Home of the Paralympics? Bucks will be '˜international laughing stock' if it cuts disabled parking

Buckinghamshire Disability Service has written to Mark Shaw, cabinet member for transportation, outlining its opposition.

A consultation which has now ended suggested almost 30 disabled parking spaces could be turned into regular pay and display bays.

Andrew Clark, chair of trustees at BuDs, told Mr Shaw it would consider taking legal action to prevent the changes being made.

He added: “We cannot accept that a reduction in blue badge bays in Aylesbury of a quarter can ever be acceptable. Only circa 4% of parking spaces in Aylesbury town centre (outer and inner) are currently Blue Badge, as against the 6% recommended by Buckinghamshire County Council’s own Parking Standards policy and the Department of Transport’s Traffic Advisory Leaflet.

“Your proposed reduction of blue badge bays from 110 to 83 would reduce the percentage to only 3%. This would be a shockingly retrograde step in any town or county, but especially so in one which claims to be the home of the Paralympics.”

In a recent letter to the Herald, Mr Shaw said: “I understand the strength of feeling towards any proposals affecting spaces available to drivers with disabilities, from my work as chairman of my local Multiple Sclerosis Society branch, and I will take account of every response to our consultation survey.”