It was 2008 when the last guidance was issued and the revised draft guidance takes account of forthcoming changes. Here are the main ones which local authorities must "have regard to" i.e. follow unless they have a good reason ready. If the word "must" is in the text then a local authority cannot escape the requirement.
One would have thought that making payment more difficult by removing cash parking meters would fall foul of this.
Mr Mustard hasn't seen any council in London offer education to motorists in order to try and get them moving towards 100% compliance (as that would hurt the council in the pocket).
The ban almost ban on cctv cars won't hurt Barnet Council at all as they haven't been using them. Other councils will now have to employ loads more traffic wardens in order to issue the number of PCN that they are accustomed to living off the proceeds of.
"Chapeau" to Eric Pickles for getting this change through Parliament. The way that a traffic warden could pounce if you were even 30 seconds over a 4 hour period of paid for parking always went against the British sense of fair play.
The problem in Barnet isn't so much out-of-order meters but the almost complete absence of them. Mr Mustard can see an argument coming as to whether if a driver does not have a mobile phone whether or not PayByPhone is "available" to them.
Barnet Council doesn't remove cars either for PCNs but if it were to start to do so it would have to allow an extra 10 minutes in appropriate circumstances.
The process of considering challenges and representations against PCN is being back in-house in Barnet. Just in time.
The above paragraph is about informal challenges, which are the ones made in response to a PCN i.e. before the Notice to Owner.
Clearly, the Saracens Event Day zone is not adequately communicated as hundreds of motorists park wrongly on every match day.
This was always the case but a case in Gloucestershire has rammed the point home.
Barnet Council are trying to reduce the number of cases going to Adjudication but still need to make more progress.
Barnet Council do lose more than the average.
The whole bailiff guidance section is new. Mr Mustard will be telling the parking manager that he expects Barnet Council to actively manage their contracts (the ones that the council haven't even got copies of!).
Barnet Council have never yet issued an annual report unlike, say, Haringey Council.
That's it.
Yours frugally
Mr Mustard
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