Vocal Voices

I'll try and keep this short....

My manager has a car in Switzerland (registered and insured over there). He wants to bring said car to the UK for 4 months so I contacted the various people that needed contacting and got the wheels in motion: congestion charge, auto pay for parking meters, the Swiss insurance etc... final one was Chelsea Council to arrange a parking permit and that's when it all fell apart.

The person I spoke to said that according to the DVLA, as a UK resident you have to register any foreign vehicle with the DVLA immediately once you enter the UK and have the number plates changed to UK plates etc and that the council as a matter of course does not issue parking permits for foreign registered vehicles if the owner is a UK resident. So I contacted the DVLA and HMRC to find out a bit more and after over an hour on the phone both have verbally confirmed (unfortunately they are unable to put it in writing ) that because the car will only be here for 4 months it actually doesn't have to be re-registered and it can be driven in the UK. So I called the council again and told them that, but regardless of me giving them names and reference numbers they will not budge. The manager isn't even willing to contact the DVLA or for me to contact them and put them through to her etc.

THEY WILL NOT issue a parking permit - end of! And best is, when I said I could try and get someone from the DVLA to speak to her to confirm what I was told she replied: "The DVLA cannot tell us who we should issue permits to or not; we don't take instruction from them"... yet they are the ones who are sticking to their guns because according to the DVLA website it says you have to register the car...

So on the one hand it suits them to follow instructions, but on the other hand they won't be told if there is an exception to said instruction.

sigh - is it too early for a drink?

When I brought a foreign reg car in they just asked how long I intended to stay but that was a while ago. I dont think they bother now to check such cars for parking though might tow it for persistent parking. Only other snag is insured in Switzerland will require temp UK insurance.

No, he has European Insurance cover so it would be covered here

Refusing a permit based on misinformation and the wrongful understanding of the rules should be challlenged.... it is not acceptable.

However, as the issuing autthority, Chelsea Council will eventually have the final say. You apply for a permit; Chelsea turn it down. You appeal the decision; Chelsea looks at your appeal and turns it down again. You challlenge; they block. You get ulcers; they get to keep their Jobsworth's hats.

I know that the rules are total tosh, but is it worth all the hassle for four months parking?

time for a drink meri
i think
councils have there own rules i think

Definitely time for a drink Ria!

Meriad - either just buy him an Oyster or point him in the direction of the nearest Boris Bike bay ....

Blimey what a palaver

How much would it cost, comparatively, to hire a car - and would that then get a permit??

The legislation for this particular feature is clear but not everyone understands it.

If you are long term resident and your vehicle is to stay with you, then you must register it immediately.

However, if you are bringing a vehicle in temporarily and it will stay for less than 6 months, then you don’t need to register it. Most agencies manage to blur the borders between point 1 and two. i.e. permanent resident must always register car no matter how long it stays.

Needless to say they are wrong but JobsWorth is alive and well in the civil service of the UK…..

Just out of interest Ria, what kind of car is it? I'm thinking it must be something special if he wants you to go to all of this just for 4 months?