The Council uses Contract law to enforce parking on housing estates. This is effectively an agreement between the Council and a Resident which allows parking on an estate as long as certain conditions are met.
The Government has written to all Council’s stating that they should not be using “contract law” to enforce parking on off street land such as housing estates. It also said that for Councils who continue to use this system, future applications to the DVLA for car keeper details would “more than likely not be approved”.
Since that period, Councils including LBTH who enforce parking control on housing estates by the use of contract law have faced difficulties in pursuing those who park illegally. Residents may be aware that this has had a severe impact in Tower Hamlets with a steady increase in those ignoring the enforcement regime and also the number of complaints.
Like many other Local Authorities, the Council and THH are now proposing to change the parking regime to tackle this ongoing problem.
1. Who is Eligible for a Permit?
1.1 You must be a resident living on a housing estate/block managed by London Borough of Tower Hamlets (LBTH)
1.2 Priority will be given to LBTH residents and to applicants who are blue badge holders or require a personalised disabled bay.
1.3 Non LBTH residents will be considered if there is a shortage of demand from LBTH residents and spaces are available.
1.4 Permits will be allocated based on the number of bays available in each Zone.
1.5 Permits will be allocated on a first come first served basis.
1.6 A maximum of two permits will be granted per household.
1.7 Your vehicle must not exceed 2.3m (7’ 6”) in height or 5.25m (17’ 3”) in length.
1.8 Your vehicle must have valid MOT, road tax and insurance. (Temporary insurance not accepted)
1.9 To demonstrate eligibility, you must provide one document from Section 2 and 3, unless stated otherwise, showing your full name and current address where applicable.
1.10 LBTH reserves the right to request at any time, any eligibility document(s), to check that you meet the criteria for an Estate permit.
1.11 You can only apply for a parking space for the estate you reside on.
2. Proof of Residency
The resident must provide a copy of one of the following eligibility documents:
2.1 UK Driving Licence (including a provisional or paper licence).
2.2 European Driving Licence plus Council Tax Bill or Tenancy Agreement.
2.3 Council Tax letter if you have a Motability vehicle, you are the allocated person and not a permitted driver.
3. Proof of Vehicle Ownership
3.1 UK Registration Certificate (V5C)
3.2 Lease, Finance or Rental Agreement (showing your full name and address and Company house registration number)
3.3 Motability Insurance Certificate. Applicant must be named as a nominated driver on the insurance policy
3.4 Company Vehicle - you must provide a company letter on headed paper dated within 28 days of your application to confirm all of the following: Company house registration number, your name and address, you are an employee/director, you are authorised to drive the vehicle, you keep the vehicle overnight at your address, vehicle registration number, name and position of the person signing the letter.
3.5 Change of Vehicle – new keeper supplement along with insurance documents (showing your full name and address). You will then need to provide a copy of the V5C for the new vehicle (showing full name and address) within six weeks of your application or your permit will be cancelled.
3.6 – Mobility vehicles must be registered to applicant's address.
4. Proof of Blue Badge
4.1 If you are a blue badge holder, you must provide LBTH with a copy of your blue badge.
4.2 If you are the blue badge holder’s nominated driver, you must provide a copy of their blue badge and DWP letter for the current tax year.
4.3 If you require a Carers permit or a Personalised Disabled Bay, please contact us for an application form.
4.4 In order to be eligible for a free disabled parking permit, the vehicle must be registered to the disabled badge with the taxation class (x) stating ‘Disabled’ on the second page of your logbook (V5C).
5. Cost and Conditions of Use
5.1 The permits for LBTH residents are priced at £100 for 12 months. Prices for non LBTH residents will begin at £100, subject to review. Estate Business Permits costs £468.52
5.2 A permit is issued free of charge to a blue badge holder, or if they do not drive it is issued free of charge to their nominated driver living at the same address.
5.3 Permits must be displayed clearly and be visible for inspection at all times.
5.4 Your permit is valid on Estate parking bays signed: ‘Resident Permit Holders. Vehicles must be parked within the marked bays.
5.5 Your permit is only valid in the Zone specified on your parking permit.
5.6 Your permit does not allow you to park on the highways or in any other Zones or bays including visitors/contractors/disabled or suspended bays.
5.7 Your permit will not always guarantee you a parking space.
6. Change of Details, Including Refunds and Additional Charges
6.1 To cancel your permit, you must return your permit by post(recorded delivery) or in person. A refund will be processed from the date received based on the number of complete months remaining. There will be an administration fee of £25, with the minimum amount refundable set at £15. LBTH will take no responsibility for items lost in post). .
6.2 The debit/credit card used to pay for your permit will be the card refunded.
6.3 If you change your vehicle, you will need to contact LBTH immediately so that a fourteen day’s temporary permit letter can be issued to enable you to park your new vehicle. You will need to print and display the letter along with your old permit in your new vehicle. Your old permit will be cancelled. You must return your old permit and provide proof of your new vehicle from the options listed in Section 3, within fourteen days. An administration charge of £10 will apply, payable using a debit/credit card.
6.4 If you have lost or damaged your permit and need a replacement, you must request one in writing and provide a copy of your V5C. A charge of £10 administration fee will apply. On receipt of the payment an initial fourteen day’s temporary permit letter will be emailed to you. You will need to print and display the letter. The permit will be reprinted and posted to you by recorded delivery.
