Residents Complain over Parking 'Persecutions' on RFU Concert Days

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Wed 27th Aug 2003

Parking tickets

Whitton residents faced with £50 fines have protested over parking fines imposed by council wardens in what they regard as an unreasonable extension of parking controls.

Several have asked MP Vincent Cable to take up cases with the council and the RFU after they were faced with big fines while they thought they were complying with the law.

One man (Mr Orwell of 176 Kneller Road) advised a new lodger that it was safe to park his car in the street never having been notified of new restrictions and with no bollards or restrictions in sight. the lodger got a £50 fine.

Another family Mr and Mrs Ward have a valid residents permit for Whitton but were nonetheless fined after visiting their son for a few minutes in nearby Hounslow Road.

Vincent Cable said: "There is a strong feeling in Whitton that a scheme introduced by the council with RFU funding to protect residents from being flooded by visiting rugby fans is now being used as a way of raiding the pockets of local motorists themselves".

"What is particularly worrying and unfair is that the council has moved the goalposts on appeals, so that if residents lose an appeal they have to pay double - £100. Naturally this discourages appeals even if residents feel they have a good case".

"What has caused particular annoyance is that as the RFU has expanded from rugby to concerts, residents are faced not merely with the inevitable inconvenience but have to run the gauntlet of parking wardens enforcing the parking scheme".