'We're never coming back to Sheffield,' says couple fined £550 for driving campervan through Clean Air Zone
“It would have been cheaper to go to Lanzarote for a week”
A Durham couple say they will “never go back to Sheffield” after unknowingly running up £550 in Clean Air Zone fines.
Martin Sugden and Nick Guillard took their 1997 Ford Transit campervan on a “brilliant” trip to Castleton in late August - passing through the Steel City twice and also nipping into the city centre for some shopping.
Now, three months later, the couple claim they are receiving WhatsApp messages from bailiffs promising to clamp their beloved vehicle for falling foul of the city’s CAZ.
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However, not only do they say the only received two of their fines in the post, they claim they should not have to pay any at all because their campervan should be exempt.
Martin said: “We’re never coming back to Sheffield.
“It's cost us £550 for one trip - it would have been cheaper to go to Lanzarote for a week."
According to Sheffield City Council rules, smaller campervans weighing less than 3.5 tonnes are exempt from fines - but they may “sometimes” be classified as Light Goods Vehicles, which can be fined.
As a result, the Sunderland couple say their Ford Transit Autosleeper Amethyst 1997 campervan is within the rules.
“We know they have pictures of it - because they were on the letters they sent us,” said Nicky.
“So I don’t know how they can look at those same pictures and not see it’s a campervan.”
After entering the CAZ on August 31, September 1 and September 4, the couple received two penalty charge notices in the post a few weeks later.
PCNs start at £160, but if paid within a certain time limit are reduced to ‘half price’. However, they rise steeply if they go unpaid.
Nicky and Martin appealed both of the penalties they received letters about, but claim they only received a reply in respect of one of the fines, in which they were told they had been unsuccessful.
As a result, they were then made to pay one worth £80 - and £190 for the other.
However, it was when they called the council to arrange payment they received an unpleasant surprise.
Nicky said: “The call handler told us there were actually three penalties.
“I told them we never received that third one in the post.
“But it didn’t matter - because we ‘hadn’t paid it’, it was now up to £280.”
Nicky and Martin have refused to pay this third fine, maintaining they were never contacted about it.
But now, they say they are receiving WhatsApp message from bailiffs Bristow & Sutor.
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One message reads: “It has now been noted out our system that you are choosing to ignore this debt, blatant ‘REFUSAL TO PAY’.
“Your vehicles have now been added to our ANPR system.
“When located, they will be clamped and removed.
“Additional fees of £110 will be added, plus storage fees of £45 per day.
“If the outstanding balance is not received, your vehicle will be sold to recover your debt.”
Nicky said: “We’ve got no idea what to do next.
“The council told us to ring the bailiffs, who told us to ring the council.
“No one will look at our case and say, ‘that’s a campervan, that's exempt.”
Sheffield Council is informed whether a vehicle is subject to a charge using information held by the Joint Air Quality Unit (JAQU), based on the vehicle's classification and CO2 output.
In Sheffield, smaller campervans are not subject to a Clean Air Zone charge. However, they are sometimes classified as Light Goods Vehicles, which are chargeable.
If a vehicle owner believes they have been charged incorrectly, or that their vehicle should not be subject to the charge, they should provide evidence that it is being used as a campervan rather than to transport goods.