Free Traffic Legal Advice

I've said it all in my draft letter. The scans are here:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1CqXV5K_xs04GyQwRYR_mQkIP21pyKgx2
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1deIwIs35diJkY4DdLWyw3G1ONqdZLmCu

GSV: https://www.google.com/maps/@51.5405375,-0.142168,3a,90y,68.9h,78.49t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1s5WjcFh-JYaeuzimHtaKigw!2e0!6shttps:%2F%2Fstreetviewpixels-pa.googleapis.com%2Fv1%2Fthumbnail%3Fcb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile%26w%3D900%26h%3D600%26pitch%3D11.509491520105101%26panoid%3D5WjcFh-JYaeuzimHtaKigw%26yaw%3D68.89729515006772!7i16384!8i8192?coh=205410&entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI0MTAwOC4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D

Draft letter:

I received a PCN because Camden Council had recently changed the parking hours for the bay I was parked in.

I have been parking in this same bay on average at least once a week for more than 20 years, and had no reason to believe that my car was parked in a bay that required payment at that time. There were no warning signs at any point that bring it to the motorist’s attention that the parking hours have changed. Further, the parking signage is at the far end of the bay, more than 20 metres from my car.

Having checked on Camden Council’s website, I see that I can download a PDF map from the
following URL: https://www.camden.gov.uk/documents/20142/4207063/CPZ-Web+(1).pdf

This map shows that the parking hours of the CPZ CA-F(n) are between 08:30 and 18:30. This is incorrect, as according to the CPZ signage the parking hours have been extended to 23:00.

Further, I can see that on the page that covers Residents, Paid for parking, Pay by Phone, Shared-Use bays traffic orders for zone CA-F: https://www.camden.gov.uk/cpz-orders#avws
the Traffic Management Order displays the times for this bay (10560) as “MONDAY - FRIDAY: 8.30AM - 6.30PM, SATURDAY, SUNDAY: 9.30AM - 5.30PM”.

The council have therefore provided contradictory messaging on their website to the signage and this is a procedural impropriety. I therefore ask you to cancel this PCN.
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Notes / questions:

My observation about the CPZ is possibly off-topic, but the restricted hours of the CPZs always seem to be aligned with the hours of the parking bays and motorists should be able to rely on this as a guide.

Another point I could raise is that repeater signs should be every 30 metres, and the spirit of that law is that no car will be further than 15m from a sign. My car is 20m from that sign and according to Greenslade in Antonio Prendi v London Borough of Camden (2100346960, 30 September 2010), "motorists cannot be expected to traipse the streets looking for signs".

I expect Camden will probably reject, and it will go to London Tribunals.

Any advice before sending?

Let's face it, Camden are shite, but this actually means they make more money !

I presume you mean 5 October without issue. It may be they were giving some grace but maybe hadn't done all the zone entry and bay signs.

I think your best bet is to try a polite ask on the surprise as it's so soon after the change.

The tribunal can't use discretion if Camden wants your money but they would probably have to prove to the adjudicator's satisfaction that all new signage was in place.

There is a point in clear advance signage for a new moving traffic restriction but a bay sign is a bay sign. But I expect good practice by some authorities is to put up some signs about new CPZ times particularly on the entry signs.

It's an experimental order so not made permanent but became operational for the time being on 7 October.

Camden puts recently advertised traffic management proposals here and this one as per the Gazette item I posted was done on 26 Sett:

https://www.camden.gov.uk/recently-advertised-proposals