6.5 If your circumstance change or you move out of the property, you will no longer be eligible for an Estate permit, and you must return your permit. Failure to do so will result in your permit being cancelled and no refund will be payable.
6.6 If you misuse or alter your permit, the permit will be cancelled, and no refund will be payable.
6.7 If you breach any of the terms and conditions your permit may be cancelled, and no refund will be payable.
6.8 LBTH will write to you to let you know that your permit is due for renewal. However, it remains your sole responsibility to renew your permit through the online portal even if you do not receive a reminder. You must renew your permit before the old one expires. Failure to do so could result in you losing your permit slot and not being able to renew your permit in the same Zone/area.
6.9 LBTH reserves the right to cancel your permit by giving you 14 days’ notice.
6.10 LBTH reserves the right to change the terms and conditions by giving you 28 days’ notice. The changes will be displayed on the LBTH website.
7. Declaration
7.1 By applying for a residential permit with Tower Hamlets Council, you are as part of your application and payment, accepting the terms and conditions set out in sections 1-8 of this document regarding your residential permit.
8. Data Protection and General Data Protection Regulation
8.1 To view how the Tower Hamlets Council will use your data, please visit the data protection & freedom of information section of LBTH website.
8.2 To view our Privacy Notice, see our legal notices on the LBTH website.
8.3 We may share information provided to us with other bodies responsible for; auditing, or administering public funds, or where undertaking a public function, in order to prevent and detect fraud.
For the fastest and most convenient way to renew your TMO permit, you can now pay online using the link below.
To make changes to parking on your estate requires that a statutory consultation involving all residents is carried out.
The Council will set out the choices open to you and seek your views.
This will mean that you have the right to make representations about our proposals, say whether you agree with them and make suggestions as to how they can be improved.
A Traffic Management Order is a statutory legal document that is used to regulate traffic. The Council proposes to extend these powers of enforcement to all THH managed housing estates and land.
The removal of Any Other Vehicle permits
Abuse of the Any Other Vehicles permit system on the estates is rife and would make any parking system difficult to enforce.
To successfully control traffic, enforcement must proceed along the lines of a car being tied to a car registration number. Under our new allocation system, if a car is changed, this can be registered online or through a call centre on the same day.
TMOs will be introduced ward by ward. On each estate;
- Existing residential tenants, sub-tenants, freeholders and leaseholders with permits will retain them.
- Any available spaces will then be offered to residential tenants, sub-tenants, freeholders and leaseholders without a space
- TMO’s will prevent illegal parking and will be patrolled by uniformed officers who have the same powers as Civil Enforcement Officers who enforce on the streets of our Borough.
- Some THH residents have complained that they are unable to park on their own estate. In many circumstances, this will increase the chances of a Tenant or Leaseholder getting a space.
- Some resident groups also wish to reduce parking availability on their estate and these proposals will ensure that these views are taken into account.
- The works that will accompany Traffic Management Orders may also improve the condition of some estate roads.
- Those Out of Borough residents who commute to Tower Hamlets will lose their permits under this scheme freeing up around 430 spaces.
- There is also a chance that some LBTH residents who are not tenants or leaseholders may lose their permit under this scheme.
- Existing bay holders that do not reside on the estate will lose their permits.
- On some estates there may be a loss of spaces if a scheme is not compliant with the Road Regulations Act 1984.
- New applications from those who live out of Borough are no longer being taken. Similarly, applications from the LBTH residents’ category are also suspended whilst a review of this category is taking place.
It is proposed to limit permits to 2 per household. Those tenants or leaseholders who have more than 2 spaces will however be able to keep their spaces unless it is evident that there are tenants and leaseholders without a space.
Disabled tenants with a blue badge may be eligible for a Personalised Individual Bay if they meet the Council’s criteria. This takes into consideration issues such as whether you are the driver of a Motability vehicle, use a wheelchair or have children with a serious medical conditions.
The Council will use this consultation to ascertain whether residents want space for visitors to park on their estate.
- This permit is valid as specified
- Permit holders must ensure they park in the correct zone for which the permit is valid, and where applicable the correct bay.
- If the permit has been designated as an off-street estate permit and you find your designated bay occupied by another vehicle, you may temporarily park in a Visitors Bay if available during this
- The permit does not guarantee a parking
- The user must ensure that the vehicle is parked within the confines of the bays marked ‘Resident permit holders’. (Personalised disabled bay – where applicable).
- It is the permit holders’ responsibility to display their valid permit so that all the details on the face may readily be seen, clearly displayed, attached to the inside of the front
- The issue of a permit does not render Tower Hamlets Council subject to any liability in respect of the loss or damage to any vehicle in a parking bay or to the contents or fittings of any such
- Any alteration to the permit or defacement which makes any of the information illegible will render it invalid, this includes duplication.
- Tower Hamlets Council reserves the right to change the conditions of use on 28 days’ notice, which will be displayed on the website.
- Responsibility for the renewal or replacement of this permit rests with the Tower Hamlets Council will not take any responsibility if an out of date permit is displayed on a vehicle, which is subsequently subject to parking enforcement action.
- The permit showing the vehicle registration must be surrendered for a change of An administration charge will be made payable using a bank card.
- A duly authorised Tower Hamlets Council staff member may suspend the use of a parking The permit holder may be required to park in other parts of the estate.
- Continued use of this permit after permission has been withdrawn will lead to immediate enforcement action.
- Tower Hamlets Council reserves the rights to cancel your permit with a seven days’