Hounslow Council find the end of the road

 

Car drivers are in the habit of finding every possible extra parking space. This location is one that ended up at the tribunal where the PCN was cancelled for the simple reason that the alleged contravention had not occurred. The mistake the traffic warden (CEO) made is a common one or it isn't a mistake, they are just taking a flyer.

This wasn't one of Mr Mustard's cases so he doesn't have any photos for you but we can surmise that a car was parked in the middle of the carriageway fairly close to the brick wall which terminates the carriageway. Mr Mustard expects the car was within the white rectangle.

The neighbours probably have an arrangement to block each other in and move when required. An arrangement with a traffic warden is a dangerous one as they come and go and their boss might intervene.

If you are so parked both sides of your car are more than 50cm from the edge of the carriageway and if the car was reversed in then the front of the car is also more than 50cm from the edge of the carriageway. However, providing the car is backed up to within 50cm of the wall, as it must have been in this case, it is not in contravention.

Not only should the traffic warden not have issued the PCN, the council should not have rejected the representations and nor should they have resisted the Appeal but £130 was at stake and that causes errors of judgments within councils, not just Hounslow..

Barnet Council blundering about in the dark

A traffic warden (CEO) has to have a good reason to believe that a contravention has occurred and unless it is blindingly obvious that a vehicle is miles from the kerb there should be clear photos with a measuring device to prove the 50cm has been exceeded. This is what the traffic warden has within his evidence, and with service of 5 years he should know better

When viewed on his laptop Mr Mustard thinks he can make a kerb out under the back of the car at an oblique angle and so on the traffic warden's own evidence there is no contravention.

This is what the scene was like the next day in daylight

A challenge was made by the motorist and rejected by the council. The council confuse themselves, this is the scene from further away, the location is Victoria Close EN4:

What the council fail to understand is that the entire curved edge of the 'turning circle' is 'the edge of the carriageway' and that as long as any part of the car is within 50cm of that, the front or rear bumper, or a mirror, then no contravention has occurred.

This is the only PCN issued at this location for this contravention in 3 years. It it going to be fought all the way to the tribunal.

Yours frugally

Mr Mustard