Lewisham Council's Parking Amnesty

Copy of the communications with Lewisham Council

Dear Lesley Brooks
Thank you for your response.
I would now be grateful for answers to the following:
1. The number and value of non-compliant PCNs which will not be pursued.
2. How many of these were actually at Warrant stage (number and value)?
3. Can you please provide a copy of the instruction given to Frederickson International?
4. Can you please answer the outstanding questions in the communications below (I have highlighted them in red).
Please treat as a Freedom of Information request.
Yours sincerely,
Neil Herron

----- Original Message -----
From: Brooks, Lesley
To: Metric Martyrs
Cc: dawn.jarvis@freds.com ; Pemberton, Janet
Sent: Wednesday, September 27, 2006 3:24 PM
Subject: RE: Decriminalised Parking Enforcement: Questions and Information Request
Dear Mr Heron

Apologies for my delayed response. I have been on annual leave and just returned this week. In answer to your question this Authority does not intend to pursue non compliant PCNs .i.e. those PCNs that do not contain an issue date in the body of the PCN. We have requested Fredrickson Int not to apply or execute warrants for non-compliant PCNs.

yours sincerely,



Lesley Brooks

From: Metric Martyrs [mailto:metricmartyrs@btconnect.com] Sent: 04 September 2006 13:04To: Brooks, LesleySubject: Re: Decriminalised Parking Enforcement: Questions and Information Request
Lesley Brooks
Parking Services Manager
Lewisham Council
Wearside Road Depot
Wearside Road
London
SE13 7EZ

Dear Lesley Brooks,
I would be grateful for a response to the points not answered in your reply below.
With regard to the Charge Certificate point I have raised perhaps reference to the recent NPAS case Aylesbury Vale v Lukha may assist your legal department.
However, perhaps the most important and pressing point is this:
Does Lewisham Council intend to pursue PCNs which do not have an issue date in the main body of the PCN?
If so, can you please provide contact details for Lewisham Council's District Auditor and details of the Local Government Complaints Procedure.

Yours sincerely,

Neil Herron
12 Frederick Street
Sunderland
SR1 1NA

Tel. 0191 565 7143

----- Original Message -----
From: Brooks, Lesley
To: Metric Martyrs
Cc: Stewart, Paul
Sent: Wednesday, August 30, 2006 2:01 PM
Subject: RE: Decriminalised Parking Enforcement: Questions and Information Request
Dear Mr Herron

Thank you for your e-mail. My response is detailed in the order requested

As discussed on the telephone prior to March the issue date was included on the PCN carrier. The type of carrier was changed by our contractors to a clear carrier and the issue date was transferred into the body of the PCN. Software request was made via our contractors to Langdale systems. No interdepartmental communications exist on the matter.

I accept that in accordance with the latest ruling the issue date should be included in the body of the PCN.

The PCN is issued to the vehicle or given to a person appearing to be in charge of the vehicle i.e. the driver. Any communication for recovery of any monies outstanding from the PCN is always sent to the person appearing to be the owner of the vehicle.

We believe that the charge certificates do comply with the Act the surcharge is not added until the notice is served (14 + 3 days for the charge certificate to be served). We will therefore not be withdrawing charge certificates on that basis.

Fredrickson international register the charge certificates at TEC and execute the warrants on behalf of Lewisham. The charge certificate is transferred to Fredrickson for recovery 28 days from issue of the charge certificate (if payment remains outstanding). Fredrickson issue a global certificate to TEC on behalf of Lewisham.

I hope I have been able to answer your points raised. However, should you require any further information please do not hesitate to contact me.

yours sincerely,



Lesley Brooks
From: Metric Martyrs [mailto:metricmartyrs@btconnect.com] Sent: 22 August 2006 14:26To: Brooks, LesleySubject: Decriminalised Parking Enforcement: Questions and Information Request
Lesley Brooks
Parking Services Manager
Lewisham Council
Wearside Road Depot
Wearside Road
London
SE13 7EZ

22nd August 2006

Dear Lesley Brooks,

Further to our telephone conversation I would be grateful for confirmation of the following (please treat as a Freedom of Information request wherever necessary):

1. The date and reasons why the Lewisham Penalty Charge Notice was altered. I would be grateful for all inter-departmental communications on this matter.

2. The reasons you detailed in the conversation as to why you believe that the 'date of notice' need not be on the main body of the PCN, which appear to be in conflict with the decision of Justice Jackson in the Moses v Barnet case.

3. Why does the Lewisham PCN imply that it is the driver of the vehicle that must pay the PCN? ( PCN states: "To the Driver of vehicle xxxx").

4. Can you confirm that Lewisham Council's Charge Certificates do not comply with paragraph 7 of Schedule 6 of the 1991 Road Traffic Act?

Lewisham's Charge Certificate states:
You must pay this increased amount before the end of the period of 14 days, beginning with the date of this notice.

However, the legislation states:


Enforcement of charge certificate
7. Where a charge certificate has been served on any person and the increased penalty charge provided for in the certificate is not paid before the end of the period of 14 days beginning with the date on which the certificate is served, the authority concerned may, if a county court so orders, recover the increased charge as if it were payable under a county court order.


Once you have sought advice on this point can you please confirm that you will be cancelling all outstanding Warrants of Execution and withdrawing all such Charge Certificates?

5. Can you please give details of the number and value of pending Charge Certificates and Warrants of Execution?

6. Can you explain the relationship between Fredrickson International Ltd. and Lewisham Council and the point at which a PCN is handed over to this debt collection
agency and whether they issue the Global Certificate to Northampton County Court Traffic Enforcement Centre on behalf of Lewisham Council?

I would be grateful if you could also provide details of the complaints procedure for the Local Government Ombudsman as I wish to initiate a complaint of maladministration should you fail to adequately deal with the points raised.

Yours sincerely,

Neil Herron

12 Frederick Street
Sunderland
SR1 1NA

Tel. 0191 565 7143





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Motorist’s anger over illegal car park fines

Worcester News
By Lauren Murray








David Stanley had received letters for parking illegally.




