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.
advertisement
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."
Posted by: SV560, Hyndburn on 3:02am Sat 10 May 08
Surely, this is some sort of breech of the DIsability Discrimination laws?
Failure to allow reasonable adjustment (to the parking regs) is indirect discrimination. To allow everyone EXCEPT disabled people to have visitors is disgraceful!
Wouldn't the caring as sensible thing be to give him the lines on the road, and the same visitor rights as everyone esle, and let him take his chances about whether another blue badge holder "borrows" his space sometimes. - I would have thought that another blue badge holder wouldn't use someone else's space unless they had absolutely no other option.
If I were this man, I would be asking Citizens Advice to look in to the possibility of a complaint against the council on the grounds of Disability Discrimination. - I'm not normally in favour of "compensation culture" but if jobsworth people won't be fair, reasonable and lawful, they should be made to pay up, as a deterrent from them behaving in such a way in the future!
Surely, this is some sort of breech of the DIsability Discrimination laws?
Failure to allow reasonable adjustment (to the parking regs) is indirect discrimination. To allow everyone EXCEPT disabled people to have visitors is disgraceful!
Wouldn't the caring as sensible thing be to give him the lines on the road, and the same visitor rights as everyone esle, and let him take his chances about whether another blue badge holder "borrows" his space sometimes. - I would have thought that another blue badge holder wouldn't use someone else's space unless they had absolutely no other option.
If I were this man, I would be asking Citizens Advice to look in to the possibility of a complaint against the council on the grounds of Disability Discrimination. - I'm not normally in favour of "compensation culture" but if jobsworth people won't be fair, reasonable and lawful, they should be made to pay up, as a deterrent from them behaving in such a way in the future!
If you liked this article and would like to share it with others on the web who might be searching for good content we've made it easy for you to do it.
At the bottom of all articles, you'll see links to six sites. These sites - commonly called 'social bookmark' or 'social news' sites - have large communities of web users who share and rate interesting, useful and fun things on the web.
Clicking the links will automatically add the address of the story you are reading to one of these sites, letting you share it with others. Each site will ask you to register to share stories. Registration is free and once a member, you can store, recommend and search for stories that interest you.
Print
Email this
Comment
