A WOMAN has won her challenge against a parking ticket issued at a spot where unsuspecting motorists are being snared by traffic wardens after a controversial rule change.

The Echo reported in February on the anger felt by motorists following a decision by Basildon Council to make a popular parking spot near Basildon town centre a no-go zone.

Cars have parked for free for several years in a layby, in Broadmayne, near the traffic lights at the road’s junction with Ghyllgrove and Southernhay.

However, the rules were changed in January following concerns over safety on the busy road.

The authority said 500 notices were pinned to cars parked there in the four weeks from December 7, informing motorists the layby would made a no parking zone from January 21. But no new warning signs or road markings were put in place, leading to a glut of £70 parking fines being issued to motorists who continued to park there, unaware the rules had changed.

Marina Benham, 57, of The Wick, Wickford, who has parked there for five years, challenged the ticket and has just had it rescinded.

She said: “The letter I received said they are not going to pursue the issue, but they still consider this a no-go parking area.

“Although I am pleased, I would have liked to have seen the challenge considered by the independent parking adjudicator, because I think that ruling would have been better for the public.

“As it is now, it leaves the council free to ticket anyone who parks there, despite putting up no obvious signs indicating the new parking restrictions.”

Basildon Council said it would not be putting in new signs to notify motorists of the changes because the restrictions are covered by an existing “clearway” sign which is 20 yards away from the layby.

Following our report, it said challenges to tickets issued at the spot at the time of the change in rules were likely to be successful, although it will be at the council’s discretion.

Brian Boyce, the council’s manager of parking enforcement, said parking restrictions were introduced at the request of the police over safety concerns sparked by parked cars leaving the layby and pulling out into oncoming traffic.

He added: “Following a large number of letters attached to vehicles informing them of the changes, we used a lenient approach in enforcing.

“If a driver genuinely wasn’t aware of the new enforcement, as is in this case, then this has been considered through the appeal process.”