Victory for driver in battle over parking fine

Paul Burrows, of Parkfield, found himself with a £70 penalty when he parked in a private bay in Swan Walk.

He said he and his wife had only recently moved to Horsham and he was unfamiliar with parking in the area. He ended up with the parking ticket after popping into the shopping centre to go to Boots.

“I was shocked as I thought the bay was open,” he said. He realised later there was a sign on the ground but it “was pretty difficult to read if not impossible.”

He added: “I assumed private parking was displayed on the walls in front of the bay so you could read it and not get run over by cars. So I thought if I appealed, and given the circumstance, the fine would be dropped. I subsequently find out Horsham District Council does not work that way.”

He said he tried to reason with the council but they “just pushed on.” He emailed an appeal giving his reasons why he felt the fine was unfair. He said he was then told that the fine could be increased to £105 if he did not pay within 28 days.

He submitted another appeal which was again rejected so he appealed to adjudicators of The Traffic Penalty Tribunal - who ruled in his favour.

Adjudicator Jill Yates said some private bays had signs on the walls, but others did not. Allowing Paul’s appeal, she ruled that overall signage in the car park was ‘not adequate.’

Celebrating his victory, Paul said: “Here’s one for the motorist.”