An IT manager in Lewisham is “enraged” after being fined more than £400 by the Council for having the wrong parking permit.

Phillip Barber, 38, has received three parking fines currently amounting to £455 and this is expected to increase to £585 by next month.

This is because his new car was assigned to a permit that he was paying for, but it was not considered protected.

People can assign their cars to a permit once they’ve paid and the website will tell you that this is confirmed, however the car is not actually covered unless it then gains protected status by continuing with the online form onto the next stage – which Phillip said is unclear.

Phillip said: “I’m so enraged, I just can’t believe it.

“I made an honest mistake and I was still paying for my permit so I clearly haven’t gained anything from this.

“It’s obvious that I tried to follow the rules, I didn’t save any money from this.

“There’s no humans with compassion, they just act like robots – they’re all bureaucrats.”

A spokesperson for Lewisham Council said it has been clear that only one vehicle on a permit can be protected at a time and that not protecting a vehicle can lead to a fine.

They added that motorists should ensure a correct vehicle is selected as a “protected vehicle” to ensure it can park in certain designated bays.

There are resources available from the Council, including an explanatory video, advising of the procedure of protected vehicles and how to change it.

Residents must confirm they have watched the video before proceeding with permit applications.

Phillip, who has lived in Lewisham for 10 years, is arguing that the website is very confusing.

He thinks that you shouldn’t be able to pay for a permit when no car is protected on it.

Phillip added: “I’m constantly dealing with appeals, it’s so tiring.

"And whilst I'm waiting for responses, the fines keep going up in price.

"If it goes to tribunal and I lose, it will have gone up even more."

A spokesperson for Lewisham Council said: “We’ve been clear that only one vehicle on a parking permit can be protected at a time and that not protecting a vehicle could lead to a penalty charge notice (PCN) being issued.

“This information is provided as part of the permit application process, in our Terms and Conditions and on our website.

“When permit applications have been authorised, we send the permit holder an email that reiterates the rules around protected vehicles, to ensure that all permit holders are aware of them and the risks of receiving a PCN if they are not followed.

“We’ve also made resources available for our residents, advising them of the procedure around protected vehicles on their permits and how to change them.

“This includes a video explaining the procedure, which residents must confirm they have watched before proceeding with their permit applications.

“Lewisham Council will always consider all grounds for mitigation when a PCN is challenged by motorists.

“Each case is assessed by a notice processing officer based on its own unique set of circumstances and evidence or supplementary information supplied to ensure fairness.

“Lewisham Permit site allows users to add more than one vehicle under each account.

“This allows users that may for example have a hire vehicle on a temporary basis to add to the existing permit without having to apply for a new one.

“However, motorists are advised to ensure a correct vehicle is selected as ‘protected vehicle’ to ensure the vehicle has the necessary permission to park in certain designated parking bays.”

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