Evidence to Prove Parking Charge was Invalid

Defence Statement

This a claim for a parking infringement on a private road, deliberately designed to entrap unsuspecting motorists parking at local shops for the first time in good faith.

There is a no signage to warn where the parking enforcement area starts and ends. Entry and exit signs are required by regulations

The procedures for enforcement break almost every regulatory guideline:

  1. There is nothing to differentiate the private parking area land from the public realm. There is no signage to indicate the area is private land. There is no entry sign for the parking regulation. . There is no exit sign. There is no sign to say CCTV is being used.

  2. The infringement was enforced by CCTV, whereas there is no reason why CCTV needs to be used. Regulations require CCTV to be used only where human wardens cannot operate practically and here they can

  3. There is no signage to say CCTV is being used, again counter to regulations

  4. The parking signs are too small and are not in accordance with the required size, as reinforced by recent court judgement

I had no idea I was committing an infringement by parking on private land until after the civil penalty was received by post (not attached to my windscreen). I did not know I was entering into a contract and so cannot be bound by one.

The notice was received after the regulatory deadline and said that no correspondence would be entered into, passing itself off as a judicial process, when it was not.

Video of Lack of Entry / Exit Signage and Lack of Use of CCTV Signage

Photo of Non-Compliant Signage

The parking signs are positioned so high on the lamp-posts they can hardly be seen let alone read. I had to stand on a ladder and unful my tape measure to its max just to reach the sign below.

Statutory Instrument 362 governing the size and position of parking signs require the P symbol indicating the entrance to a parking area to be at least 200mm in height.

First, in this area, there is actually is NO ENTRANCE SIGN AT ALL.

And the signs adjacent to the parking spaces are only 60mm in height, contravening the regulations