Forum Topic

CPZ parking renewals

I was shocked this afternoon to discover that I had a parking ticket on my car parked outside our house. On investigation, I discovered that my CPZ permit had expired yesterday. I had no warning this was about to happen, although the Ealing Council states on its website "Attempts will be made to send out a form inviting renewal of an existing permit."Obviously, no attempt was made at all in my case, despite the council having my correct snail-mail address, email address and telephone number.I have now renewed the CPZ permit, but I will challenge today's ticket on the grounds that I should have been warned that the permit was about to expire, just as we all are when car tax, driving licences, car insurance and roadside assistance policies are about to expire.Anyone else had a similar experience?

Ian Richardson ● 2253d67 Comments

Mouchel Ltd the supplier of the IT system that failed the many residents of Ealing by not sending out reminders does not want to engage with residents mail. At least they turned me down quickly. I am still waiting for anyone in the parking department to write to me to say that they will use this same IT system to refund all affected.

Arthur Breens ● 2118d

I now have an email copied to me from the Head of Parking that says that they intend to use the database to supply a list of all affected by the IT failure. Using that list all affected will have tickets cancelled or a refund. So much better than using the puny list I collected and wouldn't release.

Arthur Breens ● 2119d

"Moving into this New Year here’s hoping the people in the council, our local public servants, start making decisions that do not adversely affect its residents’ health, happiness and prosperity."Leopard its change Does spots a    ?VERY wishful thinking and fat chance with this Council under the truly outstanding Leadership of Julian Bell & Posse.  😂

Rosco White ● 2121d

Last month the council sent us a letter cancelling the PCN issued in August. The council says it is “a gesture of goodwill”. These thousands of PCNs were issued illegitimately because of an IT fault. Somebody knew this was happening and the council rebutted initial appeals on the grounds that we, its borough residents, needed keener memories of the permit renewal dates and that they could not act against legislation. No amount of goodwill will undo the ill intentions and malice that went into the council’s decision to pursue those PCNs to payment. Do the people in the council responsible for this scandal still work there?Social media has been active lately with reports of filthy streets and pavements, and now gutters and drains are clogged with thickly mulched and compacted leaf fall. The council’s published revised rubbish collection schedule over the holiday period and its website schedule did not match and neither schedule reflected the actual collection dates. Again, social media lit up with frustrations over the widespread poor service.This can lead to questions about how capable the council is when dealing with social services, the homeless, the elderly, emergency housing, children in need and those on the fringes of our society we help. We, on sites such as this, have a voice and a means to raise our concerns and seek redress for the wrongs carried out by the council. Many people do not have the same resources to get the proper treatment they deserve.The council sends out PR emails and distributes a bi-monthly magazine but these do not carry information about the issues affecting us and ways they can help us. As an example, the council still has the opportunity to explain and apologise for the summer’s PCN problems and set up procedures for refunds to those who paid.Moving into this New Year here’s hoping the people in the council, our local public servants, start making decisions that do not adversely affect its residents’ health, happiness and prosperity.To end, and to paraphrase a journalist, ‘the propensity to despair is strong, but should not be indulged. Sing yourself up. Imagine a world in which you might thrive, for which there is no evidence. And then fight for it.’

Paul Cronshaw ● 2123d

Last month the council sent us a letter cancelling the PCN issued in August. The council says it is “a gesture of goodwill”. These thousands of PCNs were issued illegitimately because of an IT fault. Somebody knew this was happening and the council rebutted initial appeals on the grounds that we, its borough residents, needed keener memories of the permit renewal dates and that they could not act against legislation. No amount of goodwill will undo the ill intentions and malice that went into the council’s decision to pursue those PCNs to payment. Do the people in the council responsible for this scandal still work there?Social media has been active lately with reports of filthy streets and pavements, and now gutters and drains are clogged with thickly mulched and compacted leaf fall. The council’s published revised rubbish collection schedule over the holiday period and its website schedule did not match and neither schedule reflected the actual collection dates. Again, social media lit up with frustrations over the widespread poor service. This can lead to questions about how capable the council is when dealing with social services, the homeless, the elderly, emergency housing, children in need and those on the fringes of our society we help. We, on sites such as this, have a voice and a means to raise our concerns and seek redress for the wrongs carried out by the council. Many people do not have the same resources to get the proper treatment they deserve.The council sends out PR emails and distributes a bi-monthly magazine but these do not carry information about the issues affecting us and ways they can help us. As an example, the council still has the opportunity to explain and apologise for the summer’s PCN problems and set up procedures for refunds to those who paid.Moving into this New Year here’s hoping the people in the council, our local public servants, start making decisions that do not adversely affect its residents’ health, happiness and prosperity.To end, and to paraphrase a journalist, ‘the propensity to despair is strong, but should not be indulged. Sing yourself up. Imagine a world in which you might thrive, for which there is no evidence. And then fight for it.’