A MOTORIST is bewildered by a barrage of parking fines that claim he has been in parking illegally in London.
Despite the fact David Stanley, of Spetchley Road, Worcester, has never even driven in London he has received a number of letters demanding that he pays fines for parking illegally.
The first, from the City of Westminster, told him he had 28 days to pay £100 for parking in a restricted area, namely Clifton Villas, on Tuesday, May 30.
In fact, Mr Stanley was on holiday in Cornwall that day and he used his hotel reservation receipt to prove it.

Three months later, a letter from the City of Westminster arrived and stated "a procedural error" had occurred and the fine had been cancelled.
Mr Stanley knew that his numberplate must have been cloned or copied.
He said: "I sent them a letter and they accepted it, but in the meantime I received another letter - this time from Transport for London."
Again he was told to pay a £100 fine within 28 days.
He said: "I couldn't remember where I was that day but I certainly wasn't in London. You live your life and unless you keep a diary you can't remember where you have been all the time."

Mr Stanley again sent off his car registration details and the fine was cancelled.
Only when the third fine arrived did he realise the car using his number plate was not even the same make or colour as his. The letter stated a blue Ford was parked illegally in Witan Street but Mr Stanley drives a black Mercedes.
The fourth, and so far final, letter that arrived at the start of September was another from the City of Westminster.
Mr Stanley was more than frustrated and he called the Metropolitan police.
"The police said there was nothing they could do and suggested I got in touch with the DVLA who have a special department for these problems.
"I presume they will try and catch somebody and finally stop these fines.
"They are costing me time and money."
A spokeswoman from the DVLA said: "It depends on the individual case but if he has written to us we will initially investigate and mark his record to say that he is having these parking fines.
"It is very difficult for us if we have not detected the car with no tax being driven on the road."

Parking problems 'costing us millions' warns tourism chief

The Cumberland News
By Anna Burdett
22nd September 06

OVERZEALOUS traffic wardens and parking restrictions are frightening visitors away and costing Cumbria millions of pounds in lost revenue, the county’s tourism chief said yesterday.
Ian Stephens, chief executive of Cumbria Tourism (formerly the Cumbria Tourist Board), says the problem is so serious that visitors are sightseeing from their cars rather than risk getting a ticket if they park up. He believes some visitors are even shunning the county because of the difficulties associated with parking here.
Mr Stephens has written to every local authority and parking provider in Cumbria asking for an overhaul of the parking structure.
Cumbria Tourism is putting together a new strategy that Mr Stephens hopes will be adopted.
He said: “We need to tackle this issue and we are trying to join up the policy on car parking.”
Transferable parking tickets that can be used anywhere in the county and more park and ride schemes are two suggestions likely to be included in the strategy. Cheaper parking at popular attractions could also be introduced.
Mr Stephens added: “There might be quite expensive set-up costs but a change is crucial because people are not getting out of their cars and spending. Cumbria’s losing millions of pounds.
“There is a perception that Cumbria is providing sub-standard facilities and services for visitors who arrive by car.”
Over the coming months, staff from Cumbria Tourism will research parking systems used in other tourist destinations such as Switzerland and parts of the UK.
One of the problems in Cumbria is that different parts of the county use different systems. Mr Stephens believes they should all be brought into line with each other.
In his letter to councils, he points out that many local authorities are making money from parking fines and yet very little is being reinvested to improve the service.
He also highlights concerns about a shortage of parking space, high charges and an insensitive approach of traffic wardens.
Mr Stephens told The Cumberland News: “There is evidence of overzealous car parking attendants. They fine people for being a few minutes late or parked slightly outside the bay. Some would say they are being ripped off.”
In Keswick there were more than 7,000 parking fines issued in 2004, making Allerdale Council £186,055.
While traders in Penrith have said they fear they are losing millions of pounds because shoppers are worried about parking fines.
Andrew Forsyth, executive director of the Friends of the Lake District, agrees there is a problem.
He said: “I think parking charges across the county are very variable and in some places, very high.
“There are tourist destinations where parking is free. Making money out of visitor parking is not something we would condone.”
He has seen evidence that visitors are being put off returning to Cumbria because of the system.
Mr Forsyth added: “It is a huge aspiration to get a single united system in the county. Transferable tickets would be a good start.”

Campaigner targets NCP 'victims'

This is Lancashire
By Caroline Innes

A NATIONAL parking campaigner has vowed to help motorists who were "unfairly ticketed" by NCP for not parking correctly in bays.
Fine-buster Neil Herron has urged all drivers who were ticketed on the free-to-park Peel leisure and retail park, Lower Audley Street, Blackburn, to send him their tickets for not parking correctly so he can challenge their legality.
Mr Herron, who has won legal battles across the country, claims NCP - which controls the parking on behalf of shops on the site -is simply "money making".
Last week the Lancashire Telegraph revealed scores of angry shoppers had received £25 parking tickets because their cars were not parked entirely within white lines of parking bays.

Shoppers coming out of Matalan, Staples and the nearby Vue Cinema were outraged to find tickets on their cars, the wheels of some of which were only just touching markings.
A spokesperson for NCP said drivers would continue to receive the £25 tickets until they learnt to park properly.
Mr Herron urged any motorist with a ticket to contact him so he could consolidate all the appeals into one case. He believes the tickets cannot be enforced as do not state whether they are for the driver or registered keeper of the vehicle.
He added: "We have another parking horror story where common sense is not applied.
"I am willing to assist all these aggrieved motorists and we will see whether NCP has the stomach for a highly public fight. It is quite simple - they can cancel the tickets or take us to court."
Mr Heron was instrumental in successful challenges to Bury Council and Sunderland City Council last year. Both authorities were forced to drop any outstanding PCNs which did not display a date of issue.
Last year he also proved dozens of motorists qualified for rebates after Blackburn with Darwen Council incorrectly intro-duced parking restrictions in taxi ranks.
An NCP spokesperson: "We have always tried to be firm but fair to make parking easy for everyone.
"If a mistake has been made and people have been ticketed unfairly we will listen to them."

Motorists can email Neil, at: mail@thepeoplesnocampaign.co.uk and metricmartyrs@btconnect.com or phone him on 0191 565 7143.

