Supercar owner, 22, refuses to stop parking in mayor’s space
LOCATED in a prime position on Cheltenham’s central promenade, only the town’s mayor can use this parking spot directly outside the town hall.
But while some might think this Lamborghini belongs to First Citizen Cllr Chris Ryder, it is owned by a young businessman who brazenly steals the spot – deeming it ‘impossible’ to find one anywhere else.
Despite several £40 parking fines in eight months, Ash White, 22, has been allowed to continue using the space for his £250,000 Huracan thanks to a legal technicality.
Parking law expert Nigel Wise, who helped Mr White fight his fines, argued that there was ‘no such thing as a priority space for the mayor’ in traffic signage regulations, and at least six tickets were quashed.
Gloucestershire County Council admitted some tickets were invalid, but only as the words ‘Mayor’s Car’ were painted inside the marked bay. Others were overturned as they issued the wrong contravention, a spokesman said.
It has now re-painted the ‘Mayor’s Car’ sign outside the box, although Mr Wise called that a ‘waste’ of taxpayers’ money, insisting it still fails to comply with 2002 traffic regulations. He said: ‘They are just putting up restrictions willy-nilly.’ Mr White still parks in the space, paying off fines speculatively. Mr White, of the spa town, is chief executive and founder of menswear brand Hera London. Speaking after his last set of tickets in December, he said: ‘The tickets don’t bother me.’ The council argued laws had since updated. Nigel Riglar, director of communities and infrastructure, said: ‘Residents have the option to lodge an appeal on any ticket.’