Press Release: Another Howler from Sunderland Council's Legal Department

Press Release
2pm 7th November 2005

"Is Sunderland a City? Council admit they can't find the paperwork."

Documents finally released in a Freedom of Information request regarding Sunderland City Council's Decriminalised Parking Enforcement (DPE) application to the Department for Transport reveal another 'clanger' by the Legal Department which 'believes' its paperwork is in order for their DPE regime.

Copies of e-mail correspondence between the Department for Transport and Sunderland Council reveal the following:

e-mail 27th August 2002DTLR (Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions) to Sunderland Council:
"I am the solicitor drafting the order under the Road Traffic Act 1991 to designate Sunderland as an area in which parking offences are decriminalised. There are a few minor points that I need clarified before I can finalise the draft order.Sunderland is a metropolitan district but I note that you use the term 'City of Sunderland' to refer to the administrative area and the term 'The Council for the City of Sunderland' to refer to the Council itself. I am happy to use these terms in the order but I need confirmation of when the metropolitan district was granted the status of city."

e-mail response 28th August 2002Sunderland Council to DTLR

" Further to our telephone conversation, our Legal department cannot find the document that confirms our city status..."

The name of the official has been obscured.

Neil Herron who has brought to the attention of the public the fact that Sunderland Council has been unlawfully issuing parking tickets states,
" It beggars belief that the Legal Department was forced to admit to the Department for Transport that they could not find the document that confirms our city's legal status. Perhaps the most significant event for the people of Sunderland since the 1973 FA Cup Final victory and yet the Legal Department of the Council were not able to find the paperwork.
If these highly paid professionals cannot get this one right what faith will the public have in their claims that they have everything else correct and in order for the parking regime.?"

ENDS

Contact:
Neil Herron
0191 565 7143
07776 202045
www.neilherron.blogspot.com