Parking enforcement – Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council

Only our Civil Enforcement Officers can enforce parking restrictions, they must witness the contravention and can only issue a Penalty Charge Notice. We do not have any legal powers to take parking enforcement action based on details from photographs, emails, phone calls or letters. Or to have vehicles removed.

Our parking enforcement powers apply to roads that have been adopted (maintainable at public expense) and where there are marked enforceable parking restrictions. The only exceptions are adopted roads where there is a dropped kerb for a pedestrian crossing, vehicle access to a number of properties, and our car parks.

We can enforce and deal with requests for the following

Type of parking restriction	Information
Double yellow lines	Apply to everyone at all times
Single yellow lines	Apply to everyone during restricted days/times on the signs
Permit schemes	There is a charge for permits although essential carer permits are free. Apply to everyone permit holders can park for an unlimited period during restricted days/times non-permit holders cannot park during restricted days/times. Unless signs also allow them to park during restricted days/times for a limited period. For example, for a maximum of 1 hour with no return for 2 hours. Permit schemes do not guarantee a space.
Bus bays	No vehicles other than a bus may be park in a bus bay
Loading bays	Only vehicles meeting the restrictions shown on the sign can load and unload
School Keep Clear	No vehicles may park during the days/times of restrictions as shown on signs

To request a change to parking restrictions please complete this form. Please note that requests are added to a holding list, when they get to the top of the list there will be consultation with other local residents and businesses, reports to the Joint Transportation Board elected members for them to consider consultation responses and decide if locations proceed to formal consultation or not. Formal consultation is then needed for any change to parking restrictions as they require a change to the Traffic Regulation Order that makes restrictions enforceable.

Issues we cannot enforce or deal with

Issue	Information
Enforce The Highway Code without marked parking restrictions	Where the rules of The Highway Code are criminal offences, the Police have powers to enforce. Some rules of The Highway Code are advisory only.
Changes to roads such as: making a road one-way changes to speed limits	Kent County Council (KCC)
White line marking	KCC. Please note that neither KCC or ourselves install white access protection markings (commonly known as dog bones) as these are not enforceable.
HGV use of roads	KCC
Enforcing speed limits	Police
Safety cameras	Kent and Medway Safety Camera Partnership
Road signs other than parking enforcement sigs	KCC
There is not enough lighting where there is available parking	KCC
Street cleaning, fly tipping, abandoned vehicle, graffiti	Waste services
Resident wants to be able to park outside their property.	There is no right to park on the public highway. Parking is tolerated where it does not cause a problem, but residents cannot automatically assume on-street parking will be available, and some properties are situated in places where parking is not permitted.
Want parking restricted but no lines/signs	Lines, and in most cases signage as well, are needed to enforce parking restrictions.
Want larger or smaller parking restrictions signs or different lines	The size and design of these lines/signs is defined in law.
Want additional roads/restrictions to be added to an areas parking review	Once formal consultation has started, we cannot add/remove proposals. However, additional reported roads/restrictions can be added to a holding list for consideration at a later date.
Want advice on where to park if restrictions go ahead	It is the driver’s responsibility to find their own parking that abides to the Rules of The Highway Code. Most parking restrictions allow enforcement of the rules of The Highway Code that drivers should already be abiding to.
Want lines reduced as cars can get through.	Large vehicles including ones the size of emergency service vehicles and waste collection vehicles need to be able to get through as well.
Want additional parking provided	It is not the Councils responsibility to provide parking. In many areas where there is not enough parking it is usually because there is nowhere for additional parking to be provided.
Want other land used as parking	This would be for the landowner to consider
Restrict vehicles in a road to just cars and no commercial vehicles	The adopted highway cannot be restricted in this way unless there is a requirement for a height or weight restriction, such as for bridges.
Garages or driveways are not being used	Use of garages or driveways cannot be enforced
Resident has many vehicles	The number of vehicles related to one property cannot be restricted.
Garages should be demolished as they are unused, and land used for parking instead.	This would be for the landowner to consider. This Council does not own any garages.