Concern over parking permits for disabled (From Southend Standard)
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Concern over parking permits for disabled
4:30pm Thursday 25th October 2012 in News By Emma Thomas
Carer says disabled people should not have to pay for parking permits in Southend
A CARER says she believes disabled people who need help at home should be given parking permits.
Karen Davey cares for Marion Pearce who lives in Hamlet Road, Southend, and suffers from Spondolosis of the spine.
She said she thinks disabled residents should not have to pay for permits just so carers can come to their address.
She said: “We have carers that overlap at times. She has had to pay out for two permits. The road is resident’s parking all along. There is no blue badge parking round there.
“A very nice lady at the council arranged it for us to have two permits but why should any of our disabled residents have to pay if they need carers? They don’t have carers out of choice.”
Mrs Davey said it has caused problems with Mrs Pearce’s care.
She added: “We have had a couple of carers that have had tickets although they managed to get them revoked. She has lost carers because they couldn’t park.”
Zulfiqar Ali, Southend Council’s strategic highways and traffic manager, said the council had allowed two permits to be issued because of the exceptional circumstances but they still had to be paid for.
He said: “Mrs Pearce is in the unusual position of being issued with two carers permits due to her particular care arrangements and that fact that her carers cross over on visits.
“There has always been a charge for these permits, but the £15 cost for each permit for the year has remained the same since the council started implementing parking schemes in 2009/10.”
Comments(23)
Eric Whim
says...
4:40pm Thu 25 Oct 12
Spondolosis
spondylosis
jolllyboy
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4:56pm Thu 25 Oct 12
perini
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4:56pm Thu 25 Oct 12
Basildon.lad.21
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5:05pm Thu 25 Oct 12
billericay boy
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5:12pm Thu 25 Oct 12
billericay boy
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5:12pm Thu 25 Oct 12
Nebs
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5:59pm Thu 25 Oct 12
LibbyJ
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7:17pm Thu 25 Oct 12
Basildon.lad.21 wrote:I haven't bothered to log in to comment about anything for ages, but couldn't let this pass by. I hope you're joking, otherwise I'd be tempted to say, if you're that thick you shouldn't be commenting, simples!!
If your disabled you shouldnt be driving. Simple.
sosad 1
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7:53pm Thu 25 Oct 12
LibbyJ wrote:libby you are so right dont think hes joking though
Basildon.lad.21 wrote:I haven't bothered to log in to comment about anything for ages, but couldn't let this pass by. I hope you're joking, otherwise I'd be tempted to say, if you're that thick you shouldn't be commenting, simples!!
If your disabled you shouldnt be driving. Simple.
Shoebury_Cyclist
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8:58pm Thu 25 Oct 12
Basildon.lad.21 wrote:Then I hope you do not drive.
If your disabled you shouldnt be driving. Simple.
perini
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10:18pm Thu 25 Oct 12
Basildon.lad.21 wrote:You're really handicapped but we still get updates of your latest prattish stunt. You don't drive a black focus do you?
If your disabled you shouldnt be driving. Simple.
Hagrace
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10:22am Fri 26 Oct 12
asbo industries inc
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12:17pm Fri 26 Oct 12
rotty78
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2:37pm Fri 26 Oct 12
Basildon.lad.21 wrote:The lady in question doesn't drive because of her disability.
If your disabled you shouldnt be driving. Simple.
rotty78
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2:49pm Fri 26 Oct 12
The lady doesn't drive because of her disability. Because she doesn't drive she is not entitled to a residents permit. Mrs Pearce was originally told that she could purchase visitors permits - 20 permits for £5 - 2 permits required a day - you work that out over a year! Because of her disabilities she needs help. Carers are only paid for the time they are at their clients, travelling is not included, they are providing a service for the community. The carer is not holding Mrs Pearce to ransom, but is fighting on Mrs Pearce's behalf and all disabled people in the country who may not have anyone to fight their cause. The fact of the matter is that residents parking is being bought in all over the country - in this particular area the parking restrictions were bought in on a MINORITY vote. In one area in Southend parking permits are £80 a year because they have the disadvantage of having parking meters down the road - they can't even apply for visitors permits.
Mrs Pearce has a blue badge, which without a residents permit she can't even use outside her own home.
asbo industries inc
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2:59pm Fri 26 Oct 12
rotty78
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3:11pm Fri 26 Oct 12
asbo industries inc wrote:Eventually - thanks to a very helpful member of the council staff. Originally told she couldn't have them. Whilst trying to sort things out two of her carers were given tickets despite using her blue badge - it was not valid in a residents only bay. They have had to pay these fines as the council refused to overturn them.
the report states she has been issued with annual carer's permits.
asbo industries inc
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3:23pm Fri 26 Oct 12
rotty78
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5:45pm Fri 26 Oct 12
asbo industries inc wrote:The printed story is inaccurate. There has been flexibility in this case as I had to fight for it. The carers who received penalty notices sent in appeals but were refused - the penalties were NOT revoked. If Mrs Pearce had not had someone to assist her in this matter I doubt she would of received her permits. How many elderly/disabled people are out there on there own without any help. One day you may need it.
so there is flexibility with the permits. where's the story?
asbo industries inc
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6:01pm Fri 26 Oct 12
rotty78
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6:08pm Fri 26 Oct 12
asbo industries inc wrote:Unfortunately in this particular area there is not . At the council planning meeting they stated that there would be two limited time bays installed - there isn't and there would be a disabled bay in each road - there isn't.
if the parking tickets were given to cars in residents' bays that weren't displaying permits why are you surprised? there is plenty of non resident parking in the surrounding roads of that area so there is zero excuse unless the carers are also disabled.
asbo industries inc
says...
6:17pm Fri 26 Oct 12
AndyBSG says...
4:39pm Thu 25 Oct 12
A friend of mine moved into a new apartment block that had a customised disabled flat on the ground floor and one of the big plus points for him was that the space closest to the entrance was a disabled space which had a huge yellow zig zag 'no parking' area next to it between the parking space and the path so he could transfer in easily.
He comes out to go to work one morning and finds that someone has actually squeezed their car into this no parking zone so he would have struggled to open his door and get in even if he were able bodied and when the janitor tracked down the dirt bag who's car it was not only were they not embarrassed and ashamed but they told him to "Stop being lazy and just park somewhere else"!