Paul Cronshaw ● 2123d

Please see my short note under new but same thread.

Arthur Breens ● 2132d

Common sense has prevailed...After my initial challenge to my CPZ parking fine was rejected, I did a second challenge, and received this in today's mail:NOTICE OF ACCEPTANCEThank you for your correspondence about the above Penalty Charge Notice (PCN). Although the PCN was issued correcly [sic], We have looked at the case in detail and we have accepted your representations on this occasion. Therefore we have cancelled the above PCN. Please be advised permit reminders are sent as a courtesy and is not compulsory, as with vehicle tax, it is up to drivers to renew their permits. However, any similar or additional PCNs may not be cancelled and this decision must not be taken as a precedent. In light of the above the case is closed and no further action need be taken.---------For those who haven't been following this thread, I was fined for parking outside my house near Ealing Common one day after my CPZ permit expired. My complaint was that the council had failed in its declared duty to notify me that the permit was due for renewal. I have since learned that a great many people have been fined similarly.

Ian Richardson ● 2170d

I had a meeting this week with Andrew Steed, an Ealing ward councillor. Below is a copy of the follow-up:To confirm, this unjust issue is now in the open, well documented and it is factually obvious that there is ("was" - we have not been told that LBE IT faults have been corrected) a problem that needs to be resolved:    Acknowledgement by the council that a problem occurred and 1000s of incorrect / unjust / unfair / immoral / accidental PCNs were issued because of this problem.    Cancellation of these PCNs    Refunds to those who have paid these PCNs    Written assurance from the council that this problem has been corrected, will not occur again and if it does, what procedures are in place to deal with it more equitably, fairly, justly and (I can't believe that I have to write this) ethically.    The person / people responsible for this would be expected to issue an apology.I am concerned that this issue might be politicised. Can I reiterate that this is an apolitical issue, so please, as a precaution, could you ensure the ongoing involvement of the chief executive, Paul Najsarek, until this is fully resolved.Attached, as promised, a copy of the letter to a resident whose unjust PCN was waived following his NTO representation.

Paul Cronshaw ● 2181d

Has anybody else received:* A PCN over this problem* A response to their NTO appealAny other news?

Paul Cronshaw ● 2185d

Excellent suggestion. Although this matter is dwarfed by the bigger issues at play during this election.Still, can't let immoral and unprincipled bstards grind us down. MPs can help and we also need to keep informing local government. This is a useful contact sheet:https://www.directory.londoncouncils.gov.uk/directory/ealing/officers/

Paul Cronshaw ● 2195d

That's a really good suggestion. There are also likely to be campaign hustings at which it could be brought up.

Paul Corcoran ● 2195d

The best time for a private citizen to try and effect real change is during an election campaign when politicians are forced to address issues they raise. All candidates will probably claim this is a local government matter and nothing to do with a Westminster election but it is not — it is a human rights issue. People have a right to be protected by central government from a local government which is essentially bending the rules to extract money from residents. If you have received a fine I would contact every candidate in your local constituency and ask them what they intend to do about this matter.

Gordon Southwell ● 2195d

I was abroad in August when my neighbour kindly informed me that there were THREE parking tickets on my car.  I paid immediately as I was worried my car would be taken away.- LB Ealing had invited me last year to put my name on the reminder list, which I did. I have the e-mail.  I received no reminder.- The reason for my confusion over the date was that last year when I changed my car the process of amending the permit took THREE weeks as LBE was unable to provide me with the pin number.  During this time I almost lost the will to live. I was unable to park in the street without a visitor's permit. As a result I overlooked the change of renewal date.- You would have thought that LBE might have the courtesy to send a warning e-mail after placing the first notice. After a trouble-free 17 years was it likely I would try and pull a fast one? What was to be gained?- I wrote to LBE to appeal the decision, to no avail.

