West End stars sign petition against parking charges

Oct 30th, 2011

Some of theatre’s biggest stars have signed a petition against plans to introduce evening and Sunday parking charges in London’s West End.

Actors Tom Conti, Linda Bellingham, Bill Paterson and Roger Lloyd Pack have signed the petition against Westminster City Council’s plans.

The Tory council intends to introduce parking charges of up to £4.80 an hour.

Tory councillor Lee Rowley said the council would treat the petition “the same as any other”.

‘Financial hardship’
More than 7,700 people have signed the petition that will be delivered to the council on 2 November.

Conti, who is also famous for his on screen role in Shirley Valentine, said: “In a time of such financial hardship for so many people, this action by Westminster Council that will harm so many businesses and therefore those who work in them, is criminally irresponsible.”

Bellingham, who recently appeared in the stage version of Calendar Girls, said: “Let us encourage families and older citizens to our theatres and galleries and make the cost at least a little less and also the worry of time and meters and fear of a ticket.”

Cllr Rowley, cabinet member for parking and transport, said: “We look forward to receiving this petition and will treat it the same as any other.

“The decision the council has made balances the views of residents, businesses and visitors with that data and the legal responsibilities that we have.

“The changes affect only around a quarter of Westminster.

“If anyone wants to continue to park for free in central London, they will still be able to do so just a stones’ throw from Oxford Circus.”

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Tagged: london parking · parking in London · parking in westminster

Greenwich Council could issue parking fines of £1,000 during London 2012 Olympics

Oct 27th, 2011

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Greenwich Council is seeking permission to bring in enhanced penalties of between £500 and £1,000 during the Olympics in certain parts of the borough.

The proposal has been made to London Councils, an umbrella organisation of all the London boroughs, which is looking to toughen up parking control for the duration of the Games to counter the congestion likely to occur during the event.

Greenwich council has put forward recommendations for the highest penalties of between £500 and £1,000, although the locations where people could be fined have yet to be determined. If the council is allowed to issue such heavy fines, they are likely to be around Greenwich Park, which will host equestrian events for both the Olympics and Paralympics.

Newham council is seeking to introduce fines of at least £200, while Hackney wants to increase fines but has not yet submitted any figures.

London Councils believes there are two options available to councils to deter people from parking illegally – increasing the number of vehicles towed away or increasing the financial penalties given to drivers.

The group found most councils had “little or no interest” in the two methods.

A report to be presented to London Councils’ Leaders’ Committee next week said: “It is important to note, though, that those boroughs seeking enhancements for the Games are Hackney, Newham and Greenwich – all of whom are likely to experience a dramatic local increase in parking demand.

“Leaders may wish to consider localising any recommendations to this area of London.”

The three boroughs all supported increasing fines, while Newham and Hackney also supported increasing towing away.

London Councils’ Leaders’ Committee will meet on Tuesday, October 11.

The group’s Transport and Environment Committee is then due to decide later this year or at the beginning of next on any changes in parking controls in all boroughs. These will then have to be approved by the Mayor of London and the Secretary of State for Transport.

Changes specific to just one or a few boroughs will also need special approval.

Special parking penalties will be set for the duration of the Games on the Olympic Route Network (ORN). London Councils’ report said: “Ministers have previously told Parliament that penalties on the ORN would not exceed £300 and are likely to agree to £200.”

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Saturday parking charges in Merton Park dropped after huge opposition

Oct 21st, 2011

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Council plans to charge for Saturday parking in residential streets have been dropped, as a survey suggests massive opposition to the idea.

Research by the Merton Park Ward Residents’ Association (MPWRA) found 88 per cent of residents in the ward opposed the extension of Controlled Parking Zones (CPZs) from Monday to Friday to Monday to Saturday.

Earlier this year Labour-controlled Merton Council proposed making the change in 10 CPZs across the borough, but last week the authority said it would only do so if streets demanded more restrictions.

The survey, the results of which were published on Monday, attracted 632 replies from residents in the three areas of the ward that have a CPZ – near Circle Gardens, in Wimbledon Chase north of Kingston Road and towards Morden between Crown Lane, Martin Way and London Road.

A spokesman for MPWRA, which is represented on the council by the Merton Park Independents, said: “Overall, the message to Merton Council could hardly be clearer – scrap these proposals to extend parking controls to Saturdays.”

They added residents rejected Saturday charging because weekend congestion was not an issue in the area, and more measures would simply be a money-making exercise.

Minutes from a February meeting of the council’s overview and scrutiny panel outline a plan to implement new tariffs and charge hours.

But Councillor Andrew Judge, cabinet member for the environment, said changes to CPZs would only be made at the request of communities and if consultations showed they had public backing.

