PCN Appeal Process Work?

There are several distinct stages. Calling all of them simply an “appeal” can cause confusion.

1. Informal Challenge

An informal challenge can normally be made within the first 28 days where the PCN was issued by a Civil Enforcement Officer or concerns a bus lane contravention.

Richmond recommends challenging within the initial 14-day discount period. If the challenge is rejected, this allows the PCN to remain payable at the 50% discounted rate.

Once an informal challenge is received, the case is placed on hold while it is considered.

2. Formal Representation

A formal representation is a later stage. It can be made after a Notice to Owner or Enforcement Notice has been issued. At that point, there are normally 28 days to either pay the full charge or submit the formal representation.

A postal formal representation can be sent to PO Box 221. Richmond says it will respond to a formal representation as soon as possible and within 56 days. This replaces the inaccurate suggestion that postal appeals are normally resolved within 10 to 14 working days.

3. Independent Adjudicator

If a formal representation is rejected, the recipient normally receives a Notice of Rejection. They can then either pay the penalty at the applicable rate or appeal to an independent adjudicator through London Tribunals/Environment and Traffic Adjudicators.

This independent adjudicator stage is separate from making a representation directly to Richmond Council.

What Are The Grounds For A Formal Representation?

Richmond lists 12 grounds or circumstances that can support a formal representation.

In plain English, they include:

You Never Owned The Vehicle
You Sold The Vehicle Before The Contravention
You Bought The Vehicle After The Contravention
The Contravention Did Not Occur
Someone Used The Vehicle Without The Owner’s Consent
The Relevant Traffic Order Was Invalid
The Vehicle Was Hired Under A Qualifying Hire Agreement
The Penalty Exceeds The Correct Amount
There Was A Procedural Impropriety
The PCN Had Already Been Paid
The Civil Enforcement Officer Was Not Prevented From Serving The PCN
There Are Other Compelling Reasons

Evidence should be supplied where it supports the representation. For example, vehicle sale documents, purchase records, a hire agreement, payment evidence, photographs or a crime reference number may be relevant depending on the circumstances.

What Evidence Can You Upload With A PCN Challenge?

For online informal challenges and formal representations, Richmond currently allows:

Evidence Rule	Current Limit
Number Of Files	Up to 5
Maximum Per File	5MB
Total Upload Limit	23MB
Accepted Formats	DOC, DOCX, BMP, CSV, GIF, JPEG, PDF, PNG, TIF

Relevant evidence could include photographs, receipts, permit information, payment records or documentation supporting vehicle ownership or hire.

What Happens If A PCN Is Ignored?

Ignoring a PCN can lead to the enforcement process progressing. Richmond explains that the discounted payment period can be lost after 14 days. A Notice to Owner or Enforcement Notice may then follow.

If the matter continues without payment or a successful representation, a Charge Certificate can increase the penalty by 50%. Further non-payment may eventually lead to an Order for Recovery and enforcement action.

The document you have received therefore matters. Rights available during the initial PCN stage may no longer be available after a Charge Certificate has been issued.

Can You Pay A Richmond PCN In Instalments?

Instalments are not generally available simply because the recipient would prefer to spread the cost. Richmond states that consideration for instalments requires an active debt management plan with a recognised agency and supporting evidence.

An arrangement is only available after a Notice to Owner or Enforcement Notice has been issued. It cannot be used to pay the 50% discounted penalty amount by instalments.

Which Twickenham PO Box Should You Use?

One of the most important distinctions is between PO Box 221 and PO Box 466.

Matter	Postal Address
PCN Enquiries	PO Box 221, Twickenham TW1 3TL
PCN Challenges And Representations	PO Box 221, Twickenham TW1 3TL
General Parking Enquiries	PO Box 221, Twickenham TW1 3TL
Parking Compliance Complaints	PO Box 221, Twickenham TW1 3TL
Parking Permit Enquiries	PO Box 466, Twickenham TW1 9JT
Parking Suspension Enquiries	PO Box 466, Twickenham TW1 9JT

Parking permit applications, amendments and suspension correspondence should therefore not automatically be sent to PO Box 221.