Parking limit is likely in village centre

ICCroydon
19th September 06
By Joan Mulcaster

COUNCIL bosses are due to rubber stamp a two-hour parking limit in roads at the centre of Tadworth in a bid to stop staff of a giant insurance company hogging the spaces all day.
What drivers are doing is not illegal but it is making it difficult for shopkeepers in the village to keep customers as there is nowhere for them to park, said Reigate and Banstead Councillor Richard Bennett.
And with a giant ASDA just minutes away it only takes the sight of packed parking spaces to make a potential customer drive there and its large car park - and away from the grocer, butcher and other neighbourhood shops.
Cllr Bennett said: "It's not illegal but its selfish, unneighbourly and antisocial, and we hope that this will help provide proper use of parking space in the centre of the village."
However, the few spaces to which the new limit - due to be agreed within the next month-will apply deals with only a small part of a huge parking problem in Tadworth and Walton-on-the-Hill, mainly caused by Legal & General Insurance Company,Kingswood.
Scores of the 2, 500 staff at the company cannot bear the length of time it takes to get in and out of the company car park morning and evening and are now allowed to use it only four days out of five.
Instead they park in side and main streets at Tadworth, Tattenham and Walton before gathering in groups for a company mini bus to pick them up.
Councillor Bennett said he ruled out Pfizer's staff from this problem as the firm's "green" parking policies has encouraged a large number of staff to use public transport to local rail stations before being picked up by company transport.
He said: "We did a survey of parking in the area before the company arrived five years ago and since and we are certain this problem has been caused by Legal & General
"When I was leader of the council I did try and talk to chief executive David Prosser about it but things have got no better."
The problem of staff parking at Legal & General has grown over the years since its London office was relocated to the village during the Second World War.
Instead of returning to its City HQ the firm stayed on the site and built a huge office block.
Although this stands next to Kingswood Station, a rail link to London via Croydon, staff prefer to use cars.
A proposal to run a road from the A217 across company-owned land direct into its car park was dropped and car use by employees has increased.
A spokesman for Legal & General admitted there was use of a minibus to pick up staff who parked in outlying areas but could not-comment further.

Residents' concert parking fine outrage

Evening Post
19th September 06
By Jo Rostron

THE fall-out from Robbie Williams' Leeds concert continues after residents were hit with police fines – for parking outside their own homes.

Police say they are still sifting through parking fines wrongly dished out to residents but blame a break down in communication with the council. Resident Kristine Longstaff was staggered to find a £30 parking fine pinned to her vehicle outside her home on Street Lane, Roundhay over the concert weekend.

Robbie's first concert in Roundhay Park came and went on the Friday night but on Saturday afternoon, Kristine was hit with a ticket.
The 37-year-old said none of the residents were warned about any parking restrictions.
"I just thought, you have got to be joking! There was no notification, there was nothing on the car to warn me to move my car or get a parking ticket. If that was the case we should have been sent a letter."
Kristine's car had been parked there since Thursday.
"On Friday everyone was parked outside as normal and then they put cones in between each car all up Street Lane. I have seen other cars with parking tickets. I park there all the time, everyone does because it's outside our houses."
Neighbour Sue Haynes, 40, said her partner and two other neighbours were also given parking fines. Outrageous
"There's quite a few of us. I just think it's absolutely outrageous being fined for parking outside your own home. We didn't get any notification and we were not offered any alternative parking."
A spokeswoman for West Yorkshire Police said the council should have forwarded details of those residents' cars already parked there onto them when the cones were put out.
"As no details of any vehicle legitimately parked in the 'No Waiting Zones' was passed on to police by the council, a number of fixed penalty notices were issued. "
Any residents parked in these zones prior to the cordon who received a ticket should now write to the Central Process Bureau, PO Box 1105, Bradford, BD1 4WA to see whether they are eligible for their ticket to be cancelled."
The city council was unavailable for comment.

Councillors in parking ticket row

East Anglian Daily Times 24
Roddy Ashworth

THE leader of a district council has branded one of its members “completely irresponsible” after he urged people to rip up their parking tickets claiming they did not meet legal requirements.
Conservative leader of Tendring District Council Terry Allen made his comments after fellow Tory Charlie Sambridge said that tickets being issued by the authority had been issued without key information being displayed on them.
Mr Sambridge said that because the council had failed to put not only the date of offence but also the date of notification on the main body of the penalty charge notices they were unenforceable.
“If they have only got one date on them then people should tear them up,” he said.
“Up until now they have only had one date on them, and that means that under the terms of the 1991 Road Parking Act they are not valid.”
He added that he had learned of the loophole after looking at an Internet web page dedicated to the Metric Martyrs, a group taken to court for selling goods in Imperial measures.
He contacted Nick Herron, of the People Say No Campaign, who examined a Tendring District Council parking ticket and said it was not enforceable.
Mr Sambridge added that his crusade was aimed at highlighting the disposal of parking facilities by the council.
“This council is selling off anything it can get its hands on. They are selling off open spaces and car parks on the front and spending the money on leisure.
“People who are ill or have had strokes need those car parks so they can get to the green areas next to them.
“This council used to be for the good of all - now we are only catering for people who pump iron and swim.”

Mr Allen, however, did not hold back from strongly criticising his fellow Conservative councillor and claimed he was encouraging people to act illegally.
“I find it completely irresponsible that any member of Tendring District Council would make comments like that asking people top break the law.
“We should remember that the only losers in this will be the people of Tendring because that money goes a long way towards keeping the level of council tax down.
“Parking enforcement has been instrumental in keeping the roads clear and safe
.“People who have broken the law by parking in restricted zones should pay the penalty. It is a fact of life.
“As an elected member of Tendring District Council you are supposed to be there for the people of Tendring. We issue the tickets on their behalf.”
A spokesman for Tendring District Council said that its penalty charge notices had been changed in the light of a recent court case and that both a date of contravention and a date of issue are now featured.

