A COUNCIL has cancelled a parking ticket issued to a driver after new ‘Goods Vehicles Loading Only’ signs went up on a Blackburn town centre road.

The driver, who did not wish to be named, had parked his vehicle on Barton Street, next to the new Reel Cinemas complex, last Friday evening. At the time he claims no signs had been installed on the section and motorists were able to park their vehicles on the stretch overnight.

The next morning, he noted the ‘Goods Vehicles Loading Only - 30 minutes No return in one hour' signs and realised he had been booked at 9.44am.

Blackburn with Darwen Council say the signs actually went up on the Friday May 14 after midday, but due to the ticket being issued within a 24-hour period of them going up the ticket had been cancelled 'as a gesture of goodwill'.

The vehicle owner said: “On the evening the vehicle was parked we did not see the signs on the stretch. The next morning a ticket had been placed on the car.

“I am sure you can’t just put signs up and then ticket someone?”

A council spokesperson said: “This signage was installed at 12.33pm on Friday, May 14. This vehicle was in place at that time and remained so until 6.09pm, and was not issued to at this time. It returned the day after and parked in the loading bay, and as signage was now in place it was issued a penalty charge notice. All of these times have been confirmed from the council’s CCTV cameras. 

“However, as the signage was in place for less than 24 hours and, as a gesture of goodwill, Parking Services has cancelled this Penalty Charge notice.”

The driver also told of a vehicle being parked in the Barton Street car park with a handwritten note on the dashboard.

He said: “A vehicle has been parked in there regularly and this handwritten note seems to suggest that this vehicle is exempt. It would be good to know who this person is and how they are able to escape being fined.

The council clarified the confusion and said this had been a ‘one-off arrangement’ with that particular vehicle owner.

A Council spokesperson told us: “The other vehicle parked in this area had a one-off pre-arranged parking agreement with Parking Services to park in that location on that day only linked to the opening of the new Reel Cinema.”