Thank you for the very helpful replies & apologies that I've not been able to respond earlier.
I'm not local (live in Maidenhead) & I don't drive here regularly; it's unlikely that I'll be going along here again before 17th Feb but I will take a photo of it if I do.
A draft reply is attached, & thank you for reading & considering it.
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To Whom It May Concern,
PCN HZ901934987
This PCN refers to an infringement made on 13th Jan. I request that this PCN be reviewed & cancelled for the reasons given below.
I've been using Rivercourt Road occasionally for several years on the rare times that I drive into London (perhaps 6-8 times per year) & I drove through it on 13th Jan, unaware of any new restrictions. If there was any signage about the new restrictions, I didn't notice it & I'd contend that it wasn't close to adequate.
After receiving the PCN I’ve checked Google & found information about the scheme:
https://www.lbhf.gov.uk/news/2024/11/making-rivercourt-road-safer I have absolutely no argument that the scheme is well merited & I'd support it if I lived locally. The start date of the scheme isn't given in this leaflet, nor have I been able to find this information elsewhere, therefore it’s impossible to know when the 3 weeks warning period expires. Further, the scheme leaflet itself states that nearly 80% of people going through Rivercourt Road aren't local residents & that warnings will be issued for only 3 weeks (start & end dates not mentioned). Given that LBHF know nearly 80% of drivers using Rivercourt Road aren't local, LBHF must also know that many will not go through Rivercourt Road within the 3-week warning period & so graduate immediately onto a PCN without prior warning.
I drove down this stretch of the A4 again on 25th January (avoiding Rivercourt Road!) & the only signage on the A4 prior to turning into Rivercourt Road was a single temporary sign which states (I think) that there is a new restriction 70 yards ahead. It was one of those yellow-surround temporary signs mounted on a trailer with light-bulb type lettering that you usually find for a few days when there's roadworks (there's probably a name for these types of signs but I don't know what it is). Even travelling at just under the 40 mph speed limit, having deliberately positioned myself in the nearside lane, & being consciously on the look-out for signage I still found it very hard to read what was on the sign in the time available to see it. I can't say if this sign was in place when I drove there on 13th January, but it's far too close to Rivercourt Road, not prominent enough & I'm sure it would be close to illegible after dusk or in poor visibility such as fog & rain (i.e. common winter driving conditions).
I did see one further sign at the entrance to Rivercourt Road – which I didn’t notice on 13th Jan - but any car close enough to read it would be causing a danger to themselves & others by trying to obey it & reverse back out onto the A4.
As stated I have absolutely no argument with the new scheme, but given the poor signage & an insufficient warning period I feel this has been implemented in a way that's designed to entrap motorists rather than educate them about new changes. I would therefore like to appeal against this charge & ask LBHF to amend the way they're managing this scheme so they educate motorists rather than seek to maximise the number they penalise.
Finally, please note I'm going to be ex-UK for 3 months from 17th Feb so I won't be able to respond to any postal correspondence after that & I therefore request any further communication with me should be via the email address shown on this letter
Thank you for your kind consideration of my request to waive the PCN charge given the circumstances I’ve outlined.
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