23 October - Parking fines. Exposing Bexley’s dishonesty. (Episode 6)
After three years of reporting on Bexley council it becomes very easy to
discredit their statements because they so often contradict themselves or repeat
old mistakes, all I have to do is remember where I filed the original note!
The disabled ex-policeman given a parking ticket
for no good reason was finding the same after as many months and on 9th February 2010 wrote to
Parking Manager Tina Brooks as follows…
In a letter to Mr. Tippett dated 17 December 2009 I accused CEO BL286 of being
ignorant of Parking Control Regulations. I withdraw that accusation unreservedly.
Since then I have discovered that all CEOs are trained and schooled in all aspects of
parking Control Regulations as applied by Bexley Parking Services and their contractors.
So it would appear that CEO BL286 was fully aware that chevrons and signs outside KFC
and other sites on Bexleyheath Broadway did not comply with said regulations. He was
therefore abusing his authority and powers when he handed me the PCN.
He also had your website to guide him which states “the contravention did not
occur where the restrictions are not clearly marked and signed”.
The letter went on in similar knot tying vein for four handwritten A4 pages. It covered
the CEO's failure to honour his promise to note the signage problem on his report and
the FOI which had revealed that he certified the signs were all
present and correct instead.
Ms. Brooks was reminded that the CEO's evidence photograph cunningly hid the
signage problem by allowing a parked car to obscure it and it took five weeks,
two letters, seven phone calls and a complaint to the Chief Executive to squeeze
any sort of excuse for their behaviour from Bexley council. The nonsense about
scanning colour photos in black and white was righty ridiculed as was the lie
dated 16 October that the chevrons would be repainted. More than three months
later they still had not been and in all probability more innocent motorists
were prosecuted.
You and I both know that under the circumstances that prevailed at the time I
should never have been issued with a PCN. As Manager of the dubious department
I hope you will answer my points and questions honestly and without waffle.
Please let me know what you intend to do about my allegations.
Would the persistent copper be happy with Ms. Brooks’
reply? I suspect you can guess the answer to that one.
This story is reported in an indeterminate number of episodes.
A cumulative version is provided for convenience.