Parking fine leaps to £672 nightmare

Swindon Advertiser
By Anthony Osborne


Facing a fine Mike Larby


A MAN who bought a parking ticket four years ago has seen his £1 charge turn into a £672 fine.
Mike Larby, 48, from Ashton Keynes, who works as a mechanical transport engineer at RAF Lyneham, was convalescing after kidney treatment four years ago.
He had been on holiday in the New Forest when he decided to travel into Southampton and visit a newly opened shopping mall in the city.
After asking several attendants what the charge was, he paid £1 for parking. But that day has come back to haunt him.
"I remember the day well," said Mike.
"We had parked up but it wasn't all that clear what we should pay, so I asked a couple of attendants.
"They said they weren't sure but said they believed it was £1 until noon.
"So we went to look around the place and, as it got closer to noon, I was getting anxious about the car, so we went back.
"When I got there, there was an attendant stood next to the car.
"I asked him if I was still alright and he said if I left within a few minutes it would be fine, so we did and that was that.
"I never really thought anything of it again until a year later when I got a letter saying I had a £90 fine.
"It was completely out of the blue, so I contacted them, explained what had happened and they told me to send a letter explaining it and a copy of the ticket which I did and I heard nothing back.
But a year later, it happened again, so Mike said he explained to them again.
Nothing more was heard until earlier this year when he began receiving letters from a bailiff's agency in Northampton - and the price was going up as well.
Soon it had reached more than £400 and last month a letter requesting £672.43 came through the post box.
"I can't believe how a £1 ticket in a car park has managed to spiral out of proportion like this," said Mike.
"It has just snowballed, if I had parked wrongly I would have paid the fine.
"I was told I was okay so I don't understand why this has happened, I just feel totally persecuted, and £672 is a lot of money."
Bailiffs have visited the house to try to re-claim the value of the fine but have not been successful.
Mike is now in touch with the Wiltshire Law Centre to find out how the situation can be sorted out.
No one from Southampton City Council was available for comment.

Fine figures rise is parking mad

Your Local Guardian
By Cara Lee

More than a quarter of a million parking tickets were slapped on windscreens in Lambeth last year.
The 255,066 parking tickets issued last year mean Lambeth ranks fifth in the league of London boroughs which handed out the highest number of fines and shows a marked increase of 12,000 tickets compared with the previous year, which resulted in an average of 700 tickets issued each day.
The figures published by the Association of London Government also reveal that 10,824 fines were given to drivers who either parked or drove in the Norwood Road bus lane last year, making it the seventh most heavily fined lane in the capital.
Complaints about the volume of parking fines given out in Lambeth began when the previous Liberal Democrat and Conservative coalition council signed a contract with US company Control Plus.
The contract was rumoured to include targets for traffic wardens to issue at least 12 tickets per eight hour shift.
Shirley Wilson, from Lewin Road in Streatham, is fed up with the lack of parking on her road which has resulted in fines.
She said: "A man was recently delivering medical supplies for the clinic in my road and was forced to double park due to the lack of spaces.
"He was given a ticket, despite constantly telling the warden he would only be a minute. I was then told that even if a police car had double parked it would receive a ticket."
Councillor Nigel Haselden, deputy cabinet member for transport and parking, added: "These figures bear out what we have been saying all along about the unfair parking contract signed by the previous Liberal Democrat/Conservative coalition and is one of the major reasons that voters kicked them out at the last election."
Motoring experts have criticised the growth in parking fines across London in general, which rose to a record high of six million tickets last year.
They have particularly condemned the increase in penalties given for moving traffic offences such as blocking yellow box junctions or ignoring one-way signs.
Paul Watters from the AA Motoring Trust said: "Moving traffic offences are becoming the goldmine that parking once was. The increase in fines suggests that in some cases the road layout is wrong, causing confusion and difficulty for drivers. We would urge anyone getting a fine to appeal."
10:55am Sunday 17th September 2006

Don't cross the line!

Lancashire Telegraph

DEFIANT parking bosses have told Blackburn motorists: "park properly - or face fines".
The company spoke out after angry shoppers forced a parking attendant to lock himself in a hut after dishing out tickets to drivers whose wheels touched the white, painted lines around bays.
The car park attendant placed £25 fine tickets on the windows of all the cars he felt had not parked centrally in bays at the free-to-park retail and leisure park on Lower Audley Street, Blackburn, on Sunday morning.
Shoppers coming out of Matalan, Staples and the nearby Vue Cinema were outraged to find the tickets on their cars, the wheels of some of which were only just touching the painted lines.
But NCP has backed its worker, insisting Blackburn drivers should take better care when manoeuvring into bays.
Tim Cowan of NCP said: "The parking spaces in the car park in question are extremely generous."
He added: "People who park outside the marked bays make it very difficult for other shoppers to park easily and get to the shops.
"We are very pleased to hear that one lady who received a fixed penalty notice says she will take more care to park properly next time - that is precisely what we are trying to encourage, so that all customers are able to park easily.
"There are ample signs around the car park explaining the regulations to customers, and information on the back of the tickets explaining the process for anyone who feels they wish to take up the matter with us."
But Pauline Smith, a Blackburn receptionist, blasted the company and its attendant for "not using common sense" and claimed they were using the tickets as an excuse to make money. Mrs Smith was ticketed after she parked outside Matalan last Sunday but said she had no choice but to park touching the white lines as a 4x4 vehicle was parked at the side of her, taking up space. She said: "This is absolutely ridiculous.
"If I hadn't parked slightly touching the white lines my husband and I would not have been able to get out of the car.
"I was only in the shop for 30 minutes and through no fault of my own have been given a £25 fine.
"I have written to Matalan and NCP to complain as this is totally unfair and I expect my ticket to be ripped up."
Another motorist, Bob Seed, 57, from Mellor , was booked while he was enjoying a swim at the JJB leisure centre.
He said: "This is absolutely bonkers. The car park attendant just said I had parked crooked.
"I had not. The car park was almost empty when I parked and after a life in the motor trade parking cars in showrooms on an exact spot I know how to park.
"The businesses which the car park serves will lose out as customers will go elsewhere."
Neil Herron from the People Say No campaign, which believes parking enforcement firms are tageting drivers just to make money, said: "It is offensive beyond belief and simply highlights that this is not about parking control but about revenue generation for private companies such as NCP.
"These tickets must be thrown out on their ears and I urge customers to show the shops that this is no way for them to behave and take their custom elsewhere."
11:23am Wednesday 13th September 2006

