PCN Mix Up: Cllr Jason Cummings, who managed a Woolworths branch before working in Downing Street, has been left to front up for Mayor Perry
CROYDON IN CRISIS: Mayor Perry’s finance adviser admits ‘we can’t afford to lose’ the £150,000-plus costs caused by the latest IT catastrophe to hit the council
Croydon’s cash-strapped council stands to lose at least £150,000 over its “PCN Fiasco”, as after a two-week delay, officials at Fisher’s Folly finally began to make repayments to hundreds of angry motorists affected by what was initially dismissed as “an IT glitch”.
The six-figure cost of the error is an estimate according to Tory Mayor Jason Perry’s senior councillor in charge of finance. It represents a mid-range estimate of the final cost of the latest IT shambles to affect the disorganised council, which was first reported by Inside Croydon.
In typical Croydon Council style, officials have this week sent a memo to councillors, without bothering to put anything into the public domain to update residents about the latest civic clusterfuck.
In the message, the council claims, “All of [the affected] motorists have been notified by letter that these PCNs have been cancelled.”
The council was forced to issue an apology last month after it confirmed that there had been an admin error involving 3,138 Penalty Charge Notices – PCNs – issued for driving offences around the borough between mid-October and mid-December. Drivers failed to receive the usual, initial immediate demand with a £65 fine, and instead received notices requiring payment of £195.
There were unconfirmed reports that some motorists who had been sent the £195 demands had even had visits from bailiffs on behalf of the council.
Caught on camera: most of the driving offences will have been picked up on council CCTV
The council has blamed a “software error” that affected the issuing of the notices. It appears to be a “software error” that didn’t exist before mid-October 2023 and doesn’t exist now…
In the memo to councillors, officials wrote, “We have started issuing refunds to affected motorists, with a total of 319 refund payments already been [sic] made. A large proportion of the affected motorists did not make a payment so do not require refunds.”
The email admits that there may be more faultily issued tickets out there: “We will continue to investigate to identify any further motorists affected by the processing error.”
The council officials asks that any resident affected by the PCN issue who has not already done so should call their special contact number: 020 8726 6000, select option 1 and dial extension 44056, between 9am to 4pm, Monday to Friday.
When BBC Radio London came calling last week, piss-poor Mayor Perry was nowhere to be seen (mind you, neither was the council CEO, Katherine Kerswell, or any of the very well-paid “Croydon Digital” execs responsible for the latest cock-up).
Senior Tory councillor Jason Cummings was sent out to answer the broadcaster’s questions (part-time Perry did attend in person other civic events last week, just nothing that involved him appearing like a prize pillock on regional radio).
In the past, Cummings’ career has seen him working as a manager at Woolworths, and as a special adviser to Theresa May in Downing Street. These days, instead of looking after the Pick ‘n Mix, he’s been handling a PCN Mix Up.
Cummings is the council’s cabinet member for finance, a Conservative councillor in Shirley South who, after putting up Council Tax by 15% last year, now wants to close his local library and still thinks he can get elected as MP for Croydon East.
Cummings described the council’s software error as “unfortunate”.
“I wouldn’t describe Croydon as being able to afford to lose a pound, let alone £150,000, but councils are big organisations.
“We have contingencies in place for when things go wrong and, although £150,000 is a lot of money, it’s not going to have any impact on our residents in terms of the over-£300million budget that we operate each year.”
So that’s alright then…
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ROTTEN BOROUGH AWARDS: In January 2024, Croydon was named among the country’s rottenest boroughs for a SEVENTH successive year in the annual round-up of civic cock-ups in Private Eye magazine
See Cummings on the tram quite often and so clearly he doesn’t trust parking in Croydon with inside knowledge of his Council’s level of competence. Surprised he didn’t try to pin this one on the previous Labour administration, but with his record, politics excuses in any shape or form must come easily to him.
I received a PCN today where the council claim I was driving in a restricted pedestrian zone at a time when I was still in SE25, anyone else had this?
I received a PCN today for driving in a pedestrian zone at a time when I could not have been there, has anyone else experienced this?
Ask for the video evidence. Either they’ve got you bang to rights or they’ve made a mistake or someone’s cloned your plates
……..and neighbours and I received multiple PCN’s for parking in our own driveways at 6am and not displaying a Parking Permit.
There are four universal truths in life:
All heat rises
All bubbles burst-nothing lasts forever
All flat roofs leak
It is impossible to reach UKPC by phone.