No Mercy for Self-isolating Resident Caught Out By Bay Suspension

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Council says he should have been checking his car

Council was enforcing parking restrictions at height of second wave of the virus

An appeal by a Putney resident against a parking fine given when he was in self-isolation has been rejected.

Before being confined to his home his car had been parked legally but subsequently the bay in which it was sited was suspended.

The council says he should have been going out to check it was still legally parked even though official guidelines seem to indicate this wouldn’t have been allowed.

Matthew Davies had experienced Covid-like symptoms last December and, following government instructions, had isolated himself to prevent any risk of others catching the disease. At the time the second more virulent wave of the virus had taken hold in the area and there was a very high incidence of the disease.

During this period the council suspended some bays on Chelverton Road for tree works, including the one in which Mr Davies had parked .

He appealed against the Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) but was astonished to receive a rejection letter from Wandsworth Council.

The council did not accept that having to self-isolate was grounds for not moving his car to vacate the suspended bay. The letter states, “Whilst I appreciate that travelling was discourage, I must explain that checking a vehicle was not forbidden. It is the motorist’s responsibility to check their vehicle daily to ensure it remains parked in accordance with the regulations which may change from time to time.”

Although the NHS guidelines on self-isolation do not specifically mention leaving your home to check for possible parking bay suspensions, they do categorically state that you should not go out to public places. Staying at home is mandatory even if you need to purchase food.

Mr Davies said in his response to the council, “I don’t understand how you have made the decision of it being safe for me to leave my house when the government guidance is clear that I should stay in and self-isolate.”

He now plans to take his case up with the traffic adjudicator.

He also has been in touch with his MP Fleur Anderson who said, "The council should take more account of people’s circumstances during the pandemic. Mr Davies and many other constituents have been unfairly charged when they are self-isolating or not regularly checking their car as they are working from home. The council should end its ‘computer says no’ attitude and understand each situation. "

We have contacted Wandsworth Council for a comment.

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April 30, 2021