Traders' fears over parking charges

EADT24
8th September 06

SHOPKEEPERS warned yesterday they could lose trade when free parking is abolished.
Nearly 2,000 people have signed petitions opposing the charges in Wickham Market, near Woodbridge, despite Suffolk Coastal District Council already agreeing in principle to introduce them.
The decision still has to be ratified by the council's cabinet and charges may not come in for another 18 months.
The move is set to be made because the council has upgraded the car parks in recent years and it needs a return on the expenditure.
Wickham Market and Framlingham are currently the only two market towns in the district with free parking. In Framlingham a covenant makes it difficult to implement charges in one car park, and now traders in Wickham Market are worried they could lose shoppers who will go to Framlingham.Catherine Thornber, the district's economic regeneration and development manager, said £10,000 a year could be made through charging for parking on The Hill and in Crafers car park.
It would cost at least £13,500 to buy ticket machines, arrange the electrical supply and change signs.
But Bryan Hall, Wickham Market's district councillor, said: “I argued that Wickham Market had a fragile business structure, particularly if charges could not be implemented for legal reasons at Framlingham and Wickham traders might lose out.
“It was agreed that further consultation has to take place with the Wickham Market Parish Council before any final decision regarding the levels of charges, as well as the complex issues surrounding Chapel Lane car park, be taken.”
Margaret Reeve, who runs the Tea Pot tearoom, said: “I think it will kill the trade and then Suffolk Coastal will have no business rates because there will be no shops.”
Peter Elliott, a resident of Chapel Lane, said: “The fear is that it will push people out of the car parks onto the side roads and Chapel Lane will become a car park.”
The parish council is worried that the issues about car parking in the village are complicated by the mixture of different ownerships.
It warned that if the district council imposed charges in its car parks, then motorists would park in private car parks or on streets.
Michael Argent, council chairman, said: “Our real fear is that people will stop coming to the village and go elsewhere, and services and facilities will be underused.
“We said if charges are going to be introduced then do it properly, enforce it properly and perhaps have a free period for an hour in the Square so that people can use the shops. If it is not done properly then it is best to leave it alone.”

Towing chaos as parking zone turns to farce

The Scotsman
8th September 06






Traffic can be seen queuing along Strathearn Place as a car is hoisted on to a tow truck - one of dozens of vehicles to be uplifted

Picture: Michael Hughes











ALAN RODEN TRANSPORT REPORTER (aroden@edinburghnews.com)
DOZENS of motorists had their cars towed away as the chaos caused by Edinburgh's new parking rules descended into farce.
Traffic in the south of Edinburgh ground to a halt yesterday with council staff working "flat out" to move vehicles.
Many motorists simply ignored traffic cones which had been hastily put out in a bid to ease congestion on streets just outside the council's new controlled parking zone.
The streets have been clogged with parked cars since the new charges came into force on Monday, causing severe hold-ups.
As the mammoth tow-truck operation caused even bigger delays yesterday, confused motorists were forced to phone the police to track down their vehicles on nearby streets.
Today, the council's use of emergency powers to restrict parking on both sides of 11 streets just outside the zone was expected to finally return a degree of normality to the area.
But yesterday, the delays were worse than ever as council staff turned up to remove vehicles parked alongside traffic cones.
Staff admitted they had never seen anything like it, with dozens of cars towed away from Strathearn Place, Whitehouse Loan and Clinton Road, and dumped in nearby streets such as Grange Terrace and Oswald Road.
Last night, an official council spokeswoman said its records showed only 15 cars had been moved, but admitted some paperwork might not have yet been completed. Council employees said they had already moved close to 20 vehicles by yesterday lunchtime - with another 19 cars next in line.
Nobody was hit with a fine yesterday, because no signs had been erected to warn drivers, but the council said penalties would be issued from today.
Every time a car was hoisted on to the trucks, traffic came to a standstill, with bemused passers-by and residents watching as motorists began tooting their horns in frustration.
But while some areas were gridlocked, other streets in the extended parking zone were deserted.
Retired John O'Brien, 68, from Fountainhall Road, said: "On Lauder Road, there are hardly any cars parked now. Round the corner in Fountainhall Road, which isn't in the zone, it's chockablock.
"If the council thinks it's going to get a lot of money from pay-and-display meters, it's wrong. They just haven't thought this through - there should be a park-and-ride for people from Midlothian to use, which could rush them in to the city centre."
On Monday, two parts of the city - covering Marchmont, the Grange, Hillside and Broughton - became the first new districts to be patrolled by parking Enforcers for more than 30 years. But as the Evening News revealed yesterday, the council is facing a revolt from residents and motorists over the way the scheme has been rolled out.
The police, council officials, parking attendants and staff from Lothian Buses have all been forced to help keep traffic moving at some of the worst-affected areas.
Strathearn Place, a key route between Morningside and Newington, has been the hardest hit.
While neighbouring Strathearn Road is included in the first wave of new restrictions, Strathearn Place won't join the controlled parking zone until November next year. Other streets in the area won't be included at all.
Andrew Bell, spokesman for the Grange Association, said: "People have been somewhat disturbed by the way the introduction of the controlled parking zone has affected the character of this conservation area."
Bridget Stevens, chairwoman of Merchiston Community Council, said people living in her district - due to join the extended zone in January - were fearful of more chaotic scenes.
"The residents of Gillsland Road want to be included in the new zone, but that is unlikely to happen before January, so we will get similar problems unless the double yellow lines are painted first," she said.
The implementation of the zone in Broughton and Hillside has seen increased car parking in Abbeyhill and there are fears that Goldenacre - due to be included at a later date - will be hit by fly-parking when the rest of Inverleith comes on board in January.
Lib Dem Marchmont councillor Marilyne MacLaren said today: "The implementation has been completely farcical. You wouldn't trust these people to organise a kid's tea party."
Councillor Ricky Henderson, the city's new transport leader, admitted there have been "some issues with the implementation".
"We are working to deal with these, but the roll-out has been successful in its goal which was to reduce traffic from residential streets," he said.

