Play director protests over proof vehicle car park fine

A PLAY director has branded the council “unsupportive” and “money-grabbing” after being given a parking ticket while unloading props.

Dawn Trevor was handed a £35 fine at the Durham County Council-owned Galgate car park, in Barnard Castle, late last month while she was moving the set for the Castle Players autumn production, Black Comedy.

When Mrs Trevor pleaded with the parking warden she said he apologised and told her to get the ticket rescinded.

But that appeal has now been rejected Durham County Council.

“It was a busy Wednesday morning and the car park was full,” said Ms Trevor.

“This is supposed to be a community driven council – parking fines for those who are providing a community activity on behalf of a community group are incredibly unsupportive and it stinks of a money-grabbing council.”

Props were being shipped from Startforth Community Centre to The Witham using a van loaned free by Maudes.

When a second van arrived transporting more of the set, Ms Trevor was forced to move the 3.5 tonne van from The Witham driveway and sit it around the corner in the vacant coach spaces in the car park near the supermarket.

Despite fixing two tickets to its windscreen, she returned ten minutes later to find a penalty notice adorning its front because she had parked in spaces only for coaches and not vans or cars. Mrs Trevor added: “It’s a poor do. I bought tickets, what more do they want? When I collared the guy he said if you’d put a sign in your window I wouldn’t have given you a ticket.”

After lodging her appeal, council staff told Mrs Trevor she should have contacted “The Parking Shop” who would have instructed her to park across two standard bays after purchasing two pay and display tickets.

The council also told her that the parking warden had no input in whether an appeal was upheld or not adding that a lack of alternative bays did not constitute “mitigating circumstances”.

Given there were no spaces available and the play had been a community effort, Mrs Trevor thought the ticket was a “Grinch” move.

The mother-of-one said: “It’s my first year doing it as a new director with the Castle Players and I’m juggling that, my job and a baby.

“This ticket is taking the mick really.” The 38-year-old is refusing to pay the fine for the time being and has demanded her £1.20 back.

Adrian White, Durham County Council’s head of transport and contract services, said: “As an historic market town and tourist destination, coach travel is vitally important to Barnard Castle’s local economy and so we need to ensure that space is available for coaches in the heart of town. For this reason, any other vehicle parking in a coach bay is liable to be issued with a penalty charge notice (PCN).

“However, there are established procedures to appeal a PCN and we are always willing to consider any mitigating circumstances put forward by motorists.”