Successful though grudging result:
"The parking tickets were issued because the vehicle was not parked correctly within the bay. The legislation requires that, when a vehicle is parked in a parking bay, every part of that vehicle must be contained within the bay markings. The Parking Attendant has recorded that the vehicle was not wholly contained within the parking bay.
The residents parking permit only authorises you to park your vehicle in any vacant permit, shared use or public parking place within your zone during permitted hours. Unless the vehicle is fully within the appropriate bay it has no legal status, and the residents permit contains no guarantee that the holder will be able to park in or near the street in which the holder resides. The responsibility is with the driver to check the bay markings before leaving the vehicle parked. The very existence of bay markings makes parking within them self evident.
We will cancel the parking tickets as a courtesy on this occasion. Any future tickets issued under the same circumstances will not be cancelled as the regulations have now been confirmed to you."
I'd be tempted to write back:
Dear Edinburgh Council,
You state in your cancellation letter that "The legislation requires that, when a vehicle is parked in a parking bay, every part of that vehicle must be contained within the bay markings", I am not aware of any such legislation. Please could you provide me a copy, or give me the link on legislation.gov.uk where this legislation can be found, so that I may educate myself?
Yours faithfully,
Draft reps:
Dear City of Edinburgh Council,
I dispute liability because the alleged contravention did not occur. The highways authority is required to convey the effects of the traffic order to the attention of motorists, but nothing on the traffic signs conveys the requirement to park within the bay markings, and the permit's terms and conditions published at www.edinburgh.gov.uk/downloads/file/26050/residents-parking-permit-terms-and-conditions do not mention any such requirement.
It follows that the alleged contravention did not occur and the penalty charge must be cancelled.
Yours faithfully,
Send them online and keep a screenshot of the confirmation screem.
Thanks, have submitted and will update when I have responses.
Draft reps:
Dear City of Edinburgh Council,
I dispute liability because the alleged contravention did not occur. The highways authority is required to convey the effects of the traffic order to the attention of motorists, but nothing on the traffic signs conveys the requirement to park within the bay markings, and the permit's terms and conditions published at www.edinburgh.gov.uk/downloads/file/26050/residents-parking-permit-terms-and-conditions do not mention any such requirement.
It follows that the alleged contravention did not occur and the penalty charge must be cancelled.
Yours faithfully,
Send them online and keep a screenshot of the confirmation screem.