How Can You Contact Richmond Parking Services?

Ways to contact Richmond Parking Services

The current main Parking Services contact number is:

020 8891 1411

The current textphone number is:

020 8831 6342

Other relevant contacts include:

Parking Suspensions: 020 8871 6738
Faults And Illegal Parking: 020 8744 0462
Twickenham Stadium Event Road Closures: 020 8831 6604
PCN Telephone Payments: 020 8045 1171
Web Chat: Monday To Friday, 9am To 5pm

The general emergency council number 020 8891 7999 exists, but Richmond states that it is an out-of-hours number for council emergencies. It should not be presented as the normal Parking Services or PCN contact line.

Can You Visit The Civic Centre?

The Civic Centre is located at:

44 York Street
Twickenham
TW1 3BZ

This is different from the TW1 3TL PO Box postcode. For parking permit matters, the Permit Desk in the Civic Centre Atrium operates by appointment only. Appointments are available Monday to Friday from 9am to 12pm and 1pm to 4pm and can be arranged through 020 8891 1411.

A PO Box itself is not a public office that motorists can visit.

Is The PCN From Richmond Council Or TfL?

Do not assume every parking or traffic PCN received in the Richmond area is administered through PO Box 221.

London boroughs and Transport for London operate separate enforcement systems. TfL states that where a PCN was issued by a local authority, the recipient must deal with that authority directly.

Check the organisation named on the notice.

If it identifies Richmond Council, use the current Richmond payment and challenge process. If the notice was issued by TfL, follow the payment or representation instructions provided by TfL instead.

There is also an important distinction between a council Penalty Charge Notice and a private Parking Charge Notice. Private parking companies operate under a different process, so advice intended for private parking charges should not automatically be applied to a Richmond Council PCN.

Reasonable Adjustments And Parking Complaints

People who require a reasonable adjustment because of a disability can contact Richmond Parking Services on 020 8891 1411 for assistance with making a PCN payment or challenge.

Complaints about the conduct of a Civil Enforcement Officer are also separate from challenging whether a PCN itself is valid.

If the dispute is about the penalty, use the PCN challenge or representation process. If the concern is about staff conduct or service, use the relevant complaints procedure.

Conclusion

PO Box 221 Twickenham TW1 3TL is an official Richmond Parking Services correspondence address used primarily for PCNs, parking enquiries, postal payments, challenges, formal representations and certain parking complaints.

The key point is to use the right process for the document you have received. An informal challenge, formal representation and independent adjudicator appeal are different stages with different requirements.

Parking permits and suspensions should instead be directed to PO Box 466, Twickenham TW1 9JT, while the current main Parking Services enquiry number is 020 8891 1411.

Always check the issuing authority, evidence and deadline before responding, and be suspicious of text messages requesting PCN payments because Richmond states that it does not request PCN payments by SMS.

FAQs About PO Box 221 Twickenham TW1 3TL

Is PO Box 221 Twickenham TW1 3TL A Scam?

No. It is an address officially listed by Richmond Parking Services. However, scammers can copy genuine details, so individual messages and payment requests should still be independently verified.

Can I Pay A PCN By Post To PO Box 221?

Yes. Richmond accepts postal PCN payments at PO Box 221 using a crossed cheque or postal order payable to LBRuT. Do not send cash.

Where Do I Send A Richmond Parking Permit Application Or Enquiry?

Parking permit correspondence uses Parking Permits, PO Box 466, Twickenham TW1 9JT, rather than PO Box 221.

Can I Appeal A Richmond PCN By Email?

Richmond directs motorists towards its online challenge and representation services or its postal PCN appeal process. Follow the procedure appropriate to the stage shown on your notice.