Fines paid by motorists caught out by the Surbiton Crescent traffic restrictions should be repaid because Kingston Council did not properly advertise the changes to the use of the road, it is claimed.

The council imposed the restrictions in 2016 as part of its £30million “mini-Holland” scheme to encourage more walking and cycling, and it is estimated that more than 50,000 motorists have been stung by £65 fines, rising to £195 if not paid within 28 days

Now campaigners are raising money to pay for a judicial review, because they say the council failed to display a traffic management order (TMO), which outlined the new regulations for the road, in Kingston and Surbiton Libraries where people could inspect it.

Campaigner Bob Tyler, who is part of a group which has set up a crowdfunding page, said: "Their incompetence of not placing the legal paperwork in the borough's libraries, as stipulated by the order in the statutory notice, renders them invalid as they were not advertised as stated so making the process inherently unfair.

"The group wants the fines repaid. It will cost a lot of money - I have been told £1million - and will take a lot of administration, but it's what the group wants."

The TMO in question, made under the Road Traffic Acts, was published on August 11 this year after the council voted to make the restrictions permanent following a trial period.

The TMO was displayed in the Guildhall and published in a newspaper, which the council said was all it needed to do.

A council spokeswoman said: “The statutory requirements for publishing TMO adverts is set out in the TMO Procedure Regulations (1996). The council met these requirements and published the TMO in a newspaper circulating in area. The TMO documents pack was also made publicly available from the council in Guildhall 2. The regulations do not require the publication of TMOs in libraries.”

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