He claimed rolling out Saturday extensions “willy-nilly” had never been his party’s policy.

Councillor Debbie Shears, leader of the council’s Conservative group, said Labour were “just hitting the motorist every way they can”.

Conservative councillor David Dean attacked the independents for backing this year’s council budget, which included extra revenue from Saturday CPZs in £138,000 of parking savings, arguing they should have joined his party in trying to “vote this dreadful policy down”.

Independent councillor John Sargeant said the party had “compromised” on the issue to get the budget passed.

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Thousands have parking fines refunded by Richmond Council

Oct 20th, 2011

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Wrongly issued parking tickets making £1.1 million will be refunded by a London council.

Campaigners believe an admission by Richmond upon Thames council that its mobile CCTV vans had the wrong kind of cameras installed could open the door to a flood of other claims across the capital.

Conservative-run Richmond has apologised after being caught out by a campaigning motorist, who showed that more than 20,000 penalty fines were invalid.

But the council has refused to give the money back automatically and said wronged motorists must apply for it.

Nigel Wise, 59, managed to get his £100 ticket overturned on a technicality because using the wrong camera invalidated his ticket.

Mr Wise, a carer, believes his case could lead to thousands of similar penalties being cancelled across London.

It is estimated that up to £10?million of tickets are issued city-wide by the CCTV vehicles every year. There are 43 cars, usually Smart or Toyota, equipped with CCTV in at least 24 boroughs, according to civil liberties group Big Brother Watch.

A tribunal at the Parking and Traffic Appeals Service in Islington overturned Mr Wise’s penalty in a landmark ruling in April. The Richmond resident claims to have unearthed evidence of similar errors at councils across the capital.

The invalid Richmond tickets were issued between June 2009 and this April. Drivers must apply for the refund. Richmond said that despite the tickets falling outside its 28-day appeal period it was offering the refunds in accordance with its “Fair Parking” policy.

Mr Wise said: “It’s great news and a victory for common sense.

“But the council should repay that money proactively because a lot of people may not live in the borough. It’s wrong that people should have to apply for refunds because the council has no right to keep this money.”

Richmond’s leader, Lord True, said: “It may be argued that many of the actions of the drivers concerned were contraventions. Had the cameras been properly certified most would have been.

“But they were not. I am grateful to the citizens who pointed out this error and regret that earlier action was not taken to address their warnings. Management action has been taken to ensure this will not recur.

“A public authority has a duty to act correctly and, when faults are pointed out, to address them. We failed that vital standard.”

Conservative-run Richmond raised more than £573,000 last year from 12,305 tickets issued through mobile CCTV.

Peter Ashford of the London Motorists’ Action Group said: “When a council has obtained money by unlawful means, it’s not finders’ keepers and they should return it straight away.”

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Parking Charges Lead to Suspension of Park Lane Antiques Fair

Oct 19th, 2011

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Changes in parking regulations in the West End of London have forced Jenny Glanville of KM Fairs to shelve her monthly antiques fair at the Park Lane Hotel on Piccadilly – the fixture started by her mother Kate Marlowe 35 years ago.

On an experimental basis starting on January 9, parking changes rolled out across the West End by Westminster Council will see the end of free parking on single yellow lines in the evenings and all day on Sundays. The new hours of control will be from 6.30pm to midnight from Monday to Saturday and from 1pm to 6pm on Sunday.

Talking to ATG, Jenny Glanville said: “My fair at the Park Lane Hotel runs from 11am to 5pm on a Sunday and people can park up the road on single yellow lines by the Royal Academy all day. While it’s OK for the trade who come early, it’s likely to be a problem for many of my visitors and also for exhibitors. So my fair on October 16 was the last for the time being until I see how it works out. My feeling is that the parking changes will be so unpopular that the council will have to rethink them.”

Liam Brooker, senior policy officer with the council’s strategy unit, told ATG: “Our research clearly shows that traffic in the West End does not follow traditional rush hour patterns. Some of the streets are busier at 10pm than at 10am. Occupancy in the West End is at its highest on Sundays and we are therefore changing the hours of control to reflect prevailing conditions as part of a long term parking review.”

The council denies that the changes are linked to a budget black hole of £22m. It is illegal for councils to increase parking charges to raise revenue, but it is reported that extending the hours of control in central London would certainly add an extra £5.8m to the council coffers in the financial year 2012/13.

The planned changes have caused fierce opposition from businesses in the West End, particularly theatres, cinemas, clubs, restaurants and hotels, while Mayor Boris Johnson, who has no formal jurisdiction over the council, has warned that the West End’s economy could be damaged.

For the moment, it leaves Jenny Glanville with one remaining fair, at the Rembrandt Hotel in South Kensington.

