Free Traffic Legal Advice

Hello there,

I received a parking fine from LB H&F on a Saturday that was also an event day.

Summary of issue:
I understood the sign at the roadside to mean that on an event day that was a Saturday (ie. not the Monday to Friday in the upper part of the sign), I could park for 2 hours for free, between the hours of 9am - 10pm. My car was seen between 16.07 and 16.18 on an event day (Saturday). I received a PCN.
According to the PCN I was supposed to pay to park for a maximum of 2 hours on a Saturday event day. This was not clear to me based on the roadside signage, that makes no reference to a Saturday at all, and makes no reference to paying on event days.
Have I completely misunderstood the sign and therefore should pay the fine, or is there any reasonable grounds to appeal? I would have thought that a reasonable person would not understand from the roadside sign that they needed to pay on an event day Saturday.

Roadsign, PCN and reply to initial appeal in pictures. Sorry, I did an initial appeal, and yes I've left it a while to do this..... can't go back in time.

Link to pics: https://imgpile.com/p/CsfTUl1#jykBswg
Location: https://maps.app.goo.gl/CtGzpLyw5HSoDrrh9

Thank you

Thank you for your comment.

I'll be honest, I don't understand how the sign makes it clear that I have to pay on a Saturday (event day), but perhaps my brain doesn't work in the same way as the majorities! 
For my understanding, are you able to explain to me how the sign is clear that I must pay on a Saturday event day?

Thank you

There you are, a contrary view !  For me the sign seems clear, but it may not be in accordance with the regulations on signs. Bear in mind the council will refuse your reps, so you'd have to take them to London Tribunals to test the matter. This means the discount option is lost.

This is the zone you were in. I can't see any event zone entry signs but Google Maps isn't up to date enough around there. I can see some match day zone entries but I think they are for other zones possibly for Chelsea not Fulham.

I think the parking sign is inadequate in ambiguity and given the council has not referenced zone signs I can't see they can enforce this or at least may not be able to produce evidence to show the tribunal.

Thanks Stamfordman.

I can't say I have ever noticed any event zone signs there, but I could be wrong, and don't go there enough to go and check unfortunately. Like you say, GSV is outdated.

When you say tribunal, do you know what that would consist of?

Thank you

A case refused in this zone.

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Case reference   225039353A
Appellant   Oliver Buckley
Authority   London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham
VRM   GK13GFY
PCN Details
PCN   HZ78497846
Contravention date   06 Apr 2025
Contravention time   15:45:00
Contravention location   Lochaline Street
Penalty amount   GBP 130.00
Contravention   Parked resident/shared use without a valid permit
Referral date   -
Decision Date   24 Nov 2025
Adjudicator   Mackenzie Robinson
Appeal decision   Appeal refused
Direction   Full penalty charge notice amount stated to be paid within 28 days.
Reasons   
Mr Buckley appeals on two main grounds. Firstly he was parked approximately a mile away from the football ground in which the events are held. Given the size of London, it is not reasonable to expect that a driver parking in this area should have to bear in mind sporting events held a mile away. One would therefore not expect to see signage referring to events in the football ground in this area. Secondly he maintains that the signage at this location is ambiguous. There is a sign on the right-hand side of the road as one proceeds down Fulham Palace Road which is behind some scaffolding, but still readable. There is no indication of any restriction by reference to event days on that sign. There is then no signage in Lochaline Road itself which gives any information about event days.
Mr Winters spoke for the council during the hearing. He recounted a detailed conversation he had had with someone in the council with knowledge or developments in the area. That person was able to say that the sign to which Mr Buckley referred was not visible in April. It was covered by builder’s screens which were mounted on the scaffolding on the building. It had only become visible in the last few weeks when the screening was removed. (Mr Buckley accepted that his photograph was taken recently, after receiving the council's bundle of evidence.)
Mr Winters, with reference to the map that have been provided by the council, argued that there were three signs in place at that time on Fulham Palace Road marking the beginning of Zone T, and that drivers could reasonably be expected to notice them, with their stickers advertising the event days, and realize that they were the signs most applicable to parking in Lochaline Street.
I did not give my decision during the hearing, and both the council and Mr Buckley agreed to me consulting Google Maps Street View before making my decision. I have now done so. Firstly I make it clear that I am aware that the most relevant images on Google Maps are dated October 2025, and therefore do not indicate what the scene looked like in April. However the street view in general does give me useful guidance as to how a driver might approach the area and see signage.
The images do show the sign to which Mr Buckley refers, partially visible through scaffolding. I find that it would be difficult for a driver on the opposite side of the road to see and properly read this sign passing it at normal driving speed. This is also the sign which the council are quite sure was covered by the white plastic screening earlier this year. The images also show the sign on the near side, close to the junction with St Dunstan’s Road. The sign has a sticker giving the date of an event, and I have also seen the record produced by the Council that an officer checked all of the signs on the date of the alleged contravention, and confirmed that the stickers were present.
I must decide whether the situation, looked at as a whole, gave adequate warning to drivers regarding the restriction in place. I see no reason to doubt the evidence provided by Mr Winters’ colleague that the sign to which Mr Buckley referred was covered up at the time. The account given by Mr Winters of what he heard was detailed and compelling. The photographic evidence produced by Mr Buckley was taken after receiving the council's bundle, and does not represent what the scene looked like in April. I therefore find that there was more than one sign present at the border of the zone, and that those signs did have stickers advertising the event day. Mr Buckley parked a relatively short distance inside the Zone. I am therefore satisfied that a driver in his position would have been given adequate warning by the signage, even if the area was a considerable distance away from the football ground in which the events were being held. I accept that this was an inadvertent error by Mr Buckley, but the signs were there to be seen. I am therefore satisfied that this contravention did occur.
This appeal is therefore dismissed, but I note that the council is willing to accept the penalty at the discounted rate. This should be paid within 21 days. If it is not paid in that time, the penalty will revert to the full amount, to be paid within 28 days.