Eleanor Morgan ● 2196d

I recommend you read the full story in Ealing Today: FoI request shows Ealing Council didn’t send email reminders for 3 monthsA Freedom of Information (FoI) request to Ealing Council has revealed that over 3,000 PCNs were issued to vehicles which previously had a resident permit in just over a year.It is believed that in the majority of cases the fines are due to a failure to renew the permit and a significant number of people say they have been caught out because they did not receive a reminder from the council. Ealing has an online system with no permit displayed on the vehicle.

Ian Richardson ● 2196d

Ealing are hardly 'desperate for cash' given that their latest published accounts show reserves of three quarters of a billion pounds, of which around a third is in unallocated funds.

N V Brooks ● 2197d

It certainly used to be the case that the money from PCNs went to funding Freedom Passes which every local authority has to contribute towards the cost of.With an aging population it may be that the financial burden of doing this is increasing putting more pressure on Councils to find ways to get the money. I don't think any others as yet have been quite as underhand as Ealing in doing so.

Mark Evans ● 2197d

I would tend to share Georgina's cynicism. The amount of money raised is too big for Ealing to give up and if they admit fault on one case they would probably have to give the whole lot back. They are clearly desperate for cash — the real worry should be is this indicative of a broader financial crisis.

Gordon Southwell ● 2198d

Given the huge spike in fines I suspect that they will eventually be refunded but it should be a warning to all to take control of your own reminders for this and other periodic renewals.  Presumably as is done with family birthdays and anniversaries etc?

Philip Coe ● 2199d

Georgina makes a shocking point. How can the council be held to account for this unscrupulous and morally indefensible action?Here's a link to some of the information: http://www.chiswickw4.com/default.asp?section=info&spage=common/eaparking004.htm

Paul Cronshaw ● 2199d

Someone has managed to get a handle on the scale of this question by asking differently phrased questions as part of their Freedom of Information request — see details on the front page. This shows over 3,000 tickets issued to vehicle which previously had a permit. Nearly all of these will be because of forgotten renewals. It also shows that renewals aren't being sent for long periods. The problem here may be the council is in too deep. They have already collected £147,000 and in other cases where they might acknowledge an error they can keep most of the money for tickets issued erroneously because they can claim they couldn't contact all the people were fined. In this case every single penny would be repaid if they admitted they were in the wrong.

Georgina Stuart ● 2199d

I got my invitation to renew my permit this morning, exactly five days after the e-mail confirming that I had successfully renewed my permit!

N V Brooks ● 2201d

Has anybody had a response to their NTO submission?Successful? If so, approach adopted? Please share.Unsuccessful: what next?

Paul Cronshaw ● 2202d

You could ask again saying how many fines were issued overall and withing those what proportion of permit holders were fined within a randomly selected sample of 100. That would get round their time excuse.

Georgina Stuart ● 2203d

Yes . I wrote my Councillor . She replied by return . Unable to help with the fine . However will address the non reminders many people have complained about at the next meeting .

Beryl Bashford ● 2210d

I've just emailed Arthur.I got stung in July and am still awaiting the outcome from my formal appeal after NTO. As well as being irritated for myself, I'm enraged for the hundreds (thousands?) of people who have been fined simply for not being reminded. Especially those for whom this isn't a trivial amount of money, and feel obliged to pay it quickly while it's discounted.I have raised it with my councillors who, so far, haven't got anywhere.I have tried to create a petition to hold the cabinet member responsible for parking services to account. The head of legal is sitting on it because they won't let me create a petition while I'm in active dispute.I've raised two FOI requests to try to find out how many people were fined after not receiving a reminder. The first one they rejected saying that because the permits had moved systems, they couldn't tell who renewed because it was on a different system. When I reworded it, they said (after another 20 working days) that they couldn't do it because they would have to manually match fines to permit holders and it would take over the amount of time allowed for in FOI legislation.I sense that I'm being stitched up.

David Buck ● 2212d

Happy to have my name added to Arthur Breens' list. My dispute with the council is now going to the next stage. I will not give up on this. My main argument is that Ealing Council failed in its duty to remind me that a renewal was due -- just as the DVLA and my car insurance company always remind me that the road tax and insurance is about to expire.

