Recent News

What the media has to say about our work

 

8th October 2010 - Sunderland Echo

Apostrophe anger at road sign error

A rogue apostrophe on a town centre sign caused "bewilderment and irritation" when it was pointed out to the chairman of a society set up to protect the much-abused punctuation marks.

The temporary road sign in Hartlepool, stating "Parking Bay's Suspended", was erected in the North East town while gas works were carried out.

The simple, but all-too common, grammatical mistake left John Richards of the Apostrophe Protection Society puzzled by what it was trying to achieve. Read the full story

 

7th October 2010 - finsburyparkpeople, by LiseS

Green Lanes parking enforcement criticised

Haringey's parking enforcement officers are once again in the news for all the wrong reasons, this time for the confusing and contradictory parking restrictions on Green Lanes that lead to 33 parking tickets being issued daily on the busy shopping street.

The RAC Foundation has accused Haringey of deliberately creating confusion in order to collect revenue. Read the full story

 

2nd October 2010 - Daily Telegraph, by David Harrison

Millions of parking tickets given out 'illegally', expert reveals

Millions of parking tickets are being issued illegally all over the UK, according to a leading expert.

Chris Leithead, ex-head of the Metropolitan police traffic division and a traffic consultant who advises councils on parking, said local authorities were issuing parking tickets in areas where signs were unlawful.

He said he had witnessed this in London, Birmingham, Manchester, Edinburgh and Bath and was "absolutely certain" it was happening in many other areas. Read the full story

 

26th September 2010 - Daily Telegraph, by David Harrison

The great parking fine scandal

It is the great parking scandal. Millions of motorists are being wrongly fined because restriction signs are unclear, misleading or simply wrong, campaigners say.

The Department for Transport gives local authorities clear instructions on all parking "signs and lines" which have to be displayed or painted correctly before tickets can be issued. Read the full story

 

27th May 2010 - Mail Online, by Andrew Levy

Rogue Car Clamper is Jailed

A rogue car clamper who fleeced more than 100 victims out of tens of thousands of pounds was jailed yesterday for two years.

Andrew Baker targeted motorists whether they were legitimately parked or not, clamping their cars within minutes of them arriving at car parks across three towns or cities. Read the full story

 

25th May 2010 - Times Online

Anti-parking fines campaigner loses legal battle

A former market trader turned parking campaigner argued that a parking zone in central Sunderland is too large.

A campaigning motorist has lost a test case in the High Court over the legality of controlled parking zones commonly used by local authorities throughout the country. Read the full story

 

18th May 2010 - Sky News Online by Lulu Sinclair

High Court to Rule Over Parking Fines

The High Court is hearing a case which could affect the validity of millions of pounds' worth of parking tickets across the country.

If Sunderland-based campaigner Neil Herron wins the case, it means thousands of motorists could apply to the courts to have their fines overturned. Read the full story

 

15th May 2010 - Wigan Today

Parking Ticket on Rubbish Truck

A row has erupted after eager traffic wardens even started targeting Wigan's refuse collectors!

They struck while the Metro cleansing staff had parked their council-liveried vehicles on yellow lines but left them to collect rubbish.

Shoppers watched open-mouthed as the zealous staff from the council's parking contractor Vinci strode forward to nab the unattended vehicles in Tyldesley town centre. Read the full story

 

24th February 2010 - Daily Telegraph, by Caroline Gammell

'Unfair' parking fines system should be overhauled - campaigners

The parking fines system should be overhauled to stop councils benefiting financially and forcing motorists to pay often trivial fines, a coalition of campaigners has said.

Road signs should be simplified, any profit returned to the Treasury and motorists should be compensated if they are given an incorrect penalty notice.

In addition, the number of mobile CCTV operators should be reduced and investigations should be held into areas where fines are “statistically excessive”. Read the full story

 

23rd February 2010 - Express & Echo

Councils' parking tribunal evidence probed by Exeter police

POLICE are investigating allegations that a council employee falsified details on a map which was given as evidence at a tribunal.

The probe was launched after concern was raised by Peter Harry who was given a penalty charge notice after he left his car parked in Southernhay East, Exeter, in March last year. The 67-year-old from Dawlish appealed against his fine and took the matter to a tribunal. He claimed the markings on the road were not legally correct.

