Free Traffic Legal Advice

Hello all,

Parked on a weird bit of tarmac next to the road to load (pick up food).  Hard to describe in words (see pics), but it's an area between the cycleway and the road proper, which is also used to access the construction site to the left.  The surface is level with the road, although it does have some inset bricks to mark the edge.  I wasn't blocking the side road because there's an offset (and it's quite wide anyway).  Also there are hatched markings, although they look a bit odd.

No signs of any kind that I could see.  I'll be honest, I thought it might be private land given it's such a big office/commercial development around that area, but I saw no signs, wasn't inconveniencing anyone else, and thought it would be fine.



PCN info:

PCN number: PN25190367
Vehicle registration: MK71ZPW
Date of contravention: 04/03/2026
Location: Honour Lea Avenue, opp hse 5, Stratford
Contravention code: 62 - Parked with one or more wheels on or over a footpath or any part of a road other than a carriageway
Issuing authority: London Borough of Newham






Other pics

Still waiting on Newham to upload, but here's one I took in the interim:





Location

Google Street View is quite useless because it looks totally different now (see pics), but here is where I actually parked:

https://maps.app.goo.gl/xFdRfaAxkaMUp7c47

And here is what the PCN lists as the location:

https://maps.app.goo.gl/xh9WxaVKCr48wamq8


Point(s) of appeal

Location stated is totally wrong.  It references Honour Lea Avenue, whereas I was parked on Westfield Avenue.  Think that's fatal enough for this PCN, but I wonder if I could get your learned opinions on this spot in general, since I often have to pick things up from this location.

Ultimately I would say this is in fact a carriageway.  It's there for access to the site and surely we don't put hatched markings for pedestrians on footways, only on roads for vehicles.  Thoughts?

Yeah, I'll probably just do an informal rep on that basis, hopefully they'll give in quick and not draw the whole thing out. 

Actually I think they have newer street view now, not sure why it wasn't showing in my link before:

https://maps.app.goo.gl/mpdZg3YqAMYVjqQB7



It's like this at present but they removed the dashed lines and added the hatchings on the RHS.  The access and gate are still there though, so it's funny that it used to be explicitly marked as a side road with the same bricks/leveling.  At least I think it's marked as a side road, since all the other bays are much more properly marked.  Raised kerbs at both sides as well.

The car on street view is where I was parked too.  Actually I've been parking here since the old markings with no problems, just always assumed it was a hodge podge bit of private land.