Injured woman’s fury over grass area parking ticket
A WEAR Valley woman is warning motorists in Crook not to park on a patch of grass or they’ll be ticketed.Although there are no signs or barriers preventing people from parking on the grass verge next to the entrance of Hope Street car park, Isabel Rossall was shocked to find a ticket on her windscreen.
Isabel said: “Not only was I annoyed that I’d been penalised for something I hadn’t even deemed to do wrong, all the details on the ticket were wrong as well. It said I had been parked there between 11.09 and 11.13 but really I’d been there much longer.
“Also the make of the car was wrong and it said I was causing an “unnecessary obstruction” which is just a blatant untruth. “I have complained to police and written to the Chief Constable of the Central ticket Office, but their reply was less than satisfactory.
“In my letter I explained that I was incapable of walking long distances due to ruptured ligaments in my knee and ankle, and that I had to park on the grass because it was the closest I could get to the surgery where I was due for physiotherapy, as the car park was completely full.
“He just said that after reviewing my case enforcement of the notice should continue.” The reply received by Isabel from Chief Constable Jon Stoddart clearly states that: “Restrictions on the highway apply from the centre of the road to the building line, including grass verges, pavements, waste land, Tarmac areas etc.”
Sgt Shaun Davis of Crook constabulary confirmed the grass would count as a public highway and parking on it would be causing an unnecessary obstruction. Sgt Davis said: “The grass actually counts as the highway, as do all paths, verges and pieces of land adjacent to a public road, which means that any car parked on any part of the highway is causing an unnecessary obstruction unless the area is a designated parking space.
“Even if there are no double yellow lines and nothing telling you can’t park there, technically you will be causing an unnecessary obstruction, so although the car may not be causing an obstruction, it can still be penalised for it. “Of course officers can’t give tickets to every car not parked in a designated space, it is subjective to each officer. In this case, it is highly likely that tickets were issued after we received a complaint.
“The PCSO’s will have received some form of complaint about people parking on the grass and will enforce the law of the land by giving a ticket.” Tom Carver, head of public protection at Wear Valley District Council said: “I am aware of this issue and there are plans for barriers up to stop parking on the grass. It is especially bad for the turf during the winter, and we do put leaflets on cars parked there asking them not to do it anymore.
We have never formally asked the police to monitor the site and ticket offenders, but I have to congratulate their work. “I would have thought that if you have to go over a kerb to park there, it’s pretty obvious you shouldn’t be doing it, and we would ask people to refrain from parking there.”
