Forum Topic

Dropped kerb PCN

Does anyone have any experience of the rules on dropped kerbs and parking?Earlier this week a regular visitor to my house in a CPZ was issued a parking ticket whilst parked along the white line across the dropped kerb to my house. I told her it would be ok based on the relevant section of Ealing Councils website.https://www.ealing.gov.uk/info/201178/parking/1375/dropped_kerb_enforcement the very first paragraph of which reads; "You, your family and visitors to your property can park in front of the dropped kerb outside your property at any time without receiving a penalty charge notice (PCN)."I have challenged this ticket via the website but have yet to have any acknowledgement that it has even been received, which is a bit worrying as the penalty doubles to £110 after a fortnight.I thought the above wording is pretty clear, but maybe I am mistaken. Has anyone else had this problem?ThanksToby

Toby Sleigh ● 3439d16 Comments

There are two types of dropped kerb: residential and non-residential, (also called "shared" drop kerbs). In Greater London it is an offence to park across a non-residential kerb and you will get a ticket. You're also more likely to get towed away.You are allowed to park across residential dropped kerbs except where parking restrictions are in operation, such as a CPZ, or where the owner of the driveway has registered the kerb with Parking Services, in which case you'll also get a ticket.Where a kerb has been registered vehicles belonging to the registered address may park across the kerb provided no other parking restrictions are in operation. The white lines in CPZs are for advice only. There is no way of telling whether a kerb has been registered, or not.

Brian Woodgate ● 3435d

I too looked into it, and was excited to see that family friends etc could park across your driveway, without getting a PCN but it does go on to say that if your dropped kerb is a marked bay in a cpz, then they can't enforce the dropped kerb for you, and vehicles parked there must have a permit or paid as a visitor during the cpz timing

Tracey Mehdizadeh ● 3438d

Don't know, has anyone else on here challenged a PCN and id so how long before Ealing decides one way or the other?

Toby Sleigh ● 3438d

How long is that expected to be?

Philippa Bond ● 3438d

Hi PhilippaNot yet, I'll wait for result of the appeal.

Toby Sleigh ● 3438d

Have you emailed your Councillors?Websites are brilliant but there has to be be other communication as well.  They can easily be changed - unfortunately a bit too easily sometimes - and you can start to think you're going crazy because whatever it was you saw is no longer there.  You just learn from the experience.There needs to be teamwork whatever line management systems are in place.  This includes making sure that whatever is on the website concurs with the magazine and any other documents.  If you outsource anything you have to oversee it even harder to make sure that you get what you want so it may not end up an economy.  The same can happens with too many people or too few.  We can only guess.I don't know what the reason for the glitch is.

Philippa Bond ● 3438d

Hi NickI've just found the download mentioned by Harry. I agree that the wording in it is much clearer. However I still feel that the part of the website I quoted should be amended ASAP, especially as Ealing are always banging on about doing stuff on-line and how simple it is.

Toby Sleigh ● 3438d

I too have a dropped kerb in CPZ and have looked at the website wording before.The wording on the website is clearly misleading. If you took it to PATAS  (appeals service)I'm sure you would win.The website is missing " as long as there areno parking restrictions in force at the time "....which it does say in the pdf mentioned by Harry.

Nick Jenkins ● 3438d

Harry, what you say may well be so. However I feel that anything relating to the council and its legal rights to fine its customers £110 must be worded clearly and unambiguously. Besides which, I haven't previously mentioned, I queried this last October and was phoned back by a council employee that who confirmed that my reading of it was correct. Like an idiot I did not ask for it to be put in writing.

Toby Sleigh ● 3439d

Thanks Philippa, I'll wait & see what the result of my appeal is. If rejected I will have to take it up a notch.

Toby Sleigh ● 3439d

Toby,just a quick update.Your link is for roads not in a cpz where the dropped kerb house holder can allow friends,family and people known to you to park there.You live in a cpz and  more drastic parking rules come into force.On a google search (I assume LBE have updated and discarded previous editions).Google,sorry cant add link.  the below.code of practice for civil parking and traffic enforcement ealing.Its a download & Read page 13 Best pay at the reduced rate by electronic payment/phone if paying by cheque use registered post  as sometimes it takes ages for it to reach the correct council bod and you could receive a computer generated increased fine. Good luck.

Harry Jay ● 3439d

Guys: You need to read what it ACTUALLY says on the website - and see if you understand it.Toby:  You need to contact your local Councillors and take a screenshot of the website (or you'll think you are going out of your mind). If you are lucky Richard Jennings will look in and see your post.  Otherwise click on his name on a post on www.chiswickw4.com and send him a private message - or post on there yourself.  RJ may be able to help you.  Be warned though you may need a tin hat as they'll shoot at anything on there. Good Luck.

Philippa Bond ● 3439d

The PCN is not the parking across the crossover right, but for parking in a CPZ without displaying the relevant documents.Case closed surely!

Paul James ● 3439d

Harry, then the website should say as you have rewritten the quote. But it says ... outside your property at any time without receiving a penalty charge notice (PCN). At any time means, to my mind, just that. ANY TIME - No mention of except other times etc etc. If they mean something different then they should say so. When you say "when searched for" do you mean you found another reference to dropped kerb rules which explains it differently to the quoted website entry?

Toby Sleigh ● 3439d

Toby,i believe the council attendant may be correct on this occasion.(this occasion only,thou).Unless you have anything in writing from the council when the cpz was introduced or road side parking signs state any different.Your family,friends,tradespeople or people parking at the dropped kerb with your permission,have to display a residents permit or a visitors parking permit or paid via  Ringo during the hours cpz are in force.Your link/paragraph re dropped kerb enforcement when searched for states yes people can park there but a permit/payment is required.Maybe when your cpz was introduced the payment paragraph was not there and the rules have changed since.Sorry, But good luck.

Harry Jay ● 3439d

The rules may have changed, but I understood that the owner of a property could request that the normal white line rule be enforced, and then ANY vehicle parked there, including one owned by the owner of the property, would receive a PCN, but otherwise the white line rule would not be enforced.

Christopher Bell ● 3439d