Ian Richardson ● 2213d

[ Arthur Breens (Northfield) is collating a list of persons who have had problems with the renewal of parking permits. He will then use the numbers as part of his complaint to LBE.  He will not use names or examples without further contact.Please email him: breens01@btinternet.com ]

Paul Cronshaw ● 2215d

Mathew,Never too late! Thanks for letting us know. The more voices heard, the louder the clamour (for fairness and competence etc).I'm assuming you've been in touch with your councillors, and there's little harm in contacting people in the council. This list is useful:https://www.directory.londoncouncils.gov.uk/directory/ealing/scrutiny/Today, I received the NTO. Let's see where this leads.

Paul Cronshaw ● 2223d

Just to add my voice, if rather belatedly. Exactly the same thing happened to me. Returned from a holiday only to find a parking ticket on my car, to my bemusement. Had always received reminders before to renew our parking permit, but not this time. Obviously, will always add it to the calendar in future, but didn’t... as we always received reminders previously! Like others, I won’t pay and will challenge this as far as I can. It simply isn’t natural justice and leaves long-standing Ealing residents feeling disaffected, with a bitter taste. The key point is that the custom was to send a reminder, but they suddenly stopped doing so without any notification that this was their intention. Ridiculous incompetence and a huge waste of time.

Mathew Cramer ● 2223d

A thought: if the council stopped sending out council tax bills because of an IT fault, system migration problem etc would it then follow up with threats to fine non-payers (for those who don't pay by direct debit). Would bailiffs start appearing at doorways, the physical equivalent of these PCNs being issued? When will the council allow residents to pay their parking permits by direct debit while also automatically sending annual reminders of the cost and expiry date.Further thoughts: insurance and utility companies send out reminders, from personal experience apparently without fail. If TV Licensing stopped sending out reminders, for whatever reason, would it start issuing threats of fines or actual fines while blithely stating that it is the TV owners' responsibility to know the license's expiry date?It would help restore people's faith in local government if there was more openness and honesty about their failed and / or failing procedures. This is a case where apologies are more appropriate than unjust and illegitimate PCNs.

Paul Cronshaw ● 2223d

Funny old world.  I received an email message today (3/10/19) warning me of the expiry, on 31st this month, of my Ealing CPZ fee/charge/tax/extortion/racket. So it does seem that some folk get an email notification of impending expiry.  And others do not.

Tony Heath ● 2224d

Yes agree My councillor said he would support my non payment but as I did pay up he says nothing can be done about it.What do people think about this and is it worth all the time and frustration. I think perhaps it is and maybe the only way to get things changed.

Linda Tubby ● 2224d

Dear Peter Philip and Phillipa,You are reasonable people. If the council were reasonable they would make it right.1) By admission that their system isn't 100%. See evidence above2) By returning monies to people who have (by mistake) not been reminded.Job done. Reasonable response completed.

Arthur Breens ● 2225d

This morning i received an automated reminder which is excellent. But it shows that they have failed many people who haven't. funny thing is i moved away 5 months ago.

Peter Chadburn ● 2226d

To be a bit more considerate perhaps.  There is so much technology and it changes so fast that it is difficult to know which bits are going to be of best use to you when you feel that you can't get your head around it all...It definitely helps to use technology that other people you know understand so that it is easy to get help when you get stuck!

Philippa Bond ● 2227d

I would hazard a guess that his lady started to drive 60 years ago when many of her elders would have said "I could never do that".Technological progress will inevitable leave the elderly behind (I am a pensioner). Not quite sure what the answer to that is?

Philip Coe ● 2228d

Posted today on Chiswickw4.com:I am an 87 year old lady from Acton Hill and also had a parking ticket on my car outside my own house. Went to Perceval House in Ealing to ask why . Permit had expired. Was taken to a PC and told to renew it . I am not very computer literate and had no idea how to do that. So eventually a rather irritated worker did it for me taking her nearly 40 minutes. Then paid the fine also. Was told no way would I get a refund . Large amount of money out of my small pension. To whom do I appeal please. ?

