Hove woman thrilled by council U-turn on parking fine

Lana Haverstock, who lives in Raphael Road, Hove, came home from work in London on a scorching day to see her car safely parked as usual.

But when Ms Haverstock, a lecturer at a London university, got closer, to her dismay she saw there was a parking ticket attached to the windscreen.

Lana Haverstock was shocked to see a parking fine on her windscreen (Image: Newsquest)

The distressed 51-year-old looked into her car and saw her in-date resident's permit still visible on the passenger seat.

Ms Haverstock appealed against the fine but it was rejected on Tuesday, August 27, on the grounds that the council had “reviewed the quality of the adhesive used in 2023”.

Brighton and Hove City Council initially rejected the lecturer's appeal based on "insufficient grounds".

But after her story appeared on the front page of The Argus it has now U-turned on its decision and cancelled the fixed penalty notice.

She said she was very happy to have the fine revoked.

"I was surprised, if not baffled, when an email came through saying 'there are sufficient grounds for the cancellation of the PCN', completely  contradicting the previously issued Notice of Rejection of appeal," Ms Haverstock told The Argus.

"Putting a more efficient system in place, for instance digital parking like in Worthing or at least having clear guidance for the appeal process on their website would save time both parties."

READ MORE: Woman who forgot to renew parking permit now 592nd on waiting list

When she found the parking ticket Ms Haverstock said she checked other vehicles in her street and found permits in 15 of the 25 cars parked there had unpeeled and unattached from their windscreens.

She said: “The permits were expiring in 2024/25 so would have had the revised adhesive. It is clearly due to poor quality.”

Other residents in Raphael Road have used different methods to keep their permits stuck to the windscreen (Image: Lana Haverstock)

The council previously said it "reviewed the quality of the adhesive" on its parking permits last year.

It said permits unsticking from windscreens had "occasionally been an issue in the past during unusually hot weather" but that it had worked with the company which produces its permits to reduce the likelihood of this happening.

The width of adhesive on permits was doubled and "very clear" instructions were added to the permit letter with images after the manufacturer carried out tests.

Parking permits which became unstuck from windscreens in Raphael Road, Hove. Some residents have used tape or other glues to try to re-stick their permits (Image: Lana Haverstock)

Councillor Trevor Muten, cabinet member for transport, parking and public realm, said: “We reviewed the appeal decision following a complaint from Ms Haverstock.

"Whilst officers were satisfied that the decision to initially reject the appeal was correct, there were specific circumstances which meant that the right thing to do in this case was to quash the fine, which we did.”