Lib Dem action leads to new Blue Badge spaces

Cllr Karen Chilvers has secured some extra blue badge parking for disabled people after she discovered spaces cordoned off in William Hunter Way (WHW) last week due to engineering works.

This town centre car park with 28 spaces is exclusively for blue badge holders and provides ample room for wheelchairs to be loaded and unloaded as well as a dropped kerb. A blue badge holder herself, she was surprised to see that 10 spaces were blocked and this was to continue for eleven weeks. Taking this up with Brentwood Council an oversight was uncovered: there had been no communication with ward councillors or relevant groups and no notices put up prior to the closure.

Although the temporary closure of the spaces was unavoidable on health & safety grounds due to electricity sub-station works, Cllr Chilvers argued that the replacement spaces in the Coptfold Road Car Park were futile for many disabled people, especially those who do not use wheels, given their distance from the main supermarkets and pharmacies to which WHW provides reasonable access. As a consequence of her actions, eight blue badge spaces near to Bank Placewill now be created in the main WHW Car Park. What's even better is that the spaces will, if well used, be likely to stay permanently.

Karen said:

"Getting somew new disabled spaces out of this situation is quite a boost for those with mobility problems. There are over 1140 spaces in Brentwood for the able-bodied and this will take the blue badge spaces tally up to 83 from 75. I know these will be used whilst the building works take place so I think they will be permanent."

"I am also pleased to hear that the wardens will step up patrols during the works so that only blue badge holders will be able to take advantage. After all, we are now a zero-tolerance blue badge borough."