Brighton care worker challenges 'mean-spirited' £100 parking fine

Freya Goozee, 19, was in her first week of a new job, visiting people in their homes during the pandemic, when she was given a penalty for leaving her car outside the line of a parking bay.

She was caught after leaving her car outside Prestonville Court, in Brighton, while she went inside to do her job.

One Parking Solution - the company that issued the fine - said she did not have permission to park on the site and was taking up two parking bays.

Her mother Rachel Goozee said: "Freya does 12-hour shifts as a carer, going to see people in their homes.

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"That was probably her second call of the day and it was her first week in a new job.

"She was stressed and in a rush to find the correct address as she was unfamiliar with the area and did not want to be late for her client.

"Her car was parked about a foot over the bay line for less than 15 minutes and she gets fined £100.

"It's disgusting. It was a genuine mistake to get to a job."

The paperwork from One Parking Solution showing how Freya left her car

Rachel said Freya had previously applied to Brighton and Hove City Council for an annual parking permit but had not received one due to "a backlog" amid Covid-19.

Freya and Rachel appealed against the parking fine, issued on December 7 by One Parking Solution, but recently received a letter to say it had been unsuccessful.

Rachel said: "I'm a bit flabbergasted.

"They said we've got given 'sufficient evidence', even though she was a new driver and had just started a new job as a key worker.

"What if she was looking after one of their grandmothers? It's incredibly mean-spirited in this climate."

A spokesman for One Parking Solution said: “The terms and conditions of the property are clearly displayed: Parking is permitted for vehicles displaying a valid permit parked wholly within a marked bay.

"Not only did the driver not have a permit and therefore not have permission to park on site at all, she parked in such a manner that two bays were unavailable to genuine authorised users of the car park.

"There are over 50 properties on the site, but only about 25 parking spaces for all residents to utilise.

"Parking spaces at the property are already in high demand without them being unavailable because a motorist can’t take an extra minute to ensure they park correctly."

"We have continued to operate in accordance with the British Parking Association Code of Practice to both enforce our contractual rights and adhere to obligations to those who have instructed us.

"We shall continue to do so in that same manner at this site and others.”