Disabled pensioner 'disgusted' by lack of parking in Bexleyheath town centre

4:52pm Tuesday 20th November 2012 in Bexley By George Sargent

John Brooks has been shopping in the town centre for decades John Brooks has been shopping in the town centre for decades

A DISABLED man has said he is disgusted he has been forced to stop shopping on Broadway in Bexleyheath because there is nowhere for him to park.

Eighty-year-old John Brooks says disabled parking slots in the area are constantly full and with the Royal Oak Road car park closed, he cannot shop in the area any longer.

Mr Brooks, of Albany Park, has lived in Bexleyheath for 27 years. His two hip replacements mean he needs to be near the town centre to do his shopping.

He said: “I think it is disgusting. There are a lot of blue badge parkers in Bexley but there’s nowhere for us to park.

“Often you have to wait for two or three hours for a space to free up.

“I’m not going to go to Bexleyheath anymore, I’m going to go to Sidcup or Eltham instead. Bexleyheath is going to suffer because of this because there are lots of us.”

Bexley Council approved the demolition of Royal Oak Road car park in April 2011.

Construction has begun on a new 109 bed hotel which will include a car park with 71 spaces.

A spokeswoman for campaigning organisation Transport for All, Lianna Etkind, said: “Unless town centres are accessible to all, they are not really public spaces, and adequate blue badge spaces are an important part of this.

“Disabled people have the right to travel with the freedom and independence that everyone else enjoys.”

A Bexley Council spokeswoman said the council does not run Royal Oak Car Park but provides 59 blue badge spaces in Bexleyheath town centre.

She added that blue badge holders can park for free in all council run car parks unless signposted otherwise.

Comments(10)

Gypo.Joe says...
6:33pm Tue 20 Nov 12

"Bexleyheath is going to suffer because of this because there are lots of us.”

Tell us about it, every one wiv a limp now gets a blue badge. This blue badge lark has got out of hand.

Try the bus or better still shop on line and make room for the paying public.

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glenn_london says...
7:07pm Tue 20 Nov 12

So can disabled people not park in the parking bays and pay, is it actually impossible to put your hand in your pocket like everyone else? This free parking lark is now being looked on as a right rather than a privilege, it's first come first served so quit moaning and put your hand in your pocket every now and again, you're disabled not bankrupt.

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DrDBexley says...
7:17pm Tue 20 Nov 12

“Disabled people have the right to travel with the freedom and independence that everyone else enjoys.”

Kind of missing the point about being "dis"able there! "Dis" as in "not" or "less" means by it's very nature that you are unable or less able to enjoy freedom and independence.

Now, don't get me wrong, I'm all for ensuring inclusiveness where possible, but where impractical or not possible then sorry, but democracy is the needs of the many over the needs of the few.

Don't like it, move to North Korea.

And, as per the other statements, I fail to believe there are NO parking spaces in Bexleyheath, just because you don't have one especially for you doesn't mean you can't park elsewhere. I'm a parent but still park in standard bays, it's just more of a struggle to get my son out than it would be if there was a parent & child space. Doesn't mean impossible.

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toomush2drink says...
7:57pm Tue 20 Nov 12

The funny thing is he is prepared to pay extra in fuel driving to sidcup or eltham but wont pay to park in bexleyheath.

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Bob Downondiss says...
8:53pm Tue 20 Nov 12

Arms folded as per the NewsShopper norm. Looks like three clean shirts will see him out anyway.

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Outandabout says...
12:14am Wed 21 Nov 12

Not sure I agree. One Saturday night a few years ago I couldn't park but found a car park empty, maybe 30 spaces near ASDA. 'What the hell' they were all disabled and the place was empty and ‘who gives out tickets after 9pm’ on a Saturday said I. Came back at 11.30 and found the car park full and we all had tickets. I paid. I didn't get on here and plead unfairness but part of me felt it was aimed at people who thought the same, 'who the hell will be out Saturday etc'. Disabled people can park on double yellow lines and all sorts of places or even pay to park if needs be. Taking an earlier comment, when will Bexley and Greenwich bite the bullet and get down to railway car parks and check that the badge holder is not at home while their car and badge is parked in the station because there are many able bodied people rushing to disabled bays to drive off with mum or dad's badge in the window. It is theft, because they shouldn’t have the free space if the badge isn’t theirs, yet the council will not act. It is easy enough to sort out but as I have found they refuse to take action at the abuses of the system.

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ron,,1952 says...
8:58am Wed 21 Nov 12

got that errastus piggot gutted look about him same as when the piggott the bigot blog was taken away from him for good haha

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PaulErith says...
9:51am Wed 21 Nov 12

glenn_london wrote:
So can disabled people not park in the parking bays and pay, is it actually impossible to put your hand in your pocket like everyone else? This free parking lark is now being looked on as a right rather than a privilege, it's first come first served so quit moaning and put your hand in your pocket every now and again, you're disabled not bankrupt.
Certainly agree with that. Yes, there definitely needs to be disabled parking bays. i.e. near the shops so that the walking distance is kept to a minimum. However, I've never understood why disabled people should get free parking. There's absolutely no reason why they shouldn't pay like everyone else.

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Gypo.Joe says...
12:01pm Wed 21 Nov 12

Outandabout wrote:
Not sure I agree. One Saturday night a few years ago I couldn't park but found a car park empty, maybe 30 spaces near ASDA. 'What the hell' they were all disabled and the place was empty and ‘who gives out tickets after 9pm’ on a Saturday said I. Came back at 11.30 and found the car park full and we all had tickets. I paid. I didn't get on here and plead unfairness but part of me felt it was aimed at people who thought the same, 'who the hell will be out Saturday etc'. Disabled people can park on double yellow lines and all sorts of places or even pay to park if needs be. Taking an earlier comment, when will Bexley and Greenwich bite the bullet and get down to railway car parks and check that the badge holder is not at home while their car and badge is parked in the station because there are many able bodied people rushing to disabled bays to drive off with mum or dad's badge in the window. It is theft, because they shouldn’t have the free space if the badge isn’t theirs, yet the council will not act. It is easy enough to sort out but as I have found they refuse to take action at the abuses of the system.
That's what happens when one assumes chit !!
"Life is tough, but it's tougher if you're stupid." ( John Wayne )

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cm punk says...
12:41pm Fri 23 Nov 12

Old man in moaning shocker!

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