@stamfordman@H C Andersen Thanks for all the input.
I'm posting a follow-up to my previous message to provide some additional evidence that really highlights the extent of this curling problem.
I've laid all my permits side-by-side for a direct comparison. The attached picture shows all my Medway permits for the last 3 years - 2023, 2024, and 2025. As you can see, they are all severely curled, forming an arch. This isn't a minor issue; it makes them impossible to lie flat.
The other pictures are of my other permits for the last 4 years, which are made of pure paper. They remain perfectly flat and fully readable.
The photo of the back of the Medway permit clearly shows how the lamination has tightened and distorted, much worse than the front.
This side-by-side comparison proves the point conclusively. The problem is not how I store them or the holder in which they are displayed—it is 100% the laminated plastic backing on the resident permits.
The lamination on the back is the root cause, which is why the back consistently curls much more severely than the front. This creates a tight roll that makes the permit impossible to display flat. The curl is consistently worse on the laminated back, proving the material itself is the cause.
When we used to have paper tax discs that were displayed on windscreens for years, they had no curling issues because they were fully paper.
The sun and the car temperature cause the laminate to shrink and curl irreversibly after a few months.
This is a consistent, predictable flaw affecting every single one of these permits issued across multiple years. The council needs to address this poor material choice, as it is directly leading to unfair PCNs for residents.
My Resident Permit had curled to the point of being partially unreadable or hard to read from a distance.
Is this a predictable material flaw, and is the council at fault for using a material unfit for its intended environment (a car windscreen)?
By using this inferior laminated material, the council has created a situation where a legally displayed permit becomes non-compliant through no fault of the resident.
This feels like a design flaw that is unfairly penalizing residents.
A valid permit should not become non-compliant due to a material choice made by the council. The fault lies with the permit's inability to withstand its intended environment, not with my conduct as a permit holder.
I need your opinion or input on this specific point:
Any opinion or shared experience you can provide that supports this "design flaw" argument will be invaluable for my appeal.
Thank you for your help.
https://ibb.co/9khJjhBqhttps://ibb.co/3yY738YZhttps://ibb.co/wNC6kstGhttps://ibb.co/G4mHHDjchttps://ibb.co/YqyzJdy (Picture taken Jan 25 when permit was less than a month one month old. Permit was nice and flat)
https://ibb.co/C3XW35dQhttps://ibb.co/9mq5KJbn https://ibb.co/v4NZBpKk https://ibb.co/RkWH9Rx5