Paul Cronshaw ● 2228d

And on it goes! I do hope your two neighbours have written to / emailed their ward councillors, and even to other people inside the council. I also hope they have not paid their PCNs and will wait for the NTOs. The more of us who take it through the appeal stages the more the council will realise that it cannot make its residents pay for its faulty IT systems and procedures.Please keep us all informed of developments. Thanks. paul.cronshaw@gmail.com

Paul Cronshaw ● 2229d

I have two more. Neighbours who were not properly reminded. One was on the old system just before the changeover but was probably "reminded" some 6 months before the due date and the other on the new system who was definitely not reminded. His professional take on it was that it was easy to remind residents when you already have their details on your system. So why wasn't that action taken? If a few don't get reminded then it is a cock-up but if many then it is a scam. If so monies should be returned. Officers and members "fall on swords" and apologies made. The key piece of data now is how many residents have incurred tickets outside their homes who have had residents parking permits in the past. This is a Freedom of Information request and/or a matter for the Local Authority Ombudsman.

Arthur Breens ● 2229d

Hi Mike, Dozens of us (and a growing number still) are in the same position. Please keep sharing with us what's happening. Your NTO could surely and pointedly refer to all of the other residents who have been 'caught out' by the recent faults and flaws in the IT system. There is a ward councillor in Southfields who will lend his support to us as he knows that parking services' systems failed a while back. Please contact me if you want more information: paul.cronshaw@gmail.comP.S. Keep waiting. Appeal. You are NOT alone. Have you emailed your ward councillors? Their details and other useful contacts here: https://www.directory.londoncouncils.gov.uk/directory/ealing/councillors/

Paul Cronshaw ● 2231d

Whether by post, email or text, I don't think you can rely on such reminders always being dispatched or indeed reaching you.  The small print of the provider will no doubt point out that the these are sent out as a courtesy measure, but not guaranteed, and the ultimate responsibility lies with you.Why not set up annual reminders in a diary, digital or otherwise.  I have also read a sensible low tech suggestion that the space once occupied on the car screen by parking permits and road tax certificate could be used to display such expiry dates. 

Philip Coe ● 2231d

Yes I am in the same boat. Annual permit expired and no reminder. They usually do send out reminders and I have challenged this PCN on the grounds that they should have reminded me. They have now sent a Notice To Owner having ignored my letter so I have sent them a a copy by recorded delivery. Still waiting! We must all challenge this and insist on going to a Tribunal.

Mike Gilbert ● 2231d

I posted this on Acton forum at the start of Sept. and wondered subsequently if anyone who has had tickets and managed to get their fines waived?"Does anyone know if they send out reminders to renew resident parking permits by e mail. I was under the impression they did and ended up with 2 tickets while on holiday.If it hadn't been for a kind neighbour I would have ended up with a weeks worth!If they don't maybe it's worth campaigning to get it altered as they must make massive revenue from it and do we think that is reasonable?!"

Linda Tubby ● 2231d

Thanks Simon. Do please note that PaybyPhone is the facility for parking for visitors and for those outside their own CPZs and is NOT related to parking permits for borough residents.

Paul Cronshaw ● 2234d

Here’s the guff from the Council about how wonderful switching to Paybyphone would be for the people of Ealing. I suggest you all email Mik Sabiers to lodge your dissatisfaction. He’s an idiot but even he might have to take notice if his inbox is flooded with complaints.https://www.ealing.gov.uk/news/article/1869/parking_made_easier_for_residents_and_workers_in_ealing

Simon Hayes ● 2234d

Thanks to Libby, a kindly borough neighbour, there's this from another thread:I have uploaded a PDF of all the councillors' emails by ward.  You can find it in the Files section of Ealing Matters Facebook page, along with other useful information.  I am not sure how I can load it onto this page.  You do not have to join the FB page to look at the information.

Paul Cronshaw ● 2234d

Yes, Actually I know one of our Councillers quite well. She has done so much for our neighbourhood in the past. Coming out in all weathers even after her knee ops.which necessitated the use of a walking stick bless her.  I can send her an email. Will keep you updated. Thank you for caring for elderly folk's problems.

Beryl Bashford ● 2237d

Hello Beryl, That is truly shocking and I am really sorry to read that you were treated in that way. It is so callous.Have you got contact details of your ward councillors? It would be helpful for them to know personally of this incident.

Paul Cronshaw ● 2237d

Hi All,Could we make a point of posting updates once we hear back from ward councillors, committee members, the leader (?!) etc. I am still waiting for a reply from one of my ward councillors who said she'd look into this.

