Council Bungles Parking In Dukes Avenue

Residents demand refunds for "inadvertent" change of use

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The sign in Dukes Avenue

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Furious Chiswick residents have demanded that money be refunded for PCNs issued when they parked at a bay outside the Catholic Centre in Dukes Avenue which the Council say had its sign "inadvertently" changed.

Hounslow Council changed the parking sign outside the Catholic Centre in Dukes Avenue from a 'shared' use of resident and public parking, to 'resident' only'. The bay has been used by the public for many years and several people were caught out.

Local people complained that the rules had been changed without any notice and they had received parking tickets. A number of residents carried out a search and could find no evidence of the required Traffic Management Order published.

It is believed that scores of tickets were issued until the signage reverted back to previous use. It is now available as a ' shared' use bay to both residents as part of the 'cc' CPZ zone, and Pay & Display.

One reader who challenged the PCN has had the charged quashed. She received a letter saying:

"A site survey of this location has identified that the existing sign had been removed and replaced with a resident permit holder only sign in error. There had not been a change in the use of the bay. The appropriate sign has now been reinstated and I can confirm that the Penalty Charge Notice has now been cancelled. Please accept our apologies for the delay in identifying this error and for any inconvenience caused."

Locals now want to know if the Council (whose parking was outsourced last year to Serco) will be refunded or if they will have to go through the lengthy challenging process. You can read a discussion on this issue on our forum.

One person commented: "It is extraordinary that the Council do not have a legal obligation to pro-actively refund everyone who was incorrectly issued a PCN because of their error."

We are awaiting comment from Hounslow Council on the matter.

October 18, 2014