GJH Posted June 30, 2008 Share Posted June 30, 2008 I've been sending follow up information requests to a few councils today and received a very positive response from Colchester Council. My original enquiry from a little over 18 months ago apparently got them thinking and they have started to include MH parking provision as they redesign car parks. They will welcome ideas from MH owners. Just a small start at the moment but something positive to build on. See the details on the Essex page of my web site. Graham Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J9withdogs Posted June 30, 2008 Share Posted June 30, 2008 Out of interest, I asked one of the New Hitler Brigade aka Park Right Wardens in Bridgnorth what the policy on motorhomes using the council-owned car parks is. Bearing in mind the standard weight limit in operation and the fact that the bays are designed for a small car it would be impossible to comply to the regulations. They said that if the motorhome overhangs a parking bay, it would be perfectly acceptable if you buy two tickets. I wonder if I could get that in writing - I'm not about to test the theory otherwise!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GJH Posted June 30, 2008 Author Share Posted June 30, 2008 J9withdogs - 2008-06-30 4:00 PM Out of interest, I asked one of the New Hitler Brigade aka Park Right Wardens in Bridgnorth what the policy on motorhomes using the council-owned car parks is. Bearing in mind the standard weight limit in operation and the fact that the bays are designed for a small car it would be impossible to comply to the regulations. They said that if the motorhome overhangs a parking bay, it would be perfectly acceptable if you buy two tickets. I wonder if I could get that in writing - I'm not about to test the theory otherwise!! When I first enquired of Bridgnorth in 2006, one of the things they said was "All car parks require vehicles to be parked within the confines of the parking bay. " When I sent them a follow-up request last month they confirmed that the information they sent in 2006 was still valid. They didn't mention Parkright (neither did other authorities in the partnership which I have contacted recently). I've found the contact details for Parkright and sent them an e-mail asking for clarification of whether two bays can be used. I'll post the response on my web site. Graham Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J9withdogs Posted June 30, 2008 Share Posted June 30, 2008 Thanks Graham - the reply should be very interesting! Parkright were brought into the town ostensibly to sort out the congestion problems in the High Street - but they spend more of their time checking for violations in the car parks instead. Doesn't take a genius to work out why! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GJH Posted June 30, 2008 Author Share Posted June 30, 2008 J9withdogs - 2008-06-30 6:10 PM Thanks Graham - the reply should be very interesting! Parkright were brought into the town ostensibly to sort out the congestion problems in the High Street - but they spend more of their time checking for violations in the car parks instead. Doesn't take a genius to work out why! I haven't seen any history of reasons for setting up Parkright but, looking at their web pages (hosted by Shrewsbury & Atcham council) it doesn't look as if they work any differently from their equivalents on Tees-side who enforce both on-street and off-street rules since decriminalisation of parking. I would guess that it might look like that as on-street parking enforcement used to be the responsibility of the police before the change. Enforcement of rules in council owned car parks was always the responsibility of the councils which got together to form Parkright so there really should be no difference - other than those brought about by the Traffic Management Act 2004 of course - but that is nationwide and applies to all councils whether they wanted it or not. Graham Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted June 30, 2008 Share Posted June 30, 2008 Not sure if I've got the wrong end of the stick, here, but this is from ParkRight's website. (My bit of bold.)"Some examples of illegal parking are:Not displaying your ticket in a pay and display car park Overstaying the time period in a limited time area Parking on yellow lines outside the designated hours Parking in loading bays or during loading bans Not parking within marked bays Parking in a blue badge area without displaying a blue badge"If you overhang, you are not within the marked bay, so would be liable to a ticket. I don't think two tickets would work. It is very unlikely that the person who issued the penalty notice would be the one who said buying two tickets would be OK, and I suspect when you got to the parking office your protest would be met with blank denial.The LA sets the rules, and the job of the CEO - Parking is to enforce them, not to interpret them. Our lot (National Car Parks) take digital photos of every non-compliance for which they issue a ticket. Even having your disabled badge displayed upside down - I kid you not - although the poor soul was eventually let off the fine. The problem is the spectre of bribery, and the risk that a "friendly" warden who takes a lenient attitude where there is doubt, may have been influenced by friendship, or services rendered. Hence, no latitude. Besides, I'm not convinced all of our lot could be safely let out with delegated powers to waive the rules. Don't think judgement was necessarily their major subject at the University of Life! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colin Posted June 30, 2008 Share Posted June 30, 2008 Is it in Bridgenorth that you have to put reg number on ticket or also get fine? I know it's somewhere in that area. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J9withdogs Posted June 30, 2008 Share Posted June 30, 2008 Yes Colin - it all adds to the fun! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GJH Posted June 30, 2008 Author Share Posted June 30, 2008 Yes Brian, I saw that piece about being within marked bays on the Parkright web pages. I also noted what Janine said in her original post "They said that if the motorhome overhangs a parking bay, it would be perfectly acceptable if you buy two tickets." - which could be interpreted as being within the confines of the two bays paid for. Janine also wrote "I wonder if I could get that in writing - I'm not about to test the theory otherwise!!". Obviously some degree of ambiguity - which is why I have sent Parkright an enquiry by e-mail asking the management (rather than a CEO) for the official interpretation of the rules. Whatever the answer turns out to be, we will all be clear as to what it is. Graham Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GJH Posted June 30, 2008 Author Share Posted June 30, 2008 colin - 2008-06-30 8:51 PM Is it in Bridgenorth that you have to put reg number on ticket or also get fine? I know it's somewhere in that area. There are quite a few councils implementing those measures Colin. Stockton on Tees has had such machines in their car parks for many years. It's all to stop people with time left on their tickets passing them on to other people (and I admit to having been both a donor and recipient in the past). Strictly speaking that is a breach of the parking regulations which can lead to a shortfall in the expected revenue raised and, in turn, requires the shortfall to be made up from elsewhere. All sorts of opinions might be expressed as to the rights and wrongs but councils which try to stop breaches of the regulations are well within their rights. Just a thought - if people showed that they were willing to abide by the regulations (unlike the people referred to in the letter about Seaford in the current MMM) perhaps councils would be more trustful and not take steps like erecting height barriers and requiring entry of registration number. Graham Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michele Posted June 30, 2008 Share Posted June 30, 2008 I'm blonde I;m dumb I cant see where is the one for Colchester on the site .I can see everything but ...sorrry 8-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GJH Posted June 30, 2008 Author Share Posted June 30, 2008 michele - 2008-06-30 11:10 PM I'm blonde I;m dumb I cant see where is the one for Colchester on the site .I can see everything but ...sorrry 8-) Nowt to do with it being in Essex is it Michele? :-D Try Here. Graham Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rwhites1 Posted June 30, 2008 Share Posted June 30, 2008 What I usually do if going to a town is send e mail to council dept in charge of parking Got this back from redcar council I have been forwarded a copy of your email that was sent to the council's contact centre regarding the parking provision for your motorhome in Redcar. Parking within the councils car parks within the town may be a little difficult in some of the car parks just because of their physical size and it may be difficult to manoeuvre a motorhome around them. There is plenty of on street parking especially on the sea front that can be utilized whilst visiting the town. Please note if you park your motorhome in any of the council car parks within the borough it is requested that you park over two parking bays as motorhomes generally do not fit within one parking space and the purchase of two tickets is required whilst parking within the car park. Failure to do this will result in the issuing of a penalty charge notice from the councils parking enforcement team. Majuba Road car park has a coach parking area associated with the car park where motorhomes are also permitted to park up in the spaces designed for coaches. In this area the purchase of only one ticket is required as the bay markings can easily accommodate the size of a motorhome. I hope that the above information has been helpful however if you require any further information please contact me on 01287 612539 I have also included below the link to the councils website that details the car parks in Redcar detailing there capacity http://www.redcar-cleveland.gov.uk/main.nsf/Web+Full+List/F3F2E7D7898852CC8025709800562A7B?OpenDocument Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GJH Posted July 1, 2008 Author Share Posted July 1, 2008 I received a response to my e-mail to Parkright a short while ago, which reads as follows: "If the site is suitable for Motorhomes then we are happy to accept payment for the space used. The standard regulation is "must park within the marked out spaces" This can be difficult for motorhomes which are of extended length but if they take up two bays and pay for two bays then no problem. Where Bus parking exists that may also be used by paying the appropriate bus parking fee." So, the CEO who Janine spoke to is obviously right. Graham Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
