You’ve probably seen stories in the news about drivers receiving parking fines, sometimes even when they actually pay for parking. It’s a frustrating situation, and often leaves people turning to Google to find out what they can do.
So we decided to add up the numbers.
We analyzed Google search data across 15 major UK cities to find out where people are most searching for help appealing parking fines.
The results may surprise you as well Manchester tops the rankings when population is taken into account, closely followed by Southampton and Newcastle. Meanwhile, London, despite generating the most searches overall, comes in tenth.
These are the cities that are most looking for attractive parking lots
In first place is Manchester, with an estimated 52.7 monthly searches related to parking appeals per 100,000 residents, according to our analysis where we used Google Keyword Planner data to help us.
Southampton follows closely with 50.1 searches per 100,000 residents, while Newcastle completes the top three with 49.9.
The results reveal a striking difference between cities, with Manchester recording more than double the population-adjusted search interest of Leeds, which ranked last among the 15 locations studied.
While London dominates the overall numbers, its population-adjusted search rate is much lower than rates in many smaller cities.
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Which UK cities are most looking for help appealing parking fines?
| Rank | city | EST. Monthly searches | Monthly searches per 100,000 residents |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Manchester | 310 | 52.7 |
| 2 | Southampton | 130 | 50.1 |
| 3 | Newcastle | 160 | 49.9 |
| 4 | Coventry | 160 | 43.9 |
| 5 | Cardiff | 150 | 39.3 |
| 6 | Nottingham | 120 | 36.8 |
| 7 | Bristol | 180 | 36.3 |
| 8 | Leicester | 130 | 33.9 |
| 9 | Edinburgh | 180 | 33.9 |
| 10 | London | 2970 | 32.6 |
| 11 | Glasgow | 210 | 32.1 |
| 12 | Liverpool | 160 | 31.5 |
| 13 | Sheffield | 180 | 31.1 |
| 14 | Birmingham | 310 | 26.3 |
| 15 | Leeds | 180 | 21.4 |
Source: Koozai analysis of Google Keyword Planner data covering the period October 2025 to September 2026. Rankings are based on 16 parking-related search terms in 15 selected UK cities, adjusted using mid-2025 population estimates. Figures are rounded estimates and close rankings should be interpreted with caution.
Manchester records nearly twice the search interest per resident as Birmingham
One of the biggest discrepancies revealed by the research is between Manchester and Birmingham.
Both cities generate an estimated 310 searches related to parking resumption each month across the keywords analyzed.
But after adjusting for population, Manchester records 52.7 monthly searches per 100,000 residents, compared to 26.3 in Birmingham.
This means that Manchester’s population-adjusted search rate is almost double that of Birmingham, despite the two cities recording identical overall search volumes.
Manchester is also well ahead of its neighbor Liverpool, which records 31.5 monthly searches per 100,000 residents.
The difference makes Greater Manchester and the North West a particularly interesting area to understand how people seek advice on parking charges.
Southampton ranks second although searches are much lower than London
Southampton stands out as one of the prominent locations in Kozai’s research.
Hampshire records 130 parking-related searches each month, compared to 2,970 searches in London.
However, once population is taken into account, Southampton rises to second place, recording 50.1 monthly searches per 100,000 residents.
This is about 54% higher than the population-adjusted rate in London.
This finding highlights how small cities can have disproportionately high levels of search interest, even when overall search numbers are relatively modest.
For Southampton, the result puts the city ahead of Manchester’s larger regional neighbors, as well as Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff and the major Scottish cities included in the study.
Newcastle ranks third, ahead of Glasgow, Liverpool and Leeds
Newcastle is another strong performer in the population-adjusted rankings.
With 160 estimated monthly searches and a rate of 49.9 per 100,000 residents, the city ranks third.
Newcastle’s search rate is approximately 59% higher than Liverpool’s and more than double that of Leeds.
The result is particularly interesting given that Newcastle generates fewer searches overall than many of the cities it outperforms.
Once again, the numbers show how residents can completely change the picture when comparing local search behavior.
London generates the most searches for parking review requests but does not top the rankings
London is the largest source of query related to parking attractiveness among the cities studied, so there is no surprise there.
Across the chosen keywords, the capital generates approximately 2,970 searches each month, compared to 310 for both Manchester and Birmingham.
However, London’s much larger population puts its search rate at 32.6 per 100,000 residents.
