Anger as Colne disabled parking bay is rejected

8:20pm Thursday 8th May 2008

Comments (1)   Have your say »

By Nafeesa Shan »

A WHEELCHAIR-bound grandfather has been refused a disabled parking bay outside his home - because a council objected.

Peter Hartley, 59, applied for the bay in Hall Street, Colne, because he said it was difficult to park outside his house, despite a residents' parking scheme being in operation.

But Pendle Council objected to highways authority Lancashire County Council saying it would not be in Mr Hartley's best interests.

The district council said that having a disabled bay would mean he would not be entitled to any visitor permits.

And the application was then rejected.

Mr Hartley has been left furious at the decision and said that it should be he and not Pendle Council who decides what is best for him.

He said as Hall Street was near the municipal hall it was difficult to park so he sometimes had to leave his car 100 metres from his home.

Mr Hartley, who suffers from MS and has arthritis in his arms and shoulder, has been fighting for the bay since 1999.

But he said this was the first time he fulfilled all the criteria.

The former Burnley General Hospital nurse, who claims mobility disability allowance, said: "This has made my life hell. I am so frustrated. I just want to park outside my house.

"It would improve my life tremendously if there was a disabled bay outside my house.

"I'm trying to be as active as I can.

"I have to keep fighting and keep going on with the fight whether it is one year or another 21 years, I'll keep filling in the disc parking planning application and submitting it. "

A Pendle Council spokesman revealed the two reasons for the authority's objections.

He said: "The first is that it would be setting a precedent in Pendle, by creating a disabled bay in this way.

"Secondly and more importantly, having a disabled bay rather than a resident's parking permit, means that he would not be entitled to any visitor's permits.

"Currently Mr Hartley has been given two visitor's permits because he has two carers. If he got a disabled bay then it could be used by anyone else with a disability and a blue badge, and he would lose his visitor's permits."

Graham Roach, Liberal Democrat Waterside ward councillor, who has been involved in the case, said: "I have supported Mr Hartley in this "Both Lancashire County Council and Pendle Council have spoken to Mr Hartley.

"He has to decide what he wants because a disabled bay can be used by other disabled users and he can apply for one visitor's permit or the situation can remain the same."