'It's been dreadful .. cars both sides'
RESIDENTS today told how they have been marooned in their driveways and forced to park far away from their homes as a result of the parking zone chaos.
Charles Cowie, pictured, a 51-year-old advocate who lives on Strathearn Place, said: "It's been dreadful.
"Streets around here are not wide enough for parked cars on both sides, and the vehicles have made it very difficult for us to get out of our drive."
John O'Brien, 68, from Fountainhall Road, said: "My wife came back from the station and had to drive around for 20 minutes, trying to find a spot.
"Eventually, she found one a mile away from our home and had to walk back."
Charlie Taylor, 41, a chartered surveyor from Greenhill Place, said: "Until the weekend, and for the last eight years, I have been able to park within minutes of my front door.
"I appreciate that this is not some God-given right, but the last two days have been incredible. The quiet side street has disappeared and there are now nose-to-tail cars on either side of the road."
Graham Hills, 80, who lives on the corner of Strathearn Road and Strathearn Place, added: "I'm pleased that the new restrictions have come in, but we've had terrible difficulty getting out of our drive."

'Customers can't call in'
TRADERS on both sides of the new controlled parking zone today warned of a negative impact on their business.
Roger Manson, from the Blackford Avenue Post Office, said motorists were not yet parking outside his shop, but he warned that the council's decision to paint double yellow lines on 11 streets in the Grange could push the problem further south.
"At the moment, the cars are about 50 or 60 yards away, but that could change very soon," he said.
"While some people might park their car and then use the shops in Blackford, the customers who pass through in their cars won't be able to stop anymore and buy something."
David Daulby, owner of the Ashdene House bed-and-breakfast on Fountainhall Road, said: " There are so many cars on this street now, that there could be an accident - especially as people drive out of Newington Library between two parked cars."
In the new zone, Emily McGregor - owner of the WDM McGregor Grocery and Tea Dealer - said very few customers had visited her since Monday.

New parking fees spread disharmony

Enfield Independent
8th September 06

Fears are growing that a new price structure will put car parking in the borough beyond the reach of Enfield's most hard up residents.
From next month, car parking prices will be harmonised with one price structure across the borough. The changes could see the cost of an hour-long stay in some car parks double and the price of long-stay parking shoot up by as much as 200 per cent.
Denise Headley is councillor for Edmonton Green, one of Enfield's most deprived areas. "Edmonton has a large number of people on benefits and residents will not have the means to pay these new fees. This is all about making money," she said.
"There has been no proper debate. The new charges will be bad for my constituents and bad for Edmonton."
Currently, parking in Edmonton is good value. The car park in Lion Road, Edmonton Green charges 55p for an hour-long stay and £1.50 for a stay of more than six hours.
Under the new rules, drivers in the area will face a £1.50 charge to park for an hour while a stay of more than six hours will cost £4.50.
Edmonton Green councillor, Andrew Stafford, has joined the chorus of protest. He said: "How can you harmonise charges when there is no harmony of income across the borough? This is total exploitation."
Cabinet member for the environment, Terry Neville has described the plans as "flexible, cost-effective and straightforward."
But critics are concerned that the Edmonton economy could be hit. "The increases will scare off shoppers and harm businesses," said a Labour group spokesman. "What will happen to the car parks if nobody uses them? They could be sold," he added.
The radical plans also allow drivers who regularly park in the borough to take advantage of a voucher scheme, allowing the pre-purchase of 11 tickets for the price of ten. Parking tickets will also be transferable between most car parks.
The proposed on-street pay and display charges will be 20p for 15 minutes, 50p for 30 minutes, £1 for one hour and £2 for two hours. Off-street pay and display parking will cost 90p for up to one hour, £1.50 for one to two hours, £2 for two to four hours, £3 for four to six hours and £4.50 for six to 11 hours.
Residents have until September 20 to make their views on the parking charge scheme known to Enfield Council.

Pay and poorly displayed: Drivers get parking fines

Review and Observer
by Ruth Holmes
8th September 06

ONE lucky driver has had a parking fine dropped after complaining that a disabled bay in Harpenden town centre was badly marked. But scores more will be denied compensation for the same action despite admission from St Albans District Council that the road markings were "not correctly displayed".
Des Hughes, of Blackmore End, Wheathampstead, received a fixed penalty charge when he parked outside the florists on Lower High Street on August 1.
The council carried out a site inspection after receiving a letter from Mr Hughes and subsequently cancelled the fine, apologising for any inconvenience caused.
Mr Hughes had argued that the bay was only marked with a small sign, not the road markings signalling other disabled spaces in the area. He said: "I had been used to parking there for an hour for free in the past and parked there in good faith.
"I would not park in a disabled space, in fact I avoided two other disabled spaces that were clearly marked."
When asked whether other drivers who had received fines from parking in the same bay would get their money back, a council spokesman said drivers who had already paid a fine had accepted the conditions and would not be refunded.
She said the council had received no other appeals on the same basis for that location but stressed that future appeals would be considered on a case-by-case basis.
The bay where Mr Hughes parked was one of three for disabled badge holders in Lower High Street, between Station Road and Sun Lane.
When Hertfordshire Highways renewed the bays as part of the recent enhancement works, only two of the bays were highlighted with bold disabled' road markings.
Mr Hughes accused the council of profiting from the discrepancy, saying: "There is a dishonesty in the way the laws are enforced.
"The council is relying on the revenue from these fines to keep the council tax down.
"It is another way of taxing the public."
The council insists that are legal ways of indicating a disabled bay but added that road markings would be laid down soon "to provide consistency".
9:25am Friday 8th September 2006

Bus lane fines rocket

Hackney Gazette
08th September 06

MOTORISTS have received more than 22,000 tickets for driving in bus lanes in Hackney this year - an increase of more than 800 per cent on 2004/05 figures, according to a new study.
The penalty charge notices (PCNs) of £100 each could net Hackney Council up to £2.2 million in fines
The new report from the Association of Local Government shows that between April 1, 2004, and March 31 last year, just 2,744 tickets were issued for wrongly using bus lanes.
The number rocketed to a total of 22,221 between April 1, 2005, and March 31 this year, while PCNs for illegal parking went up 14,488 to 141,966, an increase of 11.4 per cent on last year's figure of 127,478.
"Everybody, I am sure, wants the buses to run to time, but an 800 per cent increase in fines in one year calls for some serious questions as to whether the council is simply on another cash-grabbing exercise," said Cllr Eric Ollerenshaw, leader of the council's Conservative group.
"But since the council fails to collect more than 50 per cent of car parking fines, I wonder how much of this massive increase has been collected."
The council assumed responsibility for bus lane enforcement in January, 2005, and received a government grant to install extra cameras.

