**BEWARE WHILST WAITING IN A CAR AT CLAPHAM JUNCTION STATION** Post Reply

[SWResident01]

Hi All, 

I just wanted to bring to your attention that there is a devious practice taking place at Clapham Junction Station's car park being run by ShopStop the landowner. This will no doubt catch out drivers and fellow members here.

If you enter the car park and don't buy a ticket and are more than 10 minutes, even if you're just waiting in the 'Pick Up & Drop Off' area, then you'll be liable for a fine of £60 or £100. (the lesser if you pay within 14 days) Both of the car parks are covered by ANPR cameras which record your number plate whenever you enter and leave the car park. There is no warden on duty. If you're not careful then a nasty surprise will arrive on your doormat a week later.

At the moment, January 2019, there is no clear signage stipulating the maximum waiting time period and/or that you even have to pay if you're waiting in your vehicle. The car parking enforcement company has no access to the car park CCTV either so will not be able to check your position either way. As the car park is privately owned the agreement between both parties is covered under contractual law and without the correct signage they cannot enforce their position. So should you have an issue, like me, than that is your 'get out of jail free card'. But that I am sure will be subject to change in the near future.

There is also no current disability allowance for those members of the public who need to use the 'Pick Up & Drop Off' to access the station.  

Please make sure you tell everyone and share this far and wide. 

Kind regards,

SWR

[TM81]

Dear SWR,
Thank you so much for posting this. This just happened to me mid January. Although I only returned home to the letter the day before the fine was about to increase to £100, so I just paid up as I didn’t think I could fight it. Do you think I could still appeal? Either way, thanks for sharing.

[wasban]

I use the station for childs school train run everyday and I got 4 tickets in December - she is only 11 and I was taking her up the platform each day! It is outragous that there is no signage and no obvious contact details.
I appealed and have had two cancelled but had to pay the other two - I wish I knew about the above clause.
Everyone I know who uses the station has had at least 2 tickets - they must be making thousands.
There is now a queue up the hill every morning as people now hover there - its a ridiculous and crazy situation.

[Tina01]

I have a ticket too and have appealed it but unfortunately unsuccessfully.  I will now take it to The Independent Appeals Service (www.theIAS.org).  The two coin machines also state 'out of order' and should rather say 'obsolete'.  I have photos of the signage and machines if anyone needs them.  Thank you for posting SWResident01.

[BFW]

I also received a fine! I have contested it on the grounds that they sent me a very dark photograph with only my number plate visible (I could have literally been anywhere!) and on the basis that there is no sign at the car stipulating maximum waiting time. On the day in question I must have been there for about 3 minutes.

I have not heard back from them as yet.

Seems like they woke up one morning and decided it was a great way to make some money as i have been occasionally picking up my kids from CJ for 2 years and have never had this problem before.

As another poster correctly pointed out it’s causing complete chaos on the hill before the car park.

[Alchemy]

There is a MASSIVE sign before you enter the car park saying, among other things, “there is no free parking”. Seems clear to me.

(You say that you got a ticket having spent “more than 10 minutes” in the area. This is not what the pick up and drop off area is intended for.)

[Jonas]

DO NOT PAY THESE charge notices, APPEAL.  I have had the same issue with picking up and dropping off children.  In December I appealed as the signage specifically stated "Pick Up and Drop Off Point".  You can see this on Google maps:

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@51.46441 ... 8192?hl=en

This sign has been changed (in the last week?).  We have since received a further Parking Charge Notice dated 5th Feb.  I am appealing as there was no clear sign indicating this change of terms and conditions.  Also, there is insufficient explanation on the Notice "Unauthorised Parking".  The car was not parked, but stopped in the roadway, not a parking bay.  Further, as one poster has commented the photographic evidence produced by UK Car Park Management is insufficient (half a dark blurry photo..).  There does not seem to be an exemption for 'turning round in a car park' as you are still using private land.  There does seem to be a relatively standard 10 minute leeway after a ticket expires though.

Appeal to chelsea.h@uk-cpm.com and info@uk-carparkmanagement.co.uk.  They won't like you appealing by email, but there is no legal reason why you should be forced write to them - they are purposely creating an inconvenient means of appeal.  Also copy Will Hurley, Chief Executive Officer of International Parking Community, the association to which CPM belong. will@theipc.info.

I would mention the directors Lukhbir Singh Gohler and James Bryan Randall, as this shows you mean business.

If councillors and the local MP are also appealed to, given lack of any other safe pick up / drop off for children, this may also have an effect in the long term on rogue private parking operators like UK Car Park Management Ltd.

marsha.decordova.mp@parliament.uk or tweet @marshadecordova

Northcote Ward Councillors
Peter Dawson   Cllr.P.Dawson@wandsworth.gov.uk 
Aled Richard Jones cllr.a.richards-jones@wandsworth.gov.uk he is the most local to CJ (Plough Road)
Louise Calland cllr.l.calland@wandsworth.gov.uk   

Jonas
 

[BFW]

Jonas thank you for the helpful post. I have not yet heard back on my appeal but will keep the above in mind.

Alchemy I don’t think anyone here is suggesting we should be parking for free. We are talking about pick up points which there seems to be a distinctive lack of at Clapham junction. And now they seem to want to fine you even if you are stopping the car to pick someone up or drop someone off!

[Jonas]

Apologies. The new sign still states drop off and pick up.

There is no indication of how long may be permitted for dropping off or waiting for a few minutes to pick someone up.

Therefore a valid defence for an appeal.

Don't give in to them!!

[Jono1]

They have recently added an A4 size laminated sheet with the 10 minute limit on it.
These A4 sheets have only just gone up. I suspect they went up in last week as I spoke to someone who had a same issue and he mentioned they were not there last week.

It states "Drop OFF/Pick UP IS FREE" in large font.
It then states below it in smaller font (about a third of the font size) "For the first 10 minutes" and lists out charges.

I have pictures from January that clearly show the sheets were not there.


 

[SAMCL]

Went to the station this morning - signs everywhere now, all looking suspiciously new and I think some still going up.  Do any regular users/NVN posters here remember when they noticed signage appearing?  For future reference, drop off/pick up is free for 10 mins, then you have to pay £1.50 for an hour.

[Jonas]

https://www.cpmappeals.co.uk/

DVLA gave me this link to appeal. I do not think it is mentioned on Parking Charge Notice.

[Red5]

Is this at the bottom end of Clapham Junction or the Brighton Road entrance off St Johns Hill? Never had any problems there at all.

[BD101]

Jono1, are you able to upload the pictures of the sign? It would massively help with my appeal.

[BFW]

My appeal was also unsuccessful and I have now taken this to The Independent Appeals Service.  I have told them that I am happy to go all the way to Arbitration (I have had legal advice on this from a friend and apparently they don't have a leg to stand on).  

As per one of the suggestions above I also send an e mail to our local Councillor Peter Dawson.  I was really impressed with his speedy response.  The local Councillors are aware of the issue and are investigating to see if the Council might intervene on this matter (I think not specifically to CJ but more in relation to private parking at Network Rail Premises).  So its worth letting them know how many of us have had this issue.