Parklife is back this weekend - and so is a parking nightmare for one family. Last year a young electrician who got a parking ticket after leaving his car outside his own home ended up paying a £424 fine.
Reece Dawson left his Ford Focus outside his house in Prestwich during the music festival in June last year. But as tens of thousands of festival-goers headed to Heaton Park, a parking warden slapped a ticket on Reece's car, despite being told he lived at the address.
The warden issued a fine as there was no special residents' parking permit on his car. Reece and his family said they had applied for extra permits after receiving two but no further ones were issued.
Now his family is again at loggerheads with Parklife organisers as they have not been issued with any parking permits at all this year despite living close to Heaton Park where the event will take 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 received notification that he had been fined £70 which could be reduced to £35 if he paid within 14 days. He appealed against it through the Bury council website but his appeal was rejected. At that point he had 21 days to appeal again but didn't do. The next letter he got was from bailiffs asking for £189. Then they delivered another letter and the bill had gone up to £424 - which he finished up paying 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 full proof. 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 fo 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. The cancel tickets when they are notified in good time."