This leaves the capital in 10th place, behind Manchester, Southampton, Newcastle, Coventry, Cardiff, Nottingham, Bristol, Leicester and Edinburgh.
London’s position illustrates why greater search volume does not necessarily mean a higher relative level of interest.
What do people look for when they want to challenge a parking fine?
And we didn’t just stop at locations, Koozai wanted to know what phrases he was actually searching for, so we examined the national search query to determine what people were using when looking for help with their parking requests.
The results show a strong interest in challenging penalty charge notices, appealing parking tickets, and understanding the options available when disputing charges.
Most popular searches for car parks in the UK
| Google search term | Estimated monthly searches in the UK |
|---|---|
| pcn challenge | 2400 |
| Parking ticket appeal | 1900 |
| pcn call | 1600 |
| Appeal parking fee notice | 1600 |
| How to appeal a parking ticket | 880 |
| Resume parking fine | 590 |
| Competition parking ticket | 590 |
| How to appeal a parking fine | 480 |
| How to challenge a parking ticket | 480 |
| How to dispute a parking ticket | 480 |
Source: Google Keyword Planner, average monthly UK search estimates, October 2025 to September 2026. Related phrases may be grouped as close variants, so individual numbers should not be treated as completely separate search audiences.
The single most searched term in the national analysis is “challenge PCN,” with approximately 2,400 searches per month. Other popular searches include “parking ticket appeal,” with 1,900 monthly searches, and “parking charge notice appeal,” with 1,600 searches.
The findings highlight the demand for practical information about hard parking charges, particularly about the different conditions and procedures used to enforce parking.
What about drivers who paid for parking but still get a ticket?
Getting a parking ticket after paying for a spot is a particularly frustrating situation, and it prompted Kozai to investigate whether people are specifically looking for help with payment-related disputes.
The research examined phrases including “paid for parking but got a ticket” and “wrong registration parking ticket.”
These searches returned relatively low estimated national volumes, with approximately 10 searches per month for each of these two phrases in Google Keyword Planner.
This does not mean that disputes over payment are rare. Someone who has paid for parking but is still receiving a charge may simply search for “parking appeal ticket” rather than fully describing the circumstances.
However, available data cannot determine how many searches include drivers who actually paid, or whether the parking fees they received were justified.
What this shows is that people across the UK are actively searching for information about difficult parking tickets, with notable differences between the cities surveyed.
What does this research tell us about parking fine appeals?
The results reveal clear differences in where people look for help challenging parking fees.
Manchester, Southampton and Newcastle recorded the highest population-adjusted search interest among the 15 cities analysed, while London dominates overall search volumes.
These results do not necessarily mean that drivers in higher-rated cities receive more parking fines, or that local parking enforcement is less fair.
Instead, it reveals where demand for online advice on parking requests appears strongest.
With searches covering everything from challenging the PCN to contesting private parking charges, the data highlights the importance of clear, accessible information for motorists trying to understand their options.
How did Kozai conduct the research?
Koozai analyzed Google Ads Keyword Planner data for the period from October 2025 to September 2026, examining the estimated average monthly search volume in 15 selected UK cities.
The search included Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Coventry, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds, Leicester, Liverpool, London, Manchester, Newcastle, Nottingham, Sheffield and Southampton.
A consistent set of 16 keywords directly related to attractive, difficult, contested, or contested parking tickets was used to calculate the basic rankings.
The estimated monthly volumes for each city were summed, divided by the city’s population in mid-2025, and then multiplied by 100,000.
Population estimates were obtained from the Office for National Statistics and National Records of Scotland. The local authority population of the cities studied was used, with Greater London used as London.
Google Keyword Planner search volumes are round estimates and may group similar search terms together. The numbers represent the search query, not unique individuals or actual parking tickets. Geographical search targeting may not exactly match local authority boundaries.
Because of these limitations, the rankings should be interpreted as an indicative comparison of online search interest, especially when cities receive similar scores.
The research covers 15 selected cities, not every city in the UK, and does not measure the number of parking tickets issued, the fairness of charges or appeal success rates.
About Kozai
Koozai is a British digital marketing agency specializing in SEO, digital PR, paid media, content marketing and search strategy.
Digging through original research data, Kozai explores consumer behavior, regional trends, and the questions people ask online.
The research was conducted by Kozai in October 2026 and is therefore subject to change.
