In the Watford Observer on September 6 there was an item about disabled parking in Watford (Blue badge parking in UK crisis). It did not mention the Watford Borough Council’s spokesperson, but they stated that Watford had more disabled parking than ever before.

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In some ways this is factually correct in that there are more allocated disabled parking bays wherever they are tucked or hidden away. But the facts and truth is that there are fewer places for disabled persons with a blue badge to park. This is due to double yellow lines and other parking areas you are allowed to use with a blue badge being taken out for cycle lanes that aren’t used to their fullest such as on Market Street, Lower High Street, etc, plus the loss of others to taxi ranks and bus stops and the ever growing pedestrian areas such as the newly developed area in the centre of town.

The council’s argument is that all the town centre car parks are full of disabled bays, well if you have a small car and are able to walk any real distance this is true, but if you have a larger vehicle that is wheelchair accessible then the cars/vans are too high to get under the height barriers at these car parks and if you can’t walk any distance this limits you to where you can shop even with the Shopmobility service (211020) in the town centre.

On the good side apart from the aforementioned Shopmobility service there is a little promoted parking permit scheme for those who are disabled and are on some low income benefits where the council for the cost of £10 will issue a permit on one car etc for you. This gives you free access to the town centre car parks. But if you use more than one car such as with different carers the pass cannot be extended to more than one car.

Due to the loss of parking areas a lot of the members of Disability Watford now go shopping elsewhere. As we have a large community of people in the town with disabilities you would think that the council would want to get them into town to use all the town centre's shops and spend their money and keep our shops open rather than empty.

Leigh Hutchings

Chairman, Disability Watford