Blackburn man claims he was given parking ticket in error

Blackburn with Darwen Council has said it will not rescind the parking ticket given to the blue badge holder, because he parked in a space not meant for cars.

John Milton parked his car in Darwen Street, outside the BBC Radio Lancashire building in Blackburn and said he displayed his blue badge but was given a parking ticket.

Mr Milton appealed the ticket and said a few weeks later he saw another car parked in the same spot, which he claims was not given a ticket.

Along this stretch there is one disabled bay where vehicles park at right angle to the road, and then a line of pay and display bays at a 45-degree angle to the street.

Between the disabled bay and first pay and display bay is a triangular area which is not a parking space, which is where Mr Milton left his car.

Blackburn with Darwen Council said it would not cancel his fine as the space he parked in was not a legal parking bay, and was “an additional smaller triangle space to allow disabled drivers more room”.

Mr Milton parked in a bay not designated for cars but still thinks he has received the ticket in error (Image: John Milton)

Mr Milton, 58, had travelled into Blackburn in September and went to park at the front of BBC Radio Lancashire in Darwen Street.

He claims when he got there he was unable to park between the lines in a free bay because of the way another car (red car, pictured above) had parked, and was therefore forced to park at an angle.

However in reality the red car was just not parked straight and he had in fact nort parked in a legitmate bay.

He then received a ticket and appealed this, which has not been successful.

However Mr Milton claims a few weeks later he spotted a parking warden chatting to someone who had parked their vehicle in the same spot (pictured below), and claims the driver was not handed a parking ticket.

Mr Milton claims another car parked in the same bay but did not receive a ticket (grey car) (Image: John Milton)

Mr Milton said in his appeal: “On the day in question, I parked my vehicle in the designated disabled bay as closely and responsibly as possible.

"However, upon arriving at the disabled bay, I noticed that adjacent vehicles were parked in a manner that greatly limited the available space within the bay.

"These vehicles were positioned in such a way that it was impossible for me to park within the lines without obstructing neighbouring cars.

“I have attached photographs that clearly illustrate the situation at the time of my parking. As you can see, the neighbouring cars had parked haphazardly, making it impossible for me to adhere strictly to the designated lines within the disabled bay.

“In light of these circumstances, I kindly request that you reconsider the parking ticket issued to me. I am a disabled individual and I rely on the accessible parking spaces to accommodate my mobility needs.

“I kindly ask for your understanding and leniency in this matter. I am committed to obeying all parking regulations and maintaining order in parking facilities, but in this instance, I was faced with an unavoidable situation that directly impacted my accessibility as a disabled person.”

The triangular space where Mr Milton parked - not a designated parking bay (Image: Google)

Despite this, the council said Mr Milton was not parked in a designated parking bay and the parking ticket would remain.

A Blackburn with Darwen Council spokesperson said: “The area where Mr Milton parked is not a legal parking bay, it is an additional smaller triangle space to allow disabled drivers more room to board and access their vehicles and is not meant to be used by cars.

“Parking in these spaces can block access and make it difficult for disabled people to get in and out of their vehicles. Due to these reasons, the penalty charge notice will be upheld.”

The council did not comment on the circumstances in relation to the second vehicle and it is not known for certain whether that second vehicle did receive a parking ticket.