An adjudicator ruled against him but after obtaining evidence from the tribunal, held in Manchester, Mr Harry went to the police with his concerns prompting a criminal investigation. Read the full story

 

22nd February 2010 - Express & Echo

Hospital parking fines to be repaid by council

THOUSANDS of pounds raised in parking fines at the Royal Devon & Exeter Hospital will have to be paid back to motorists.

Cash-strapped Exeter City Council will have to find around £35,000 paid by motorists in fines between May 2008 and October 2009.

The council, which patrols the car park on behalf of the hospital, has accepted it used the wrong legislation to enforce parking penalties since May 2008. Although the hospital benefits from the charges and fines, the parking scheme at the hospital is managed by the city council. And because of its mistake, the authority is liable for the refunds. Read the full story

 

19th February 2010 - Times Online, by Lauren Thompson

London councils sue themselves for parking offences

Critics say the practise "illustrates everything that is wrong with unaccountable parking enforcement in the UK"

London councils routinely take themselves to court over disputed parking tickets their wardens issue to their own vehicles, it has emerged.

In one case, Islington Council not only issued a parking ticket to itself, but then pursued itself at the Parking Adjudicator and then asked for costs against itself. Read the full story

 

17th February 2010 - Burton Mail, by Samera Khatoon

Motorist gets ‘illegal’ ticket

TOWN Hall officials have been left with red faces after handing a driver an ‘illegal’ parking ticket.

East Staffordshire Borough Council slapped the unnamed motorist with a £70 fine — which can be reduced to £35 if paid within 14 days — for parking in Hawkins Lane, Burton, on Friday.

However, an investigation by Internet advice group the Motorists Legal Challenge Fund has since revealed the penalty is ‘illegal’ because it tells credit card users they are liable to pay a 1.6 per cent levy — a move outlawed in March 2008. Read the full story

 

1st February 2010 - BBC News, London by Ed Davey

London councils' three-decade parking error revealed

Five London councils may have to repay millions of pounds of parking fines to motorists after a BBC London investigation proved hundreds of their parking bays have been unlawfully operated for decades.

There are 346 diplomatic parking sites in the city, reserved for foreign embassy staff.

But because they are not "standard" bays, councils have to get permission from the secretary of state for transport before installing road signs. Read the full story

 

30th January 2010 - BBC News

Supermarket parking limits 'breach' disability laws

The UK's big supermarkets are breaking disability laws by having strict time limits in about two-thirds of their car parks, charities have told the BBC.

Private firms run some of the parking areas for Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury's and Morrisons and customers face penalty charges for overstaying.

But under the Disability Discrimination Act, businesses need to make extra allowances for disabled people. The supermarkets say they will review their policies on disabled parking. Read the full story

 

22nd January 2010 - London Evening Standard by David Williams

New parking restrictions ‘will earn Westminster £7m a year’

A secret internal memo from Westminster council reveals it will make more than £7 million a year from new parking regulations.

The Standard revealed yesterday how the council wants to scrap free evening parking across much of the West End.

Under moves being considered by officials, visitors would not be able to leave cars on single yellow lines and be forced to use pay and display machines until midnight instead of 6.30pm. Read the full story

 

21st January 2010 - BBC News

Westminster Council parking plan 'designed to net £7m'

A council's claim it aimed to raise parking fees solely to cut congestion has been thrown into further doubt after a BBC investigation found it carried out detailed costings to assess how much money it could raise.

Westminster Council - which already makes more from parking than any other London borough - is proposing to charge drivers to park in central London until midnight.

It argues other less-congested boroughs have extended their parking controls and said the authority aims to balance the interests of residents and visitors to Westminster. Read the full story

 

21st January 2010 - The Bolton News

Parking ticket row hits High Court

PARKING tickets issued in Bolton are to be scrutinised by the High Court after an appeal was lodged about their lawfulness.

Campaigner Barry Moss will try to prove tickets have been issued outside of government guidelines, by the borough’s parking wardens.

If he wins the case thousands of motorists could be in line for a refund from Bolton Council.

 

20th December 2009 - News of the World by Tom Latchem

GREEDY councils are exploiting motorists by raking in almost £2 BILLION a year in parking fees and fines

Last year drivers paid a record £1.9bn to town halls in England - 8 per cent up on the previous year and TREBLE the £638m for 1997/98 when Labour came to power. That means around £60 a year is going straight from the pocket of every motorist into town hall coffers.

Experts fear councils are ripping off car owners to plug gaps in their finances as the squeeze on public spending tightens. Read the full story