Further expansion of parking zones lined up after outcry

The Scotsman
ALAN RODEN TRANSPORT REPORTER
(aroden@edinburghnews.com)

THE city's newly expanded controlled parking zone is set to be extended again following an outcry from residents.
The council is looking at introducing restrictions in three more areas - Gillsland Road in Merchiston, Easter Road and Goldenacre in Inverleith - just days after the city's parking wardens started to patrol scores of new streets around the edges of the city centre.
More protests are expected around the city following the chaotic scenes as the new restrictions were introduced this week.
A campaign is being planned in the south of the Grange, while there are concerns in Blackford, Blackhall, Murrayfield and parts of Craigleith, amid fears the extended zone will simply shift problems with on-street parking.
The city's new transport leader, Councillor Ricky Henderson, said today he would listen to any requests from communities.
He also vowed to act fast to curb the worst problems experienced by motorists and residents this week.
Cars and buses south of the Grange have been suffering major delays because parked cars - forced off nearby streets by the new restrictions - have clogged both sides of the road.
Cllr Henderson said the council will rush through an emergency traffic order, allowing double yellow lines to be painted on a number of streets in the area, including the badly affected Strathearn Place.
Pay-and-display meters and residents' parking bays have been introduced in two areas of the city - covering Marchmont, the Grange, Hillside and Broughton - for the first time this week.
The changes have had a major knock-on effect on streets just outside the extended zone, where motorists are still looking for free parking.
Cllr Henderson said that some knock-on effect had always been expected and the council would look at problems that arise.
But he said large-scale changes were unlikely at this stage, although they could follow in years to come, and would require months of consultation.
"We have to make sure we communicate with people, and I want to resolve any problems as quickly as possible," he said.
"If residents want to be included in the controlled parking zone, then that could build up an impetus, but we would have to weigh up the views of local people and be certain it is the right thing to do.
"But we also hope that park-and-rides will reduce the need for inner city parking, and some sites will have to be expanded soon."
Council chiefs today recommended including Easter Road in the new zone, which will allow tenement residents to buy a permit for side streets to the west, rather than just in the free parking bays to the east.
The changes, which will not affect pay-and-display bays on the main road itself, are likely to come into effect on September 25.
The council is also considering extending the zone to include Gillsland Road in Merchiston, following a campaign by residents fearful of a congestion increase.
Proposals to include streets north of Inverleith Place in Goldenacre will shortly be published, again after residents' comments.
Merchiston Community Council chair Bridget Stevens said: "Residents now fear the knock-on effect on their streets, and a majority of residents on Gillsland Road want to be included."
The extended scheme has been designed to stop commuters clogging up residential streets in the search for free parking.
Dozens of residents have contacted the Evening News to highlight the problems this has created, particularly on Strathearn Place, Clinton Road, Kilgraston Road, Blackford Avenue and Oswald Road, and in Abbeyhill.

Market traders slammed over 'yellow line' parking

Islington Gazette
06 September 2006

PARKING wardens have been "turning a blind eye" to market traders parking illegally in the middle of Islington.
Traders have been parking daily on single yellow lines in Chapel Market, Islington - to the fury of other motorists in the borough - despite the fact they have their own car park.
One 69-year-old resident, of nearby Penton Street, who did not want to be named, said: "The stallholders use their stallholders' licences as if they were parking permits. That card is supposed to hang up outside the stall.
"The council admit they're not parking permits and don't do anything about it."
The resident, who said there were usually at least 10 traders' cars and vans parked at the Penton Street end of Chapel Market, added: "The parking wardens turn a blind eye. They're quick enough to give other people a ticket."
Tim Newark, who set up Islington parking campaign group Local Freedom, said: "The council should do something about it. They move on other things - like fining people for parking outside their own homes.
"Traders do need to be able to bring their own cars and vans to market but it's not fair to local people who have less space to park. We have to fight for every piece of kerb space."
Chapel Market Stallholders' Association chairman Peter Adamides said the parking row had been resolved with council bosses.
He said: "It has been stopped. Traders can park there until 11am and after that traffic wardens will issue tickets.
"We have our own car park but some of the traders are getting away with it and don't want to pay for going in the car park."
Councillor Lucy Watt, Islington Council's executive member for environment, said: "We are working with local shops and market traders to ensure their parking needs are being met but local residents rightly want us to ensure restrictions are fair and properly enforced - so everyone knows the rules.

Free car parking for councillors? It stinks!

Stockport Express
6th September 06

COUNCIL leaders have been accused of trying to give themselves free parking perks - at the expense of Stockport taxpayers.
Stockport’s Tory leader, councillor Les Jones, says he is appalled at the Liberal-Democrat run council executive’s attempts to grant its ten members free parking - in all of the borough’s 107 residential schemes - when residents will be expected to pay in future.
Under the controversial plans, residents will be charged £60-per-car every year to park in a single scheme.
Coun Jones said: "My (Conservative) group is absolutely appalled at the audacity of the executive members.
"Council taxpayers are expected to pay money and they will be given free parking - come on. Put kindly, it stinks.
"It is bad enough that residents are having to pay for parking close to their homes, but to have exceptions is totally unacceptable."
The council is currently running a public consultation on a pilot for the proposed parking scheme - in the area around Stepping Hill Hospital.
If the scheme is given the go-ahead the council claims the £60-per-year charge would just cover the cost of enforcement and signage.
But Coun Jones believes the charge is excessive and claims there are ulterior ‘under-handed’ reasons for the large fee.
Coun Jones said: "If it was a reasonable amount of money and you, and you only, were able to park there it would be reasonable.
"But it is too much. It is a way of raising money and controlling traffic on the road. It is underhanded."
However, Stockport’s transport chief has rejected Coun Jones’s accusations and claims there is nothing underhanded in the proposals.
Coun Dave Goddard, executive member for transport, said: "Free parking for executive members was not in the original proposals but was included after consultation with the area committees.
"It was felt that the councillors needed permits to carry out council business in their areas and that executive members’ remit was far wider."
He added: "The £60 is neither excessive nor underhanded.
"It is purely to control the scheme and will only apply in any area where lives are being made a misery.
"No one wants to pay for something that has been free, but those people who cannot park near their houses are more likely to want it."
The council is currently waiting on the results of the Stepping Hill consultation and will start the job of analysing all the results next week.
The responsibility for enforcing residential parking schemes was recently past to local authorities after it was decriminalised by Greater Manchester Police.
Peter Devine

