Plans to reduce blue badge parking in Aylesbury '˜screw' the disabled '“ and there could be protests on the streets

Buckinghamshire Disability Service (BuDS), wants a fundamental rethink over where blue badge bays are located in the town – but stress that their number should not be reduced.

Nearly 30 on-street disabled parking spaces could be turned into regular pay and display bays as a way to generate income for the cash-strapped authority.

Andrew Clark, BuDS chair of trustees said the current proposals ‘screw disabled people’.

The ‘suggestion that it won’t make a difference is complete pants’, he said.

BuDs is printing posters for people against the move to display.

“There’s a lot of angry people and I wouldn’t be surprised if there are demonstrations in the town centre.”

He said BuDS is not against some spaces (for example the ones in High Street, which is on a slope) being turned into pay and display so long as this is compensated for elsewhere and there is no overall reduction in the number of blue badge spaces.

“It could be an opportunity for as the whole balance of the town has changed in the last few years.

“It needs a rejig.”

Mr Clark also demanded that the council undertakes a comprehensive equality impact assessment on the plans.

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