Holiday Fines Issued in Error in Grove Park Again
Motorists given PCNs on Boxing Day and New Year's Day
The council's web site confirmed the restrictions didn't apply on Boxing Day and New Year's Day. Picture: Google Streetview
January 9, 2026
Hounslow Council has apologised after motorists were wrongly issued penalty charge notices (PCNs) on Hartington Road and Staveley Road over the Christmas and New Year Bank Holiday period — the second time that enforcement has been mistakenly applied during an advertised suspension.
One driver contacted ChiswickW4.com to report receiving a PCN for travelling on Hartington Road on New Year’s Day, despite the council’s own website stating that enforcement of the Grove Park access restrictions would be paused over the holiday period. The driver said they had checked the council’s Christmas enforcement schedule before travelling and were frustrated to receive a fine regardless.
“I even went to the trouble to double check before travelling and will obviously be appealing, but it’s the hassle that irks,” he said. “I’m flagging this so other readers don’t get duped into paying.”
In a statement, Councillor Shivraj Grewal, Cabinet Member for Infrastructure, Recycling and Transformation, confirmed that a “technical issue” had caused PCNs to be issued in error on both Boxing Day and New Year’s Day, when enforcement should have been suspended.
“We are aware of a technical issue which meant that PCNs were issued in error to drivers on Hartington Road and Staveley Road on Boxing Day and New Year’s Day, when enforcement should have been suspended,” he said. “We’re currently contacting all those who received a PCN on these dates to explain the error, and we will be refunding anyone who has already paid the PCN amount.”
Cllr Grewal apologised for the confusion and said the council was investigating the cause of the error to prevent a repeat. “I’d like to apologise for any inconvenience or confusion caused by this technical error and reassure residents that we are investigating what went wrong so we can avoid this happening in the future.”
The incident echoes a similar mistake in 2023, when Hounslow Council admitted issuing more than 160 PCNs in error on the same roads during the Christmas suspension period. Those fines were later cancelled and ‘operator error’ was blamed. The council did not disclose how many fines were issued incorrectly in the latest batch.
The Grove Park access restrictions, introduced as part of the council’s traffic and neighbourhood schemes, have been a source of ongoing controversy, with repeated disputes over signage, enforcement and communication. However, many residents of the area welcome the significant reduction in through traffic they have brought about. The latest error is likely to renew criticism from those residents who have long argued that the system is confusing and inconsistently applied.
Drivers who received a PCN on Boxing Day or New Year’s Day are advised to await contact from the council or to appeal directly, referencing the council’s published suspension schedule.
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