No Logic to Placement of Disabled Car-Parking Spaces

Published on: 30 Jul, 2020
Updated on: 30 Jul, 2020

From: Jim Allen

In response to: Thoughtless Drivers Block Burpham Car Park Spaces For Disabled

There is no logic to these disabled parking places and since their imposition, no blue badges have appeared, yet the car park has over-spilled into Bowers Lane every day. The pedestrian access to the reserve is not friendly to pushchairs, wheelchairs or disabled buggies and there is no lowered kerb at the pedestrian entrance.

The disabled bays are a legal requirement but should be on the lane, not in the car park if unconstrained car-door opening is required. As all come for walking exercise, the actual location distance, within reason, is of no relevance to disabled parking places.

There is intentionally limited parking, only 40 places in the lane and only 21 in the car park and now yellow lines have had to be requested by the residents because of inconsiderate parking on the junction. As many as 87 vehicles were all trying to park here on sunny days two Sundays ago, blocking any chance for emergency vehicles to gain access and residents to exit their properties.

Overuse of the nature reserve with an increase from 60 to 400 visitors a day is destroying its unique character and driving wildlife away.

Those with bikes could easily use Sutherland memorial car park and ride the cycle path into the nature reserve. It should also be noted there is access via the Spectrum and Slyfield to Riverside Nature reserve so there’s no actual need to block Bowers Lane.

Responses to No Logic to Placement of Disabled Car-Parking Spaces

Paul Robinson Reply

July 31, 2020 at 2:03 pm

To say that no blue badges have appeared is incorrect; I used the disabled bay yesterday.

As for parking in the lane for “unconstrained car-door opening”, my wife is disabled and she does not feel comfortable or safe fully opening the car door in the lane with oncoming traffic. Neither does lane parking cater for disabled driver and passenger egress from their vehicle with the pavement on one side.

I have also seen a lady there walking her dog with one of the four-wheeled walking assistance frames. She was on the phone to the council a couple of times when I was there complaining about the lack of disabled accessibility. Those bays in the car park are ideal for people with that type of disability where walking from the lane with a frame and up the car park access ramp is not safe.