Key Points:
- Former Havering Council worker Denise Reece criticises the council for inconsistent handling of parking fines.
- She was fined £60 for mistakenly selecting the wrong parking zone in Appleton Way, Hornchurch, on November 16, 2024.
- Reece argues there was no financial loss to the council and claims a lack of compassion in their decision.
- She compared her case to Wendy Hill, whose similar fine in Fentiman Way was being reconsidered for cancellation.
- Reece, who has ADHD, says the council failed to consider her condition when rejecting her appeal.
- A Freedom of Information (FoI) request submitted by Reece revealed the council does not track fines related to incorrect location entries on parking apps.
- Havering Council has not yet commented on the alleged inconsistency in handling appeals.
Denise Reece, a former Havering Council worker, has accused the local authority of failing to show consistency and fairness after she was fined for a parking error. On November 16, 2024, Reece parked in Appleton Way, Hornchurch, while attending her granddaughter’s first birthday party. She mistakenly paid for the Appleton Way car park instead of the roadside zone via the RingGo app and was issued a £60 penalty charge notice (PCN).
What is Reece’s complaint about the fine?
Reece argues that the two parking zones are only metres apart and believes her fine should have been cancelled. “The zones are in the same bloody road – they’re literally metres from one another,” she said. She also pointed out that she had paid more than the required amount to cover extra time, ensuring no financial loss to the council.
How does her case compare to Wendy Hill’s fine?
Reece was particularly angered upon learning that Havering Council was reconsidering a similar fine given to Wendy Hill in Fentiman Way. “If they’ve upheld someone else’s appeal under the same circumstances and denied mine – where’s the objectivity?” she asked. “There is clearly a massive lack of consistency in their approach.”
Did the council consider her ADHD diagnosis?
Reece, who has ADHD, says her condition affects her attention to detail. She criticised the council for failing to take this into account when reviewing her appeal. “I did everything a responsible person needed to do and yet there was no give at all for any kind of error. There’s a lack of compassion,” she said.
What was the council’s response to her Freedom of Information request?
Following the rejection of her appeal, Reece submitted a Freedom of Information (FoI) request to determine how many PCNs had been issued due to incorrect parking zone selection via an app. The council responded that it did not track such data, further frustrating her efforts for transparency.
What has Havering Council said?
Havering Council has not yet publicly addressed Reece’s claims of inconsistent decision-making. The case has reignited concerns over how fairly and consistently parking fines are managed within the borough. Reece and other local residents continue to call for a more transparent and compassionate approach to handling parking disputes.
