“I’ve parked there before with no problems”: Blue badge holder hit with £100 parking fine on Waverley estate
“We’ve been many times before but never been fined in the past”
A blue badge holder was charged £100 for parking on a Rotherham housing estate when he spent 30 minutes parked up there after taking his disabled friend to Specsavers.
David Williamson, aged 68, from Woodhouse, parked on Stephenson Way on the Waverley estate when he took a friend to the opticians on the new Olive Lane parade.
He said there were no signs close to where he parked stating parking was permitted, but he was fined £70 which later went up to £100.
David said there were 11 other cars parked on the same stretch of road on the housing estate at that time, and claimed the only visible sign he spotted stated “No parking on grass verges, pavements or access roads,” which he complied with.
The OAP said he had not realised there was a nearby car park for Olive Lane businesses which he could have used.
David said: “I was taking my friend, who has heart problems, to Specsavers. We were only there for half an hour, we didn’t know there was a car park.
“Where we parked there was no dropped curb, no double yellow lines and nothing to say that blue badge holders were not exempt.”
David lodged an appeal with Excel Parking Services, which is the company that issued the on-street fine on behalf of Harworth, the developer at Waverley, but it was dismissed.
He said: “They just didn’t listen to what I had to say. I offered to pay with a payment plan because of my pension but they refused.”
There are two main car parks in the Olive Lane area, which David claimed he did not know about at the time.
He said: “We’ve been many times before but never been fined in the past.”
Further down the road from where he parked, there was a sign stating it was a private road, however he explained that he had not seen it as he was trying to help his disabald friend out of the car.
David added: “There should be better signage. There needs to be a sign up warning people that it’s a private road because you can’t see it.”
Despite appealing the fine, he paid £100 on Wednesday, August 26.
A Harworth spokesperson said: “We understand this situation has been frustrating to the individual involved, and supporting accessibility to Olive Lane is something we take seriously.
“Parking enforcement on Stephenson Way was introduced earlier this year in response to concerns, including those raised by local residents, following several issues caused by parked cars which were obstructing buses and creating safety hazards for drivers.
“Signage is in place along the parking enforcement area, including opposite the entrance to Olive Lane, and we have made efforts to communicate the parking arrangements through resident newsletters and community channels.
“We would like to reassure visitors to Olive Lane that two car parks are available, free for 2.5 hours, and include disabled parking bays. One is located at the back of the medical centre, and the overflow is situated at the bottom of Stephenson Way.
“We always want to ensure our signage is as clear as possible and will review the current arrangements to consider whether any further improvements can be made.”