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Free Saturday parking in Islington before Christmas

Oct 18th, 2011

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Traders in Islington have welcomed plans by the council to open up free parking to shoppers on Saturdays, it has been revealed, which could also benefit the friends and relatives who come to visit their loved ones who live in the borough around Christmas time.

Indeed, as shops prepare for people to start their Christmas shopping, Islington Council has agreed that drivers can use pay-and-display bays for free on the three Saturdays before Christmas, the Islington Gazette reported.

People who are looking to rent property in Islington could find this helps their own shopping endeavours, as well as enabling friends and family to enjoy free parking in the run-up to the festive season.

Councillor Terry Stacy, leader of the council, told the newspaper: “We hope that this free parking trial will be a big boost in the run-up to Christmas for Islington’s traders and shoppers alike.”

Meanwhile, people looking for property to rent in London’s boroughs could soon find a Waitrose comes to them, after the grocer announced an expansion plan. The supermarket can already be found in a number of London boroughs including Islington.

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West End parking bans delayed for Christmas

Oct 18th, 2011

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Tough new parking controls in Westminster have been postponed to avoid confusing thousands of shoppers flooding into London at Christmas.

The council had planned to extend the hours of control in the West End from December 1. The moves included a ban on parking on single yellow lines in central areas in the evenings and on Sundays.

But today Westminster said it would delay all the changes until January 9, claiming it would help thousands of extra motorists visiting the capital during the festive season – including those travelling in to see the Oxford Street lights.

Westminster will also now instruct its parking attendants to operate a “cooling-off” period. From January 9 to 23 they will be told to issue warning notices instead of fines in areas where changes are being introduced.

“It is just common sense for us,” said Lee Rowley, cabinet member for parking and transport. “We took the decision to delay implementation until January following advice from business and other groups. They told us that infrequent Christmas visitors may find changes introduced in December very confusing.”

He added: “Similarly we do not wish to introduce new charges at the same time as the congestion charge ‘holiday’ during the Christmas break. We will monitor the impact of extended hours of control before a decision is made on whether to bring them in permanently – but we have to ensure we deal with the large amount of traffic within the city.”

Westminster is introducing the changes on an experimental basis.

The moves include extended hours of control in zones E and G – areas such as Piccadilly, Regent Street, Oxford Street, Charing Cross Road and Grosvenor Square from 6.30pm to midnight, Monday to Saturday, and from 1pm to 6pm on Sundays. Parking will be half price from 6.30pm, Monday to Thursday.

Charges will also be introduced on Sunday between 1pm and 6pm in zones F3 and F6, in the Baker Street area.

Matthew Jaffa, senior development manager at the Federation of Small Businesses, said: “We welcome Westminster delaying these changes at this important time.

However we would rather they were not introducing them at all. We do not want to drive people to park and shop at Brent Cross or Westfield instead.”

Parking campaigner Paul Pearson, of penaltychargenotice.co.uk, said he believed Westminster was not ready to implement the changes by December 1 in any case.

You can avoid having to pay high London parking fees and fines and find free parking in London by using the Tube and our text service to find free parking near tube stations outside the congestion zone.

Simply text the word Parking and the name of a tube station OUTSIDE THE CONGESTION ZONE to 80039 and you’ll receive a text back giving you three locations near the tube, or the station closest to it on the same line.

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Tagged: london parking · parking in London · parking in westminster

Richmond plans to purge streets of double yellows

Sep 29th, 2011

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Hundreds of metres of double yellow lines could be removed from six target towns in Richmond upon Thames before the end of the financial year, after local people told the Council it was difficult to park in shopping areas.

Richmond Council is preparing to remove lines and create extra parking spaces in town centres particularly in Whitton, Barnes, Teddington, Twickenham, Kew and East Sheen. The businesses and trader associations will be asked to nominate lines they think could be removed without affecting road safety or flow of traffic for the Council to consider.

Already in the Crown Road shopping area of St Margarets, 12 new parking spaces have been created for motorists by removing approximately 50 metres of yellow lines. Four of the spaces are 30 minute free-parking bays to support local businesses and re-vitalise our town centres.

Cllr Chris Harrison, Richmond Council’s Cabinet Member for Highways and Street Scene, said: “We’re doing our utmost to support local shops to thrive, and one of the best ways is by making it easier for their customers to get in.

“It’s a simple idea but until now no-one has taken the initiative and got on with it. Our All in One survey showed this was an issue for local people and by the time we’ve finished, I want to have our shopping streets looking busier and tills ringing even more frequently. Creating more spaces is another part of the Council’s fair parking agenda, which together with our RichmondCards will make it easier for people to park and shop in Richmond upon Thames.