S444XON Posted July 1, 2008 Share Posted July 1, 2008 I've just returned from Mablethorpe having experinced at first hand poor interpretation of council parking regulations. The Queens Park Main Car park has 8 large bays marked out and also has a concrete channel running through the middle of them. Having parked in one of the large bays, I then took the liberty of also paying for two full day tickets (belt and braces approach). Needless to say having spent a couple of hours shopping in town I returned to find I had been issued a penalty ticket - for not parking within a marked bay. It transpires that the "unmarked" concrete channel is the dividing line and purchasing two tickets is prohibited! Thankfully a local resident was so incensed by the act he has contacted the papers who appear to be running a story on the matter. I have attached a photo (I hope it works?) showing the bay in question and I am in the process of appealing to East Lyndsey Council on the manner in which the car park is marked. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
S444XON Posted July 1, 2008 Share Posted July 1, 2008 On the issue of the concrete channel I submit a further picture showing how it is utilised in other parking bays. Did this car receive a ticket? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GJH Posted July 1, 2008 Author Share Posted July 1, 2008 East Lindsey Council told me - see HERE that MHs could only park in three car parks and then only in MH bays. Perhaps that is the real reason you got the ticket? Graham Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david lloyd Posted July 4, 2008 Share Posted July 4, 2008 You are probably right Graham and that is the reason for the penalty BUT S444XON's absolutely right about the ambiguity of the 'marked' bays. I, for one would not accept a concrete drainage channel as a substitute for a white line - I'm sure the chap up in Sunderland area (Neil Herron, who has challenged all sorts of breaches by Local Authorities on parking enforcement) would have a lot to say about it! I'm all for setting the rules and having people abide by them but his point is that this is often very one sided and local authorities should not be allowed to get away with flagrantly flouting the same rules (i.e. if it says that a bay should be clearly marked with white lines then theu should be clearly marked with white lines and not concrete channels) whilst penalising motorists. If I were S444XON I would definitely be appealing this one. Regards, David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GJH Posted July 4, 2008 Author Share Posted July 4, 2008 You're right, of course, David that bays should be clearly marked with white lines - but it isn't the first time I've seen channels substituted. If the stated reason for the PCN is being outwith the bay rather than anything else then it should be appealable, depends on the wording on the PCN I suppose. A few years ago Jill received a ticket through the post for parking on hatched lines in a Middlesbrough multi storey car park. She had used a space which had been vacated by someone as she drove into the car park. When we checked there were hatched lines but they were so faded that in the reduced light level of the MSP you couldn't see them from the driving seat - and by the time you had parked they were underneath the car. We appealed successfully. Graham Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david lloyd Posted July 4, 2008 Share Posted July 4, 2008 GJH - 2008-07-04 11:25 AM .........We appealed successfully.................. Graham Ah, yes, but, then again Graham - you 'av a way wi' words............... David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
el-d Posted July 4, 2008 Share Posted July 4, 2008 Where we live in West Dorset we've all but given up taking our van to Weymouth. Until quite recently all the street parking specifically banned all vehicles "used for eating, sleeping..." [breathing, living etc] and the only car park where a van had any hope of parking was on one edge of town and would be pretty hit-and-miss for a visitor to find. (Now it's pretty well all meter parking in bays too short for anything but a small van conversion.) So many places around us have time-limited on-street parking which of course has the really constructive effect of filling the streets with people shunting their vehicles from one parking area to another so that they can stay a bit longer, thus adding to the congestion of the small market towns. Talk about short-sighted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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