Rules on change of definition of parking zone

dcbradley

I have lived in the Reading area for the last 20 years.... There have been a number of areas where it was possible to have 1 or 2 hours free parking.

Last weekend I parked in one of these areas and was very surprised to see a PCN on my windscreen when I returned to my car.

Turns out that the zone definition changed on 31st October 2010.... So as the replacement signs were virtually identical to the previous signs - how am I expected to know of this change?

I have passed an informal appeal to the PCN to Reading Council - this has been rejected on the basis that the zone signs stated need for Pay and Display ticket - this is true, however - how am I suppose to know the sign has changed?

Do Reading Council not have a duty to warn people of changes? Without warning I fell this is some form of entrapment...

Vote time now- should I proceed with an appeal or just take the hit and pay the reduced ticket price of £25?

Thanks for any feedback on this...

peter_the_piper

As I understand it, a council has to advertise changes in the local papers. Did they do so? If unsure check with paper and council.

dcbradley

Thanks for advice - I'll contact the Chronicle and see what was advertised:)

dcbradley

Paper has replied - seems an ad was placed and it did detail the changes to the zone where I parked:(

Guess I'll just have to pay up the £25 now..... still feels unfair though!

taffy056

dcbradley wrote: »

Paper has replied - seems an ad was placed and it did detail the changes to the zone where I parked:(

Guess I'll just have to pay up the £25 now..... still feels unfair though!

Still the traffic order may be wrong, so get it from the council , or the signs not legal, post on pepipoo.com in a new thread before you pay, scan the ticket and upload to tinypic removing personal info, and take pictures of the bay and signs and do the same.

Coupon-mad

dcbradley wrote: »

Paper has replied - seems an ad was placed and it did detail the changes to the zone where I parked:(

Guess I'll just have to pay up the £25 now..... still feels unfair though!

I would never just pay a Council PCN, now that I have seen the success that pepipoo has.

Most cases which are appealed to the adjudicator win, and most cases posted about on pepipoo win. Just because a paper had an advert about a CPZ doesn't mean you haven't got other grounds for appeal. MOST well-planned appeals win, just ask on pepipoo:

http://forums.pepipoo.com/index.php?showforum=30

Read the pepipoo FAQs and sticky threads at the top first, and read a few other Council PCN threads (maybe search for your Council and find relevant threads about PCNs from there). Then register and post your own thread, with pics of the front and back of the PCN (all the small print but no car ID) and a pic of the lines & signs (the whole bay and the wording of the sign).

HTH