London gets 6 million traffic fines

This is Local London
By Martina Smit

More than six million traffic fines have been issued in London in the last year - the most ever.
A 280% rise in moving traffic offences pushed the total number of tickets in the capital over the six million mark for the first time.
In the 12 months to March, almost 390,000 motorists were fined for yellow box junctions, driving up one-way streets and ignoring no-turn or no-entry signs.
It is nearly four times as much as the 102,000 of the previous year, new figures of the Association of London Government (ALG) showed.
'New gold rush for motoring fines'The AA Motoring Trust warned that moving traffic enforcement should not become "a new gold rush for motoring fines".
Busy junctions with a "blizzard of restrictions" may confuse drivers who are unfamiliar with the roads, said Paul Watters, the trust's head of transport policy.
He urged councils to review such junctions. "Large-scale and automatic enforcement with CCTV could create the same climate of hostility and resentment that parking enforcement did."
Barry Segal of the website appealnow.com, a website that helps drivers fight tickets, said the leap in moving traffic fines was "alarming".
"The cameras often don't tell the full story."
Some drivers were fined, for example, after an emergency vehicle forced them into a yellow box junction, Mr Segal added. "If the systems were properly monitored, these people would not have been fined."
But the ALG said it was the first full year in which new powers were available to enforce moving traffic rules. The number of councils doing so doubled to 12.
Camden issued the most tickets (106,479), followed by Ealing (100,746) and Transport for London(55,842).
5 million parking tickets
The total number of parking tickets written in London showed only a small increase of 1.5%, largely due to Transport for Londonnow issuing parking fines on red routes.
Borough councils fined 173,134 fewer drivers for illegal parking, mainly because Westminster told its wardens to ease up.
Councils also clamped about 50,000 fewer vehicles than the year before - a drop of 66%. The AA Motoring Trust said it only came after a "colossal backlash by the motoring public".
Bus lane fines were also 16% down to just under 700,000.
Tariq Ahmad, deputy chair of the ALG's transport committee, atrributed the drop to the use of CCTV cameras. "Motorists now know that if they drive in a bus lane they will be seen and will receive a fine."
In another decrease, 699 fewer lorry drivers and operators were fined for breaching restrictions.
The total number of traffic fines in London was 6,165,971 - up 3.8% from the previous year.
Less than 1% of the drivers lodged an appeal with the Independent Adjudicators - a last resort after appeals at the councils failed.
"Boroughs carry out enforcement to ensure that people follow the rules and don't cause obstructions and dangers to other road users," Mr Ahmad said.
"Motorists who flout the law will receive a fine. The only way to avoid receiving a fine is to park legally."

MOVING TRAFFIC FINES
Only the following 12 authorities issued moving traffic fines:
Camden 106,479
Ealing 100,746
Transport for London55,842
Haringey 43,684
Newham 34,667
Islington 16,620
Croydon 12,018
Westminster 6,201
Hammersmith & Fulham 3,975
Wandsworth 3,136
Enfield 3,113
Lambeth 2,574
TOTAL 389,055

BUS LANE FINES
Highest tenT
ransport for London155,282
Ealing 70,265
Enfield 48,014
Islington 43,517
Lambeth 36,938
Barnet 33,417
Newham 32,891
Hillingdon 27,532
Haringey 25,218
Camden 24,514

Lowest three
Croydon 3,428
Lewisham 1,603
Westminster 790
TOTAL 697,816

Greenwich, Havering, Hounslow, Kensington & Chelsea, Redbridge and Sutton did not issue any bus lane fines.
PARKING TICKETS BY BOROUGH
Barking & Dagenham 42,416
Barnet 168,681
Bexley 65,739
Brent 113,561
Bromley 69,538
Camden 448,085
City of London 37,478
Croydon 86,534
Ealing 212,656
Enfield 100,087
Greenwich 48,892
Hackney 140,966
Hammersmith & Fulham 165,196
Haringey 134,551
Harrow 83,303
Havering 40,141
Hillingdon 61,211
Hounslow 92,764
Islington 210,685
Kensington & Chelsea 294,932
Kingston 63,980
Lambeth 255,066
Lewisham 63,250
Merton 56,860
Newham 188,465
Redbridge 95,966
Richmond 72,526
Southwark 135,045
Sutton 48,965
Tower Hamlets 72,858
Waltham Forest 140,216
Wandsworth 245,475
Westminster 715,085
Transport for London304,305
TOTAL 5,075,478

Number of parking fines drop

Richmond and Twickenham Times
By Hannah Farquharson

Considerate drivers and fair parking attendants have been credited with lowering the number of parking fines issued in the borough.
Figures released this week reveal a drop of more than 30,000 issued penalty charge notices for parking and travelling in bus lanes in Richmond upon Thames in the last year.
But London as a whole has seen an increase of four per cent, a factor attributed to the decriminalisation of red routes and more penalties for moving traffic offences including stopping in a box junction and going through a no entry sign.

Councillor David Trigg, cabinet member for traffic, transport and parking, welcomed the news saying: "It is a combination of residents parking as they should and also parking attendants acting correctly.
"The reason parking attendants are acting correctly is because it is policy that parking attendants must be fair and seen to be fair to people who have possibly committed minor infractions."
The figures for March 2005 to April 2006 were issued by the Association of London Government and showed a dramatic decrease in the number of fines being issued in Richmond compared to the previous year.
Fines for offences excluding the use of bus lanes dropped from 98,986 to 72,526, while bus lane fines fell from 19,996 to 16,376.
9:41am Friday 1st September 2006