A number of parking fines have been written off after residents were penalised 'unnecessarily' for not renewing their permits, it has been revealed.

Some residents living in Maynard Road, Walthamstow, woke up last Friday to find a parking warden had issued several fines after they were denied the opportunity to renew their permits.

The road became a controlled parking zone (CPZ) last year, a year after the council introduced virtual parking permits.

An automatic renewal letter was sent out to 389 households across the borough on July 3, but people living in Maynard Road did not receive the reminder.

More than half a dozen homeowners in that street were hit with a £65 penalty charge notice (PCN).

Ross Lydall, was one of seven residents stung by the council, but the fine has since been written off following a complaint.

He said: "I'm grateful it has been resolved but it should not have happened in the first place.

"I would of happily paid it on time but I didn't have the chance.

"My wife ended up in a bureaucratic hell-hole on Monday trying for hours to get through to the council.

"Its just infuriating when you haven't made the mistake in the first place".

The council said it has "made arrangements" to refund two residents who paid the fine.

Bill Finlay of Maynard Road, also did not receive a reminder but remembered to renew it just days before it had expired.

He said: "It is disgraceful.

"When they introduced the CPZ, we were reassured at a public meeting that everything would be taken of and we would get reminders as we no longer have to display badges.

"This is the first year and we didn't.

"I've learnt from bitter experience, never leave it up to the council."

The Guardian has heard from residents living on other roads, who claim they did not a renewal letter. 

Kate Johnson of Higham Hill Road, Walthamstow, said she ended up paying an £80 fine after comtemplating challenging the PCN through the courts and running over the 14-day reduced fine period.

"I did not receive a reminder letter and had no idea my parking permit had expired," she said. 

"I contested the fine but received a response to say it is my responsbility to ensure I have a valid permit.

"There is no way of finding out online if your permit is overdue. The only two options are call the CPZ and wait for 45 minutes to get through or wait for your letter to arive.

"The idea of introducing a paperless system but relying on a paper letter through the post is ludicrous."

A council spokeswoman, said: "The council acknowledges that some residents on Maynard Road may not have received their annual parking permit reminder letters and are currently in the process of re-writing to all residents we believe have been affected.

"Additionally as a result of this issue, we have cancelled any PCN’s that were issued to residents in Maynard Road for parking without a valid permit and exempted the vehicles we believe to be affected from enforcement within their CPZ until 31 August, in order to allow sufficient time for these residents to renew their parking permits."

If you have been affected by this, please get in touch with natalie.glanvill@london.newsquest.co.uk