Council fines charity for illegally parked bank
Bucks Free Press
By Rachel Sixsmith
10th March 2006
A CHARITY that recycles old clothes and shoes has come to blows with the council after one of its immovable recycling banks was slapped with a parking ticket.
Traid, which stands for Textile Recycling for Aid and International Development, had a recycling bank in Bridge Street car park, High Wycombe.
But last August the bank was illegally sat in a parking bay because the charity had put it there by mistake.
At the end of that month Wycombe District Council (WDC) told traid about its mistake and asked for the bank to be moved "asap".
Traid says it did just that and moved the bank within 24 hours but it still received a fine of £136 for the unauthorised use of a parking spot.
Kelly O'Connor, traid's recycling development manager, said: "What a shame that traid has to pay a fine for what was a genuine mistake that was rectified immediately.
"The £136 that traid is paying Wycombe District Council could be used for much better causes such as the Asian Earthquake Appeal, or one of traid's long-term overseas development projects."
The charity still hasn't paid the fine and wants the council to drop the charges in light of the fact that the penalty money could go to a good cause.
All of the clothes and shoes that people drop into its banks are sold off in its charity shops and the cash raised is donated to some of the poorest countries in the world.
But WDC is not budging and is even threatening legal action if the charity which has recycling banks in Tesco car park in Loudwater and Budgens in Flackwell Heath doesn't cough up.
It also says that traid got off lightly because it was only charged for the loss of revenue from the parking spot and not fined a hefty £60 a day.
Catherine Spalton, a spokeswoman for WDC, said: "The charity was advised that the council would seek loss of revenue from the car parking space, which at that time amounted to 18 days at the standard daily rate.
"It took the charity a further ten days from the time that they were notified to remove the clothes bank from the car park.
"Wycombe District Council sent an invoice to traid for the total of 28 days occupation of a parking bay at standard daily rates £5.50 Monday to Saturday and £1 on Sundays in the former Bridge Street car park, as opposed to a standard penalty notice of £60 per day.
"This was neither a fine nor a parking ticket."
By Rachel Sixsmith
10th March 2006
A CHARITY that recycles old clothes and shoes has come to blows with the council after one of its immovable recycling banks was slapped with a parking ticket.
Traid, which stands for Textile Recycling for Aid and International Development, had a recycling bank in Bridge Street car park, High Wycombe.
But last August the bank was illegally sat in a parking bay because the charity had put it there by mistake.
At the end of that month Wycombe District Council (WDC) told traid about its mistake and asked for the bank to be moved "asap".
Traid says it did just that and moved the bank within 24 hours but it still received a fine of £136 for the unauthorised use of a parking spot.
Kelly O'Connor, traid's recycling development manager, said: "What a shame that traid has to pay a fine for what was a genuine mistake that was rectified immediately.
"The £136 that traid is paying Wycombe District Council could be used for much better causes such as the Asian Earthquake Appeal, or one of traid's long-term overseas development projects."
The charity still hasn't paid the fine and wants the council to drop the charges in light of the fact that the penalty money could go to a good cause.
All of the clothes and shoes that people drop into its banks are sold off in its charity shops and the cash raised is donated to some of the poorest countries in the world.
But WDC is not budging and is even threatening legal action if the charity which has recycling banks in Tesco car park in Loudwater and Budgens in Flackwell Heath doesn't cough up.
It also says that traid got off lightly because it was only charged for the loss of revenue from the parking spot and not fined a hefty £60 a day.
Catherine Spalton, a spokeswoman for WDC, said: "The charity was advised that the council would seek loss of revenue from the car parking space, which at that time amounted to 18 days at the standard daily rate.
"It took the charity a further ten days from the time that they were notified to remove the clothes bank from the car park.
"Wycombe District Council sent an invoice to traid for the total of 28 days occupation of a parking bay at standard daily rates £5.50 Monday to Saturday and £1 on Sundays in the former Bridge Street car park, as opposed to a standard penalty notice of £60 per day.
"This was neither a fine nor a parking ticket."
posted by Neil Herron at 9:46 AM
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