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The No To Bike Parking Tax Campaign clarified that it was not responsible for the damage, with Chairman Warren Djanogly saying today:

“Of course we do not condone the damaging of  council signs – we have been trying for over a year to talk to Westminster City Council in a reasoned way to convince them that this tax should be scrapped. We said from the outset that we were the friendly face of opposition to this tax, and it would appear that some individuals have had enough of being ignored and taken matters into their own hands.”

Damaged signs – on which the telephone numbers or bay numbers are unreadable – cannot be used to issue PCN’s to motorcycles parked in those bays. Signs have been damaged sporadically in the past, but this is the first time a wider spread of signs has been destroyed.

Charlie Lort-Phillips, spokesman for the Campaign, said today:

“When the largest on street demonstrations ever seen against WCC, thousands of petitions, lobbying from opposition councillors, and a year long trashing of the reasons for it’s introduction are ignored, it is inevitable that people will splinter off and take their own direct action against this tax.”

The campaign reminded bikers that WCC may still try to issue PCNs to bikers parked in damaged bays, but urged them to keep a photographic record to use in an appeal, citing a previous overturning of a PCN by Kevin Goad in 2009, where he stated:

“I can see the signage has been vandalised and that the required phone number information has been obliterated. In view of this evidence, I have cancelled the PCN. You are no longer liable for this charge.”

After the member for the corporation of the City of London read our report, he has decided to have their legal team look at our claims of wrong doing.

It is the intention of Westminster’s parking department that PiP allow new members to join and take advantage of the parking framework they have established with Verrus so as to avoid a tendering process. Unfortunately in doing this they would be breaking the law.

At the last meeting a vote was called for to allow PiP to allow non-London members so as to enable them to use the framework. Till now only councils from within the Greater London area have been eligible to join and so this represents a significant change to their charter. It is our hope that the existing members will realise what is trying to be done and vote against this action due to the nature of the illegal acts that would follow on from it.

Most have taken what they have been told by Danny Chalkley (chairman of PiP) & Alastair Gilchrist (head management committee chairman) in good faith as they had no reason to doubt what they were being told. However we are glad to see that the City of London is now asking questions and hope that the other members follow their lead.

Scroll down for a video of the ITV evening news, the demo was covered.

Next demo is planned for Tues, 9th June 2009 with a possible “mini-demo” planned for Sat, 23rd May 09 details to follow or sign up to our email alerts to find out first. Spread the word.

VIDEO: ITV EVENING NEWS.

To watch the video of the Westminster City Council Built Environment, Policy and Scrutiny Committee Meeting in full (31st March 2009) then visit this link:

WATCH FULL VIDEO SCRUTINY MEETING VIDEO.

THE FIGHT GOES ON!

Photos from 31st March 2009

For photos from the demo, you maybe be in one! Go here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/notobikeparkingtax/sets/72157616100642045/ to stay informed of future campaign updates and event please join our mailing list by filling out the form on the right. (WE WILL NEVER SPAM).

NOTE: Move forward to 7:50 on the first video, then the discussion on experimental motorcycle parking takes place, each video will progress automatically.

THE FIGHT GOES ON. SIGN UP TO OUR MAILING LIST ON THE RIGHT TO BE INFORMED OF FUTURE ACTION AND CAMPAIGN UPDATES.

Westminster pre-scrutiny meeting report, what a load of toilet rubbish. Download a copy.

Westminster have issued an 18 page report of the bike parking tax [Download PDF] ahead of the meeting, where the scrutiny committee are supposed to do just that, scrutinise the report and the experimental bike parking tax. In the meeting above the campaign presented 6 speakers all of which are refuting the report, and the experimental parking charge and will be saying everything you guys have wanted to say to Westminster directly, let us hope they listen and are not foolish enough to continue the experiment, or make it permanent for that matter. In the report they do offer suggestions for compromise… which we are having none off, the report itself is full of errors, they cannot even add up their own figures.

Download the report by none other than “One size Fitsall” (Keiran Fitsall).

• TaxPayers’ Alliance issue a “Call to arms” to their members.
• Tory woman councillor accused of “sexist” email. (Please leave your comments with the hundreds of others.)
• Councillor urges ‘responsible’ motorbike protest. (Yeh right Cllr Chalkley.. A Message to you.. SCRAP THE TAX.)
• West End Extra, 27th March 2009 – “Letters to the editor” PDF.
• West End Extra, 27th March 2009 – “War of words on two wheels” PDF.

See you all on the 31st March, we will show Westminster Council just how many people oppose their tax.