Paul Cronshaw ● 2237d

Yes I had the same hppen to me. Yesterday went down to Percval House to ask why. Inhad changed my car in May and although Inhad informed the Council by phone thought best to check. Nice lady spent over an hour trying to sort out my problem online. Transpires my permit expired 1st. July  She kindly renewed my permit forme  but had to ask me to pay the parking fine.I am 87 yyears of age so yesterday a lot of money went  out of my pension. Nice lady helping me on the Council Computer told me that in future reminders are going to be sent out. No use to poor old me . I am not very computer literate so do not know how to challenge the fine.

Beryl Bashford ● 2237d

The powers that be have zero understanding of how the real world works, something they could have learned with a basic grasp of A level economics.Modelling behaviour according to a pre-determined set of factors might seem the right approach if you sit in the Town Hall all day and don’t actually have to do anything that resembles real work. All very well saying if we make it more difficult for car owners to travel to Ealing Broadway they will use alternative modes of transport instead.However, placing obstacles in front of real people simply deters them from using the services. If it’s half an hour on a bus in and the same back for a 10 minute visit it’s not workable. There is not the range of shops and services in Ealing Broadway to attract people to spend a long time there on a regular basis. You are more likely to go to Westfield, where you are more likely to find the things you want and more conveniently concentrated too.Not everyone can walk or cycle nor do a large number of people want to. For a large proportion of people the car is the only viable option. Making it harder for them to pay for parking simply acts as a deterrent.We’ll see the effect of this policy in due course, unless they are relying on the captive audience of Dickens Yard and Filmworks residents to make up the shortfall.

Simon Hayes ● 2238d

Thank you for those messages, Paul. I will certainly fight the fine. This morning I wanted to buy some items in Ealing Broadway. I wasn't able to walk there, so I assumed that I could park for a short while in Bond Street. Wrong. The machines are now marked "out of order" and the parking inspector I encountered told me that I had to pay by phone. If you don't have a phone, or don't know how to use one to purchase parking space, that means you can't park there. So I left and will take my business elsewhere.

Ian Richardson ● 2238d

Please could you all keep all correspondence, emails, records etc of your interactions with parking services and the council.There will be a period when all this unfair (dare I now say unprincipled) behaviour by the council will be held to account.

Paul Cronshaw ● 2239d

Below, copy of a new post (16 Sep) on a related topic seeming to illustrate that the council's parking services appear to be losing their ability to operate competently and considerately:Tomorrow Ealing cabinet will pass Item 16 which will see pay and display machines phased out in car parks and on the road. They are to be replaced by telephone parking/confusion. Last week their poor system failed me and my friend. He paid by phone for two parking sessions but a week later he found no money had been taken from his account. I had parked without paying. How do I pay the council £1.20? but at the same time stood into the danger of paying £80 in fines.I like the system on the computer that sends you a confirming email straight away after you have ordered tickets or goods. You can print it and have hard copy if there are any subsequent mix-ups. The telephone system the council will be voting on tomorrow won't/can't do that.The current pay and display machines deliver paper receipts ....proof indeed that you have paid.Recent data shows that growth in the high street has lagged behind that of retail outlets in business parks with free parking. Will the council be mindful of this when they vote tomorrow?No they do what the officers tell them.In addition this should have gone into Ms P Bond's thread but it was urgent for tomorrow evening. Sorry Phillipa.

Paul Cronshaw ● 2240d

This headline from today's (12 Sep) actonw3.com newsletter:http://www.actonw3.com/default.asp?section=info&page=actcpzpermits001.htm

Paul Cronshaw ● 2245d

Hi Ian,This helpful comment was sent to me:STARTI received a reminder at the start of 2019 for mine.The email came from the council - not from their new service provider (Taranto).At the end of the reminder there was a FAQ section that included:"Will I still receive a permit renewal reminder?Yes, we will still send out permit renewal reminders 28 days before your permit is due to expire."The Ealing Council website still says that they will send out reminder emails ... but they describe it as "a courtesy permit renewal reminder" ... presumably the word "courtesy" has been included to try to suggest that not receiving it is not sufficient to avoid renewing.https://www.ealing.gov.uk/info/201178/parking/2463/new_parking_system/1END

