Blue badge holders face rule change
ADDITIONAL signage is being added to a Stratford car park to help Blue Badge holders avoid fines.
The rules for the Rother Street civic car park were changed last year when it moved to an ANPR system and require a Blue Badge to be scanned at the pay station in order to qualify for free parking.
However, Mike Pardoe claimed the signs were not clear and was left facing a £100 parking fine, which has since been cancelled.
Mike, 82, from Welford, parked in a disabled bay on 17th December to take his wife, Ann – who is disabled - to an appointment at Hevans Hair Salon for a cut ahead of a Christmas party.
He said: “Obviously on the parking machines themselves they’ve displayed the various notices, but where you actually park as a disabled driver is around the corner, so you don’t actually see the machines when you go in.
“Bearing in mind that the normal standard was to park your car, put your disabled notice up and walk away. You wouldn’t even pass the machine at that particular point. So I certainly wasn’t aware as to when and how they replaced the machines and notices.
“The fact is that where the disabled parking is, there is nothing there to indicate that you now have to go to the machine to get your parking permit.”
Mike said he had left his car in the car park’s disabled bay on numerous occasions in the past.
He added: “I’m totally peeved off. I’ve obviously had to spend time chasing around, objecting and sending [the car park managers] pictures in order to negate the fine. It shouldn’t have to reach that point, it just needs a sign at the disabled bays to say ‘Please go to the machine and scan your badge.’”
The car park, situated between the Play House and Hotel du Vin, is owned by Stratford Town Trust and managed by Local Parking Security (LPS), a car park management company based in Warwick.
A spokesperson for Stratford Town Trust said: “The ANPR set-up has been in situ since 1st September 2021 and this is the first query we have had since the introduction of cameras. We publicised the changes on social media in advance of the system going live.
“This fine was appealed on 24th December and LPS asked for proof of Blue Badge the same day. Proof was received on 5th January and LPS reviewed and cancelled the fine on 7th January, so there is no longer a charge for the individual concerned.
“There are currently 20 signs in the car park about charging but we will issue new signage by 19th January at the latest to reiterate the requirement to validate Blue Badges on the meter - a common policy in ANPR operated car parks - to make this even clearer.”
