Disabled 'will lose out' under plan to increase parking space

Controversial moves to increase parking provision in Skipton have come under fire from a disability charity.

Craven Council is examining various ways of creating more car parking spaces in the busy market town.

The local authority wants to restrict free parking for Blue

Badge holders to a maximum

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period of three hours in marked disabled people's parking bays only.

Blue Badge holders, who can currently park for an unlimited time free of charge on any of the council's off-street pay and display car parks, would need to pay the standard charge in any other parking bay.

Craven Council says the change has the potential to allow 40 more cars each day to be able to use short-stay visitor spaces.

But the move has raised concerns from Skipton and Craven Action For Disability.

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Roy Aldread, chief executive of the charity, said: "Unless they allocate more designated disabled parking bays, people with disabilities will lose out.

"They will get there and find all the car parking spaces are full up and they will have to pay, which is a bit unfair.

"If they restrict it to designated bays only they need to designate more allocated bays or disabled people will lose out. They should be treated differently because they have a disability and cannot

cope as well as an able-bodied person."

The council will have to consult with various organisations before the change can take effect.

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A survey carried out in summer 2009 showed that on average 11 per cent of the council's off-street car parks in Skipton –119 parking spaces – were being used by Blue Badge holders.

Another option being considered involves relocating Craven Bowling Club, which leases a site next to the High Street car park.

Craven Council says the site could potentially provide 60 car parking spaces if converted but the proposal has already met opposition.

Craven Bowling Club secretary Phil Tunney said members did not wish to move.

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"The general feeling is that we bowl at Craven Bowling Club because we like the green. It would take at least five years to get another bowling green," he said.

Councillor Ken Hart, who spoke out against the option at a recent meeting of Craven Council's policy committee, said: "It is part of the heritage of Skipton and Craven District Council does not have 82,000 which it would cost to relocate them."

The council is also investigating proposals to convert 11 of the coach bays in the High Street car park into an additional 31 car parking bays.

Coaches would be able to drop-off and collect in the High Street car park and park off-site.

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A number of coaches are able to park at the auction mart, and work is being carried out to look at utilising coach parking capacity at the bus station.

The council will carry out consultation on the options for Craven Bowling Club and coach parking before it makes a decision on whether to pursue them.

A recent survey revealed there is a shortage of 51 parking spaces in Skipton at peak times.

This is expected to rise by a further 85 spaces when the district council and North Yorkshire County Council move into their new office accommodation at Belle Vue Mills.

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Councillor Chris Knowles-Fitton, leader of Craven Council, said: "Parking is always a sticky issue in an historic market town where space is limited. We are seeking innovative ways to increase Skipton's parking capacity.

"It is, as I'm sure you can appreciate, a bit of a juggling act to make better use of the space that we have while at the same time finding solutions that are right for Skipton."

The council says it will be reviewing car park signage to ensure it is effective, and pursuing options with local businesses to improve parking availability on private car parks.

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