Free Traffic Legal Advice

On 30 September I parked my car in front of Anerley train station, where there have never been parking restrictions before. When I arrived, there were no visible signs at all. I parked in full confidence it was free as usual.

When I returned, I found a PCN on my windscreen. Only then did I notice that the single sign on a pole nearby had been turned facing away from the road, making it impossible to see when parking. Several other cars in the same row were also ticketed, including one parked right next to the pole, which makes it unlikely that we all ignored a sign.

When I checked the council’s photo evidence online, the sign was suddenly facing the correct way. I strongly suspect it was turned around by enforcement officers before taking photos.

Has anyone dealt with a similar situation? Would this be a valid ground for appeal - inadequate signage / unclear restriction? Any advice on how best to word the challenge would be much appreciated. thank you
I tried to use the imgur file upload site but it is no longer available for access in the UK, please see the link to photos and the PCN details uploaded in a One Drive folder.
Parking ticket front: https://1drv.ms/i/c/abbb5761eac5e259/EUflwcm76kRKqL73qRzXj0EBejiPEXwkIKdPb4NlU2mjVw?e=0IQC5J
Parking ticket back: https://1drv.ms/i/c/abbb5761eac5e259/ESJ-qV0l2ARBlt2gpb1-AjQBWq7ktFVewVIrC4A-39TArA?e=1czlJj
Parking sign: https://1drv.ms/i/c/abbb5761eac5e259/EXYv7ck_CrxBt1EOxyiJf1EBlGbywKtNeO5GHqGDEBTRFg?e=H2mOF5
Sign side view: https://1drv.ms/i/c/abbb5761eac5e259/ERo9MKb7BWFDqkWjqRnZyEcB7aP5HN2r0cujohQS0_Wrrw?e=52AEn2
Sign reverse view: https://1drv.ms/i/c/abbb5761eac5e259/EXFYE4ZNADNFv7bwm2nGJAIBxncmcLOUrcKMHf8yC700xA?e=9a0V1A
car parked: https://1drv.ms/i/c/abbb5761eac5e259/EXv9PSE4-PpDjOMr7DMH4xwBQVYkUwqDOExDOLBc-mcs3A?e=d2VGyH
Car parked 2: https://1drv.ms/i/c/abbb5761eac5e259/EbSNvQGnRDRLnplF1awPBGgB8C4OXKFRdKeFNlEC_3JbYA?e=5DCQe0
My car parked rear view: https://1drv.ms/i/c/abbb5761eac5e259/EYyTrLMpaFZHpcFuJp0zCEQBqjstkT2_bX-jIf3X1OGwYw?e=DqgEX1
other car parked under the sign post: https://1drv.ms/i/c/abbb5761eac5e259/EW1Pe_kowJpHq9OxkpGTPdwB8BqhcP9MalTIn-Iw7DMKKg?e=AgrGuj
Other car parked right behind mine and fined: https://1drv.ms/i/c/abbb5761eac5e259/EbbA_CJmvhdIvLSqFYWyzFMBG5rZsKVkUIdsu90OXgD40Q?e=oaxHMg
Other car parked behind mine: https://1drv.ms/i/c/abbb5761eac5e259/ETk6hyn1kUFNu-qGJWmSsWkBZagXIwFFJkZkniBjf7AAog?e=4qkO0h

Here is the whole folder with photos:   
https://1drv.ms/f/c/abbb5761eac5e259/EkIOwMPbaCxOljScTfa1aKAB1KDduZ9H6bHime9fW7qK0g?e=kDg4af

this is the location of the parking space, it shows no signs were previously in place: https://www.google.co.uk/maps/place/1+Ridsdale+Rd,+Anerley,+London+SE20+8AG/@51.4122165,-0.0661722,3a,75y,180h,90t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1swTyQBcLlMrivUwNjkzPRzw!2e0!6shttps:%2F%2Fstreetviewpixels-pa.googleapis.com%2Fv1%2Fthumbnail%3Fcb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile%26w%3D900%26h%3D600%26pitch%3D0%26panoid%3DwTyQBcLlMrivUwNjkzPRzw%26yaw%3D180!7i16384!8i8192!4m15!1m8!3m7!1s0x4876016b1aabc419:0xb1e024950726582b!2s1+Ridsdale+Rd,+Anerley,+London+SE20+8AG!3b1!8m2!3d51.4122963!4d-0.0662343!16s%2Fg%2F11c25hcr5l!3m5!1s0x4876016b1aabc419:0xb1e024950726582b!8m2!3d51.4122963!4d-0.0662343!16s%2Fg%2F11c25hcr5l?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI1MTAwMS4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D

If the sign was OK to enforce facing the wrong way why did they turn it back.

I have just went to the same place to check the signage again and can see that the parking sign is still turned away from the road. It looks like someone is tampering with this sign as the metal tape the sign is fixed on appears to be tampered with. There are no other signs on that road apart from the Enterprise Car club sign at the top of the road, that sign was there for a long time and applies to a couple of designated places. There is also an empty pole just opposite the entrance into the train station (with nothing on it), this pole is maybe about 15-20 meters away from the pole with the turned away parking notice sign on. It is unclear whether this sign is in operation as there are no other visible signs there. If it is in operation, then it would be a very recent change - a couple of weeks max, before there was no restriction whatsoever. And the fact that there is another blue signage related to the train station on the same pole, it diverts attention and obscures the parking signage especially that it is turned away from the road.
https://ibb.co/TqHTk5K9
https://ibb.co/n8Y32rMH
https://ibb.co/p6yn0qCx
https://ibb.co/5xRZbsD6
https://ibb.co/PsR4wQL6
https://ibb.co/NnL6VsX2
https://ibb.co/6Jc2s4vY
https://ibb.co/YxmYNbw

Hello, after submitting my appeal and a long wait, I finally received the council’s reply letter of rejection. Exactly as you said, they pointed out that it’s driver’s responsibility to check the signs. I was also observing this sign for a while after that unlucky day, the sign is still turned away from the road, many more drivers get caught into this trap. It must have happened to others as people stopped parking on that road, but the sign still turned away and practically invisible to drivers from the road.
However, the question is whether there is a chance to cancel this ticket? Thank you for your advice.

OP, what makes you think that pointing to the road is a legal requirement anyway?

IMO, it isn't.

As your obligation was to not leave the parking place until you had determined how to park lawfully, then forwards or backwards makes no difference in law IMO.

Do not risk the discount on your theory please.

The markings indicate that this is a parking place. The obligations on a motorist are to look for a regulatory sign and comply with its requirements.

I'm sorry, but any driver who parks in a parking place and doesn't make any reasonable effort to discover the restriction is asking for trouble. Most motorists exiting their car on the traffic as opposed to pavement side are not likely to walk in traffic to look for a forward facing sign. They'd go to the pavement at which point an inwards facing sign is actually more visible and arguably placed more logically, certainly more conveniently. Hardly a 'trap for motorists' who actually try to discover what's on the sign.

If you the RK, then the next notice, the Notice to Owner which demands payment, would be sent to you.

Unless there are actual defects in the PCN, then IMO we're looking at prospective procedural c**k-ups in order to make it worthwhile risking the discount.

The bay markings are in poor shape and from Maps view last May it looks the parking sign was missing.

Are you saying someone turned the sign back after the CEO put it the right way? Although you don't know for sure it was the wrong way to start with.

I think you have a good case if as it seems someone is messing with the sign, plus the markings are poorly maintained. It looks like you are straddling a double divider too.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/pBEA7wvZHKLcfqkV8

I am considering to write a complaint letter to the council about this.