Disabled driver highlights plight

A FORRES man has come forward to state his own case after reading last week's "Forres Gazette" about changes to the rules governing allocated disabled parking spaces.

Ken Stewart, who lives at 66 Burdshaugh, applied to Moray Council to get an allocated space. He fits the criteria for a disabled space and had one at his previous home in Califer Road.

However, he was refused a disabled space outside his home in Burdshaugh, because he has enough room to have off-road parking beside his home. However, while admitting that he has space to park his car outside his house, he claims that he needs a space because he has been experiencing problems with people parking outside his property and blocking his gates.

His home faces Forres Academy and at busy times the roads outside the school are jam-packed with traffic, including parents picking up or dropping off children.

"I live right opposite the academy," he said. "The cottages are on the corner and there is a large piece of road outside the house, it is hard to tell whether it is a road or a car park because at times it gets so busy."

Mr Stewart said that he asked Moray Council if they would put markings on the piece of road or outside his double gates to prevent people parking there, but they refused.

He was told that if he were to block off his gates so he had no off-road parking space, then they would be able to put markings on the road to stop people parking there and allow him to park.

"They told me that they would only give me a disabled space if my off-road parking was not available," he said. "They said one of the gates would have to be blocked off with a bollard."

He had also previously asked for a dropped kerb to be installed from the gates onto the road, indicating a driveway, but the council told him the cost of the works would be between £600 and £700, which he would have to pay himself. He said he wasn't happy.

"Moray Council won't give me a disabled parking spot because they claim I have off-road parking," he said. "But it is often blocked off by drivers going to the academy. On two occasions ,I asked people to move so I could get out of the house and they told me where to go. Then they want me to pay £600 to have the kerb lowered and block my gate off. I'm stuck between the devil and the deep blue sea really."

Forres man Kenny Shand, who is registered disabled and campaigns for rights for the less able-bodied, said there should be a way around the problem.

"If Mr Stewart was entitled to a space before then I would say he still would be," he said. "I would say that if he lives on a corner then I don't think it would be done under road traffic regulations. Perhaps he could consider getting his own sign made up to prevent people from parking at his gate. It should only take something like this to deter people."

Meantime, Mr Shand is awaiting confirmation that an e-petition campaigning for support for changes in disability parking rights has been accepted by http://petitions.pm.gov.uk which will be available for people to sign online. Forres Community Council member Eleanor Hayward, who first raised the issue of changes in parking spaces for disabled people, said that she was sure that there were a great many more people in the town, affected by the issue, who might now come forward.

Source: Forres Gazette