Paul Cronshaw ● 2247d

Do not give in and pay! I am resident of East Acton and through a post on Nextdoor.com (which reaches a small number of residents and then this only concerns those with cars) I have uncovered others who have had the same experience. Go to the forums on actonw3.com and a recent post also reveals the same thing. There is something going on here which is unhelpful, unfair and plainly antagonistic. Over the past 15 years we have always received a renewal reminder. Why can't we pay by direct debit, cf council tax? The copy and paste letter I received has asked me to wait until an NTO is sent and then we have to make a "formal representation". If that fails then there is an ombudsman (?) … my heart sinks at the wastefulness of it all but we have to bring the council to its senses. Other suggestions: contact Julian Bell directly and email your ward councillors. How do we form a group to make quicker headway? Know anybody of influence who can help? paul.cronshaw@gmail.com

Paul Cronshaw ● 2248d

Received my expected rejection today. A copy and paste letter that claimed they had kindly given me an extra seven days to pay the CPZ renewal, but I still hadn't paid. Not true. It expired the day before I was fined. I have checked with neighbours and some have got warnings; others have not. The whole system seems designed to make challenging a PCN as difficult  as possible. But I'm not giving in. I will fight this.

Ian Richardson ● 2248d

Very True Simon. Given the attitude of Ealing Council we have to manage these things ourselves. However they manage to send out our council tax reminders so have no real excuse.

Peter Chadburn ● 2248d

What everyone needs to remember is this is an avowedly anti-car Council. Mik Sabiers, cabinet member for transport and highways, boasts that he’s never filled a petrol tank in his life. That’s why investment in roads is pitiful in Ealing despite the dire state of many surfaces in the borough. It’s why they hiked up permit charges last year, it’s why they want to scrap stop and shop parking spaces outside neighbourhood shops.By making life hard for car owners they hope to encourage people to ditch the vehicles and walk/cycle/ use public transport instead. All well and good if it’s convenient for you (for example, if your ‘job’ is being a full-time councillor) but not so great if you actually have an honest days work to get to or if you have young kids to take to things.All I can suggest is diarising permit renewals every year and ensuring you apply for the new one in plenty of time. Not much consolation when you’ve been slapped with a PCN I know but at least it should avoid the same next year.Good luck with the appeal. Complaining to the Council is pretty pointless, in my experience, as there appears to be no procedure under which complaints are competently dealt with.

Simon Hayes ● 2248d

Hi,The exact same thing happened to my wife at the end of August. We wrote protesting that we did not receive the usual renewal reminder. In 15 years, with a two-car household(not proud of this) this has never occurred before. Our protests have been turned down via standard response cut and paste letters and we now have to follow their procedure of waiting for an NTO before making a 'formal representation'. If this fails, the next stage is adjudication and failing that there's the ombudsman. All so annoying and unnecessary but the council seems hell-bent on antagonising its residents. I have used Nextdoor.com to share this and the equally appalled and similarly treated responses from immediate neighbours (which represents a small % of borough residents - not many are registered) has been quite astonishing. I have also written to a local ward councillor outlining the harshness and unfairness of this system. I would be happy to share with you all that I'm doing to have this unjust PCN cancelled. There are more than two of us, judging by the responses on Nextdoor. Have you used Nextdoor.com to raise the issue in your local neighbourhoods? It might have a wider reach than this forum. Let's join forces? Paul.cronshaw@gmail.com

Paul Cronshaw ● 2248d

They clearly did not specify this to the supplier and yet is an easy thing to implement. It is basically incompetent management

Peter Chadburn ● 2249d

Isn't there an amount of leeway before a ticket is issued?

Philippa Bond ● 2251d

I have tried to challenge the ticket online on the Ealing Council website, but it is impossible. Is this a deliberate discouragement?

Ian Richardson ● 2252d

Perhaps Ealing Council doesn't want it to be in the system. All those fines imposed after a CPZ permit expires must be a nice little earner.

Ian Richardson ● 2252d

I find it amazing after 42 years working in it that this facility is not in the system. It would appear that it was never asked for.

Peter Chadburn ● 2252d

If, as I suspect, Ealing Council no longer sends out CPZ renewal reminders as a matter of course, it is a deliberate ploy to generate fines, assuming that most people don't have the skill or the determination to fight these unjust fines. But I will be fighting mine.

Ian Richardson ● 2252d

Not trusting Ealing Council, I put a reminder to renew on my phone. No email to ask me to renew received from the Council, despite the assertions that the system introduced last year was better than previous (which did send email reminders to renew).

Vlod Barchuk ● 2252d