Butcher slapped with more than 20 tickets for parking on the same double yellow lines near his shop vows to keep leaving his car there until wardens prove they are allowed to fine him
- Gareth Sell, 35, says that Corner Farm Close, in Tadworth, is a private road
- The wardens now come out daily but he has no intention of paying the fines
- Reigate and Banstead Borough Council say it is ‘obstructive and dangerous’
A butcher who has been given more than 20 tickets for parking on the same yellow lines insists he will continue to leave his car there until wardens prove they are allowed to fine him.
Gareth Sell, 35, from Redhill, says Corner Farm Close, in Tadworth, is a private road, and Reigate and Banstead Borough Council traffic enforcement officers therefore have no jurisdiction to slap a fixed penalty notice on his car.
The wardens are now coming out on a daily basis, he says, but he has no intention of paying the fines.
Gareth Sell, 35, from Redhill, says Corner Farm Close, in Tadworth, is a private road so he can’t be fined
The council says his parking is ‘obstructive and dangerous’ and its wardens will continue to ticket him until highways authority Surrey County Council tells them otherwise.
Mr Sell who works nearby, parks on double yellow lines close to the junction with Cross Road.
‘Because it is a private road, the council cannot enforce them,’ he said.
‘Because it only says ‘private road’ half way down the road people think it is only private there, but the whole road is private.’
Mr Sell who works nearby, parks on double yellow lines close to the junction with Cross Road (pictured)
Mr Sell says he has confirmation that he is right.
First he asked the borough council to clean up a car park area on the road before the ‘private’ sign and then he asked the county council to fix a broken kerb near the road’s entrance.
Both authorities told him they had no jurisdiction to do the works because the road is private, he said.
The borough council’s parking services team has also told him there is a traffic regulation order in place, but Mr Sell says they have been unable to provide evidence.
He has been told the council has had complaints about access for bin lorries, but says the spot in which he parks does not affect them.
The council says his parking is ‘obstructive and dangerous’ and its wardens will continue to ticket him until highways authority Surrey County Council tells them otherwise
The wardens are now coming out on a daily basis, he says, but he has no intention of paying the fines
‘I am not going to not park there if they [the council] can’t give me the reason to show I shouldn’t park there,’ he said.
‘I want to take them to court for harassment and for fraud – it is fraudulent asking people for money when they shouldn’t.
‘The parking in the area has got a lot worse. They say they can only send traffic wardens to monitor the parking in front of the shops [in one-hour bays] once every eight weeks, but they can send one to ticket me every day.’
Mr Sell has not been contacted by the management company for the road, but has sought clarification from it.
A spokesman for Reigate and Banstead Borough Council said: ‘We are aware of this gentleman and he has several outstanding parking tickets.
‘We at Reigate and Banstead Borough Council have valid Traffic Orders for the location dating back to 2004.
‘We know this gentleman has a pending query with Surrey County Council regarding the ownership of this particular piece of land.
‘We understand SCC is currently investigating. Until we are advised otherwise, we will continue to enforce as we are getting daily complaints from residents of this gentleman and his obstructive and dangerous parking.’
The investigation will help to determine if it is classed as a public or private road and if the local authority has the right to treat it like public roads in the area.