Don't Walk Past, a volunteer-run homeless outreach group in Manchester, has been fined over £500 while hosting a special event to feed rough sleepers in St Peter's Square. The group, which has operated for eight years without receiving a fine, is appealing the penalties.
Fine issued during summer celebration
On Friday, July 31, the group was hosting its summer celebration in St Peter's Square, featuring food stations, free haircuts, clothes, drinks, an ice cream bar, and a free chiropodist station, when a parking warden told them to move. The volunteers park their cars and vans at the site to transport food and clothes, saying that parking far away and carrying everything by foot would not be feasible.
When they refused to move, they received parking fines from Manchester City Council. Founder Ronnie Hillyard said the financial blow of over £500 shocked the group, which has offered similar help across the city for eight years without ever receiving a fine.
Group claims unofficial agreement
Don't Walk Past says it has previously received approval from Andy Burnham and the council, with Hillyard claiming an 'unofficial agreement' allowed them to help homeless people uninterrupted. He said: "The council know that we do it three times a year because the council have been to visit us in the past. We're there for two hours and then we pack up, tidy up after ourselves and go."
He added: "But this year we got a visit from two traffic wardens that we've never met before. They got their boss down who was a bit abrupt with us and then they ticketed all our cars. I said to the traffic warden, do you want to go and tell the more than 100 homeless people over there that we have to move?"
Volunteers express frustration
A volunteer present on the night said: "The police are really supportive. When we're going out and handing food, we find people at all different locations. Sometimes we park on double yellow lines and typically traffic wardens are really good but these were different. Normally, people are really supportive."
The volunteer described being "furious at the time" and said the fines were "shameful", adding: "It just leaves a bit of a bit of taste, doesn't it? You're doing good for people, and then you've got jobsworths coming around just intent on not giving a s***."
Council defends action
A Manchester City Council spokesperson said: "St Peter's Square is a busy, pedestrianised public place where vehicles and parking are prohibited, unless in exceptional circumstances. Anyone observed by our enforcement officers parking on the square without permission will be ticketed, however well-intentioned they may be. There are strong accessibility and security considerations."
The spokesperson added that 10 vehicles, including vans, were parked without permission, which is "clearly inappropriate", and encouraged street kitchens to link in with homelessness services for wider support. They said: "We would be happy to work with Don't Walk Past to help them better link into wider services and develop more suitable alternative arrangements."
