Campaigners calling for on street blue badge parking bays to be reinstated in Lichfield city centre say alternatives are not appropriate.
Lichfield District Council and Staffordshire County Council has launched an 18 month pedestrianisation trial of a number of roads, including Market Street, Conduit Street, Tamworth Street, Breadmarket Street and Bore Street.
As well as barring traffic between midday and 9pm each day, the measures have also seen the removal of on-street disabled parking bays, with drivers advised to use nearby car parks and locations instead.
But a spokesperson for campaigners calling for them to be reinstated told Lichfield Live that the proposed alternatives were not acceptable.
“Is it any wonder that thousands have protested and signed these petitions? The proposed disabled parking at two existing car parks are at 82 metres and 135 metres away and are simply too far for blue badge holders to walk.
“Walking criteria to obtain a blue badge is no more than 50 metres with or without walking aids. The Bird Street car park, behind B&M, is not far short of twice that and the second at Lombard car park is almost three times that distance.”
The council has said the changes would make the city centre “more vibrant and attractive to visitors”.
But campaigners say the options are too limited for blue badge holders.
“While the access at Bird Street during daylight hours can be through B&M itself, after shops close it is necessary to use the alleyway which runs between B&M and Iceland. This is reasonably wide but there is a question mark over lighting during evening hours and it is certainly not considered suitable for a lone person walking from this car park to The Hub or the Guildhall for a concert or other event as it has two blind corners.
“When attention is turned to”The Lombard car park access involves walking along an alley with terrible surfacing and questionable lighting then narrow pavements. Once at the car park it is necessary to negotiate a steep, curved entrance which would challenge any disabled person and their walking aids.
“Wheelchair users and their ‘pushers’ need to have the strength of Geoff Capes to tackle this incline, especially if one has dared to buy a bag of shopping.”
Lichfield District Council says it is giving businesses and blue badge holders the chance to feed back on the pedestrianisation proposals.
A meeting was held last week at the Guildhall with another set to take place on Boley Park in the coming days
A spokesperson for the council said:
“We are keen to hear the views of everyone regarding the trial pedestrianisation.
“The pedestrianisation workshop taking place at Boley Park Community Hall on 9th March is now fully booked but there will be other opportunities for Blue Badge holders and business owners to give their views throughout the trial period.”
Lichfield District Council spokesperson
