Council Ticket: Not Parked In Marked Bay - Blue Badge Holder

DJBenson

I parked my car as I do every morning on the council car park opposite my office. I have a council-issued pass for that car park and am also a blue badge holder.

I park in a disabled bay (one of only two) where to my right are other cars and to the left is a hatched area. I drive a large-ish car (Nissan Qashqai - don't judge me) and if I parked exactly in the lines, I would not get my door open to get myself out of the car.

I have come out to my car tonight, driven off and only then noticed they'd stuck a PCN to the bottom left of my windscreen - it's been issued for not parking in a marked bay.

So yes, my left wheels overshoot the line (by inches) so that I can safely get out of my car without injuring myself or damaging my car or the other person's car. I might even argue they push the boundaries of what one could reasonably describe as 'accessible' unless everybody in Stoke drives a Smart Car

I'm annoyed I didn't see it before as I would have been able to take a picture of my position, but I will have dashcam footage and can take a photo in the morning if I get there early enough.

Any point in appealing this? I feel really hard done by because it was literally inches over the line, and it's not as if that space was a parking bay itself. How exactly do they expect me to get out of the car? Not a defense in itself but I've been parking that way for over a year where I've needed to

It's Stoke on Trent council if that matters.

DJBenson

Ah, I seem to recall it may be better to head over to PePiPoo for council tickets so I've done that.

Coupon-mad

Good luck, tell us when you win!

DJBenson

So after a bit of posturing by Stoke on Trent City Council, they have backed down and accepted my explanation and cancelled the PCN. However, never one to step away from a fight, I am in the process of taking the council to task over their non compliance of the provision of the disabled parking spaces on the car park on which I received the PCN - they are well short of not only national guidelines but indeed Stoke's own publicised standards.

The city councillor and MP are also involved but I may be back on other area's of MSE if that complaint requires escalation



Here's the full thread on PePiPoo with the basis of my whole appeal/complaint.

Coupon-mad

Good for you - worth fighting for more disabled bays, and there are meant to be some hatched markings either side of disabled bays in a car park anyway, to allow people to get out and open the door wide, if need be.

DJBenson

My beef is that they ticketed me for being two inches over the line when their bays are almost 12 inches narrower than they should be, excluding any additional hatching which should be provided to the side and rear.

I think they know the bays aren't complaint so didn't bother letting this one run, but over the course of the last few months, I've seen quite a few people ticketed for the same "offence". I feel like nipping over and leaving a note on their windscreens pointing to my thread