“We will never compromise safety but there have been times where the Council might have been too cautious in installing yellow lines, and not trusted local people to drive safely without nannying them. Businesses have told us they have suffered because of this and now we hope to resolve that problem.

“I’m grateful to local traders who have already helped us to identify areas where lines could be taken out. We already have plans for about 60 per cent of the lines we want to remove and now with local people’s help we can fix the rest.”

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Top 10 Westminster streets for parking fines revealed

Sep 29th, 2011

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Westminster’s most lucrative street for parking fines rakes in more than £300,000 for the council, it was revealed this week.

Baker Street in Marylebone was named as the highest earner for the council, with £321,000 generated in the 12 months to March 31, 2011.

The top four streets – Baker Street, along with Queensway in Bayswater, Wardour Street and Great Marlborough Street, both in Soho – each brought in more than a quarter of a million pounds to council coffers.

The total parking fine income for all of Westminster in the 2010/11 financial year topped £22.9million.

Stuart Bonar, a Marylebone resident who obtained the figures using the Freedom of Information Act, said: “The lack of places to park in Westminster’s narrow, packed streets and the sheer numbers of people who want to drive into central London mean the council is blessed with a money-making asset.

“The limited space for parking means people area almost bound to take a risk and see if they can park without picking up a ticket.

“As this information reveals, often they’re wrong and get a parking ticket slapping on their windscreen.

“It’s a cliche to say that the streets of London are paved with gold, but for Westminster Council at least maybe there’s some truth to that.”

Councillor Lee Rowley, Westminster Council’s head of parking and transportation, said the number of parking fines issued in the last five years had actually dropped from 1.1 million to around 470,000 in the last year.

He added: “Every penny that comes in through parking fines is spent on other aspects of what the council does.

“It goes on improving the council’s streets, it goes into making big improvements in the centre of London, it goes to older people and older people’s transport packages.

“We’re very open and transparent about this.

“There’s a report on the council’s website saying what the income from parking fines is and what we spend it on.

“By law, we’re not allowed to use parking fines purely to raise money but we are charged with the responsibility of keeping the city’s streets moving.

“We’re determined to try and ensure that people don’t get tickets, by not parking incorrectly in the first place.”

The top 10 most lucrative streets for parking fines (to nearest £1,000)

Baker Street, Marylebone – £321,000

Queensway, Bayswater – £317,000

Wardour Street, Soho – £296,000

Great Marlborough Street, Soho – £271,000

South Wharf Road, Paddington – £236,000

St Martin’s Lane, West End – £233,000

Savile Row, West End – £226,000

Harrow Road, North Paddington – £211,000

Prince Consort Road, South Kensington – £210,000

Great Cumberland Place, Marylebone – £208,000

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‘Anti-car’ Islington council collects £9million in parking fines

Sep 22nd, 2011

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Almost £9million in parking tickets boosted council coffers over the last year, amid criticism that wardens act like a “mercenary police force”.

In the 12 months to June, the council received £8,968,000 in fines, which include offences like banned right turns as well as parking tickets.

Caledonian Road, in Holloway, Essex Road, in Islington, and Old street, in Finsbury, were the hotspots providing the most revenue.

After the cost of enforcing the tickets and fighting appeals, the council turned a profit of £1.25m, which they say is ploughed back into providing Freedom passes for residents.

But wardens have been criticised in the past for being over-zealous. Paul Zumeris, who lives in Aberdeen Park, Highbury, was outraged after he was given a ticket for a brief stop on a loading bay on Newington Green.

He said that he found it “outrageous” that wardens were travelling in cars and “jumping out at opportune moments” to ticket law-abiding citizens.

He continued: “The warden’s car was circling the roundabout and double parked on a hazardous zebra crossing line in the middle of the roundabout, thereby seriously restricting the view of motorists.”

Roger Lawson, the Islington representative for the Association of British Drivers, said: “Councils are increasing their parking revenue to offset other benefit cuts.

“The problem is they set targets of how much money to collect and the operators make sure they get it – so the incentive is to make money not minimise parking irregularities. Some places use a bit of discretion, but Islington is a very anti-car borough.”

Nearly 70 per cent of processed tickets were contested, and 17 per cent were then cancelled.

The biggest single fine issued was £185.

Cllr Paul Smith, Islington Council’s executive member for environment, said: “We’re on the side of residents and want to make parking easier for them, which is why we introduced the resident’s roamer scheme.

“There’s huge demand on Islington’s roads and parking and we have a duty to residents to make sure they’re used properly.

“Any surplus money from parking tickets goes towards the costs of providing Freedom Passes, so older residents can travel around London for free. We’d happily never issue another ticket, if everyone kept to the rules that exist for the benefit of everyone.”

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Tagged: free parking in London · parking in islington · parking in London · Parking Tickets

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