A young electrician has been left furious after being forced to pay a £424 fine - for parking outside his own home. Reece Dawson and his family face a nightmare every year when Parklife festival takes place near their house in Prestwich.
As tens of thousands of revellers head to Heaton Park, parking wardens step up patrols in the surrounding area to stop festival goers ditching their cars on residential streets. During the event last June, this resulted in Reece being slapped with the parking notice after leaving his Ford Focus in front of his own house, according to Manchester Evening News.
Despite explaining that he lived at the address, the warden issued the fine regardless as there was no special residents' parking permit on his car. Reece and his family said they had applied for additional permits but did not receive them.
Now his family are facing even more issues with Parklife organisers, as they have not been given parking permits at all this year - despite living a stone's throw away from where the festival takes place.
Reece's mother, Julie, said: "We live on Woodhill Grove. I have done a door knock in the street and discovered that out of 24 houses in the street, ten, including us, have not been given any permits at all. Living at our home are my husband and myself, three adult children, and a 16-year-old and 17 year-old. We need seven permits as as well as having vehicles for our own use Reece and my husband use work vehicles.
"I have been trying for the best of a week making numerous phone calls to Parklife 2023 to try and get this resolved. I also contacted a local councillor. The people behind Parklife are making a lot of money yet they can't sort out a simple issue of giving parking permits to people who rightly deserve them."
In July, Reece was handed a £70 fine, which would be reduced to £35 if he paid within 14 days. He submitted an appeal via the Bury council website, however this was rejected.
At that point he had 21 days to appeal again, which he failed to do. The next letter he got was from bailiffs asking for £189. Following this, he received a further notice explaining that the bill had increased to £424 - which he ended up having to pay in full.
John Drape, spokesman for Parklife, said: "We distribute 15,000 letters with two parking permits in each - so that is 30,000 permits. We put up notices in churches and synagogues to get the message out. We are on our third distribution company.
"It is not perfect, it is infuriating and not foolproof. But whenever addresses are missed we do try and find out why. Sometimes there can be a legitmate reason - like being unable to gain access to flats or other property.
"I am aware of Mrs Dawson's case and we hope to deliver her permits by today or tomorrow. She wants seven permits and that is what she will get. It is worth noting that Bury council take a very pragmatic approach when it comes to residents who have been ticketed inadvertently. They cancel tickets when they are notified in good time."
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