Thorndon Country Park: Call for fairness on disabled car parking charges

12.00.00am GMT Wed 21st Nov 2007

Cllr David Kendall & Cllr Karen Chilvers with disability rights campaigner Sue Higgins at Thorndon Country Park

Liberal Democrats on Brentwood Borough Council are calling for the car parking charges for disabled users of the Country Parks to be scrapped. The charges have been in place since April 2007 and have been a source of great confusion and frustration to the parks many disabled users.

At present a disabled user with a tax exempt vehicle can park for free but all other disabled users have to pay the standard car parking charge. Some disabled users have misunderstood the new rules and have found themselves being fined for not buying a ticket.

The Liberal Democrats believe all disabled users should not have to pay the car parking charges provided they are displaying their blue badge.

Leader of the Lib Dem Group Cllr David Kendall said

"We believe that all our disabled residents should be able to park in the Country Parks for free and are calling on the County Council to reverse this draconian decision. Disabled residents are able to park in the Brentwood Town Centre car parks for free and this policy should be extended to the Country Parks".